'De Verstrooide Professor'.
Theo Funke Küpper was a Dutch comic artist, advertising illustrator and watercolor painter. He is best remembered for his long-running gag comic 'De Verstrooide Professor’ (1937-1966), about an absent-minded professor. It was a mainstay in the children's magazine Okki for decades. For (Weekblaadje voor de) Roomse Jeugd, Funke Küpper also scripted the weekly 'Jan Jokkebrok' column, illustrated by his brother Frans Funke Küpper.
Early life and career
Theodorus Franciscus Anton Funke Küpper was born in 1904 in Rotterdam as the middle son of a German father and Dutch mother. Just like his brothers Albert Funke Küpper (1894-1934) and Frans Funke Küpper (1908-1993), he inherited his artistic talent from his father, the Westphalian painter Bernard Anton Funke Küpper (1869-1955). The family also had three daughters. All three Funke Küpper brothers had prominent careers as magazine and newspaper cartoonists. Since they were only a couple of years apart, Theo's career evolved similarly to that of his brother Frans.
Picture book version of 'Snow White' for publisher Goede Lecteur, with illustrations credited to the "Brothers Funke-Küpper".
Collaborating brothers
By 1931, both brothers were employed as advertising designers by the Rotogravure Maatschappij in Leiden. In 1934, they moved over to the ad department of De Spaarnestad in Haarlem. When the studio closed its doors in 1935, they became freelance illustrators and comic creators for the publisher's Catholic children's magazines Kleuterblaadje and (Weekblaadje voor de) Roomse Jeugd, the forerunners of the magazines Okki and Taptoe. Both brothers collaborated on the weekly column 'Jan Jokkebrok', written by Theo and illustrated by Frans. Published in Weekblaadje voor de Roomse Jeugd from 1937 until Hitler invaded the Netherlands in May 1940, the feature told moralistic stories about a young boy who always gets himself into trouble by telling lies.
During the 1930s, both brothers developed and illustrated the school-themed board game 'Wie Is De Knapste?' for Hausemann & Hötte, the company that later became game manufacturer Jumbo. For the publishing imprint Goede Lectuur in Amsterdam, Theo and Frans Funke Küpper provided the illustrations for the fairy tale picture story book 'Sneeuwwitje'.
'De Verstrooide Professors' (Okki, 1964-1965 #9). Translation: "Does it rain much? I still have to go shopping." - "It's pouring. Take my umbrella. It's standing in the hall to leak out." - "Ha ha, look at that! Sir, why are you holding your umbrella upside down?"
De Verstrooide Professor
Between 31 July 1937 and 1 January 1966, with an interruption during World War II, Theo Funke Küpper's gag strip 'De Verstrooide Professor' ("The Confused Professor") ran on a weekly basis in Kleuterblaadje and its successor Okki. When Kleuterblaadje became Okki in 1953, Funke Küpper added another professor to the cast, and continued the feature under the title 'De Verstrooide Professors'. When in 1966 Okki magazine transferred from publisher De Spaarnestad in Haarlem to Malmberg in Den Bosch, Theo Funke Küpper ended his collaboration.
Death and legacy
In addition to his day job in commercial art and illustrator, Theo Funke Küpper was also active as a watercolor painter, mostly of landscapes and cityscapes. He passed away in Haarlem on 5 July 1977 at age 72.
In the 26th issue of Furore magazine, dated January 2021 (but in fact published in September 2020), Luuk Smeets drew a parody of Theo Funke's 'De Verstrooide Professors' under the title 'De Verstrooide Loodgieters' ("The Absent-minded Plumbers").
Theo Funke Küpper, painting in Spain (Algemeen Dagblad, 28 September 1954).