'Hopy'. Translation: "Don't waste your time!". "Every second is important!". "Time is money!". "A RAISE?" - "Don't waste your time!". "Every second is important!". "Time is money!".
Cram, pen name of Marc Mestag, was a Belgian cartoonist for publications such as De Standaard, Humo, De Volksmacht, Ons Volk, De Nieuwe Gazet, Le Soir Illustré and La Libre Belgique since the 1960s. His work was also published in Switzerland and Germany. From 1966 until the early 1980s, he regularly drew cartoons and gag comics for Tintin magazine, mostly independent, but also with recurring characters like 'Hopy' and 'Monsieur Menu' ('Meneer Turf'). During his Tintin period, Cram also worked with Mittéï and Géri on their series 'L'Indésirable Désiré' and 'Skblllz'.
'De Weyfelaers'. Translation: "What are you doing?" - "Praying, don't you see?! And don't step in the remains of my snowman!".
Besides his Tintin comics, Cram drew 'Orphée' and 'Jehan' for Pourquoi-Pas and 'Dok Schnok' for Ons Volkske. He also made 'De Weyfelaers' for several dailies of the De Standaard group from 1975 onwards. From 1981 he was present in Robbedoes, the Belgian version of Spirou, wiith the absurd gag comic 'Jan Pech' (1981-1983).
'Jan Pech'. Translation: "Look a parrot! Psst! Prrr! Pfst! Oh yeah, they have a language of their own! Krrr! Coco! Coco! RRR! Coco satisfied?" - "Are you nearly done with all that idiocy?!" - "Ah well... all those birds are equally stupid..."
In the rest of the 1980s, Cram continued his work for Robbedoes until the end of the decade with a great many pantomime gag cartoons. A collection of his work was published by De Dageraad in the album 'Cram zag eens pruimen hangen', in 1983.
Cartoon by Cram.
Cram. Photo: Danny de Laet.