'Hacienda de Oro'.
Rob Oudshoorn is a Dutch former businessman with top positions at Michelin and Apollo Vredestein, who after his retirement turned to his childhood passion of comics and illustration. At age 71, he self-published his comic book debut 'Haciende de Oro' (2021), which combined his corporate background with his interest in comics. He is also an illustrator and cartoonist for automotive magazines.
Early life
Born around 1950, Rob Oudshoorn had an early interest in drawing. At his high school in Wassenaar, his talent was noticed by his math teacher. As the man made puzzles for the newspaper De Telegraaf, he asked the teenager to make illustrations to accompany them. Earning 60 guilders a week, Oudshoorn continued this job for seven years. While he continued to draw for fun in later life, his professional career took a different turn. Between 1972 and 1974, he studied Law at the University of Leiden, followed by an additional two years studying Business Administration at the Interfaculty Business Management in Delft.
Professional life
Between 1981 and 1994, Oudshoorn was a director with Michelin, for which he spent eight years living in Johannesburg, South Africa and then Tokyo, Japan. He was subsequently CEO of Michelin's competitor Apollo Vredestein in Enschede, which under his leadership (1994-2012) grew into the largest private employer in the region (1,800 employees). He spent the final years of his professional life as a member of the executive board of PON Holdings in Almere, a major importer of Volkswagen and other cars.
Arnout and Alfons cartoon from 2021.
Illustrator
Since his retirement, the Apeldoorn-based Oudshoorn has dedicated his time to new creative and artistic projects. Since 1996, he has been the ambassador of Giugiiaro Design, a design agency in the automotive branch. As an artist, Oudshoorn specialized in automotive art, making paintings, illustrations, cartoons and computer art on the subject. He has drawn classic cars by commision of private individuals, as well as for the magazine Automobiel Klassiekermagazine. Since 2020, together with his friend Johan Kramer, he has published more topical cartoons with the characters Aernout and Alfons on LinkedIn, in order to "liven up that boring platform".
Hacienda de Ora
One of Oudshoorn's more ambitious projects was the full comic album 'Hacienda de Ora' (2021), which he wrote, drew, colored and published all by himself. In a Clear Line-inspired drawing style, he described the adventures of the wealthy businessman Robert Hamilton, who inherited a number of hotels from his parents and, thanks to his good business instinct, built them into a flourishing empire. By the time he wants to slow things down, he is confronted in a bloody way with events from the past.
Comic strip by Rob Oudhoorn, 2020.