Amber en Akka
Rob Peters, born in Drachten, studied at the Academies of both Arnhem (1958-1959) and Rotterdam (1959-1960). Although his comics production is limited, his work does stand out for its original and personal style and its absurd humor. He started out in 1966-1967 with several bizarre short stories starring 'Meneer Plum', that were published in Robbedoes, as well as its French equivalent Spirou. He got help for some of his early comics from friends like Peter Snoey, Peter Bulthuis and Phocas Kingma.
Amber en Akka (Robbedoes #1649, 1969)
He continued as one of the few Dutch artists that published in Robbedoes with the funny detective series 'Amber en Akka' (1969-1972) and 'Professor Hilarius' (1972-1973). Most of the scripts of these comics were written by Jules Deelder, Peters' childhood friend who would become well-known for his "jazz poetry", and who is nicknamed the "nightly mayor of Rotterdam". Peters and Deelders also made the 'ABC voor de genieter van Marihuana', a marijuana guide, under the pen names Youssouph Ben Houpla and Julian the Joint. They were furthermore part of a popgroup called Popera, together with Rob's sister Roselie and composer Peter Snoey.
Peters's next comic, 'Topsland', about a medieval land with modern, present-day neighbors, was too unconventional for Robbedoes. That is why 'Topsland' appeared in Aloha in 1970 and 1971, and in Mimo in 1972.
Professor Hilarius
Rob Peters, who had lived on Ibiza since 1966, cancelled his comics activities in the late 1970s to become a freelance animator in the United States. He later settled in Rotterdam, where he worked as a fine artist and illustrator. Between 1985 and 2004 he has made illustrations for magazines like Playboy and Nieuwe Revu, and the publishing house De Bezige Bij. Fascinated by the Bismarck ship and his disastrous maiden voyage, Peters spent many years of his life working on Bismarck-themed art. With his knowledge of the Bismarck, he won the Dutch TV quiz 'De 64.000 gulden vraag' in 1991.
Topsland