'Heksenkøts'.
Frank Smit is a Dutch cartoonist, whose comic strips 'Koetje Boe' (later retitled 'Boerderij Knus Dutte', 2014- ) and 'Rusthuis Roest' (2007- ) have appeared in free newspapers in the Alkmaar region and in self-published comic books. In 2024, he debuted at Reboot Comics with the 'Heksenkøts' comic.
Life and career
Frank Smit was born in 1960 in Egmond aan den Hoef, and grew up reading the classic comic magazines of the time. During his childhood, he developed a talent for drawing, and began creating his own comic stories. Smit later settled in Koedijk, Alkmaar. Smit has worked in a depot and a supermarket, and around the turn of the century, he began working on comics and cartoons on the side. Under the name "FrankArtoons", he has been for hire as a cartoonist and caricaturist. In addition, Smit has self-published comic strips under the banner "Je Reinste Kolder" ("Pure Nonsense"), which reveal influences from artists like Eric Schreurs and Hein de Kort, and are characterized by their absurd and grotesque nature. Between 1999 and 2004, he published 'Je Reinste Kolder' and other comic strips in Sven van der Hart's small press comic magazine De Stripper. He also participated in the magazine's 1999 anthology comic 'A Bad Childhood...'.
'Boerderij Knus Dutte'. Translation: "It's obvious: the farmer's wife is ill!!".
Koetje Boe ('Boerderij Knus Dutte')
One of Smit's early creations was 'Koetje Boe', about the daily life of a philosophical farm cow, who has to deal with the wild plans of owners, the annoying teasing horse Willard and her own life questions. The comic initially appeared in the staff magazine of the supermarket, where Smit worked in the advertising department. During the early 2000s, the strip appeared in the free regional weekly newspaper Nieuwsblad Alkmaar, and in a couple of self-published comic books. The 'Koetje Boe' comic eventually evolved into 'Boerderij Knus Dutte' (2014), about a farmer and his animals who have to live with the unpredictable plans and rules of the farmer's wife.
'Rusthuis Roest'. Translation: "So, granny, we're going to put you in bed. False teeth! Glass eyes! Artificial arms! Artificial legs! And, there you go: good night!" - "Good night!"
Rusthuis Roest
On 11 September 2007, Smit's comic strip 'Rusthuis Roest' first appeared in the local newspaper Alkmaarsche Courant. Since 2011, it has been a regular fixture in the free weekly newspaper Nieuwsblad Alkmaar. The feature deals with the residents of a nursing home, who have to live with the strange behavior of the elderly care worker, Bokkepruik. In 2022, C-Edition released a comic book with the characters from 'Rusthuis Roest' under the title '80+: Wat een Pensjoen Pubers Zeg!'.
Other comics
In 2015, Smit released the one-shot comic book 'Opa K. Lips', about an elderly man driving his scooter mobile through an apocalyptic world. Another self-published comic by Frank Smit was 'Kiele Kiele Kannibaal' (2017), about two cannibals who end up in the Netherlands and have to deal with the country's customs and typical peculiarities. In 2022, an official reprint appeared at C-Edition. In that same year,
In 2024, Smit joined the team of Reboot Comics with his comic book 'Heksenkøts', about the inquisitor Tabernakel and his executioner, who try in vain to unmask the Swedish beauty Agnetha as a witch.
Graphic contributions
In 2024, Smit paid homage to the late Dutch cartoonist Eric Schreurs in the tribute book 'Een Strip Hommage - Eric Schreurs' (Reboot Comics, 2024).
'Opa K. Lips'.