Danker Jan Oreel was born in Breda, where he also attended the St. Joost Art Academy. He began his career working at the illustration department of a publishing house, making (advertising) illustrations for clients like Black & Decker, Chrompack and the Dutch educational television. He became a freelance artist in 1990. Besides many advertising and magazine illustrations, Oreel has also illustrated comics, such as a comic about The Rolling Stones and the comic book 'Big Deal!' (1987).
'De Avonturen van Leo' and 'Noepies'.
Living in Zeeland, Oreel wrote and illustrated two comic books about the city of Goes. He also chronicled the history of this province with historian Jan Zwemer, in a comic called 'Zeeland, van Nehalennia tot Westerscheldetunnel'. In 2000 he developed 'De Noepies' for a sticker album in commission of the Coöperatie Fruitmasters Groep. In 2005 he illustrated the 'Suske en Wiske' book 'De Lallende Libel', distributed for free among families in the west of Noord-Brabant and the province of Antwerp. In 2010 he was present in comic magazine Eppo with 'Hel', a comic written by Henk Kuijpers. In 2013, he returned to the history of the province of Zeeland with the comic 'De Banneling van Tobago', that he made in cooperation with René Verhulst, the mayor of Goes.
In 2020 Oreel joined 75 Dutch & Flemish comic artists to make a graphic contribution to the free collective comic book ‘Striphelden versus Corona’ (Oogachtend, Uitgeverij L, 2020). The book is intended to support comics stores who had to close their doors for two months during the lockdown at the height of the COVID-19 virus pandemic.
'Zeeland 2000 Jaar Geschiedenis In Strip' - 'Van Nehalennia Tot Westerschelde'.