'Umberto'.
Tijn Snoodijk is a Dutch artist who is probably best known as an author, illustrator of children's books and journalist covering comics and animation. However he did publish a few short comics in magazines such as Striparazzi, Zone 5300, Hello You and Eisner. Recurring characters are the voluptuous 'Bibi Bazooka' and the melancholic toy hamster 'Umberto'.
Header for Lambiek's De Reporter.
Lambiek
Born in 1970, Martijn Snoodijk began working for the Amsterdam-based comics shop Lambiek in the early 1990s. He was not a salesman, but instead helped owner Kees Kousemaker with his many side projects. One of those included the relaunch of Lambiek's newsletter De Reporter, for which Snoodijk developed a more modern lay-out and header. The tongue-in-cheek newsletter was published on advertising spots in comics news magazines like Stripschrift and Zozolala between 1994 and 1995. Together with Martijn Daalder, he compiled 'Lambiek's Almanac 1968-1993', which collected most of the store's history at the occasion of its 25th anniversary in November 1993. Snoodijk and Kousemaker also wrote a brief comic history for a booklet which came with the 1997 comics stamps ('In Strip Gevat', 1997).
'De Fantastische Tekenaar Fred' (Striparazzi #1, 1999).
Early comics career
During the decade, Snoodijk gradually began writing about comics more frequently, including for newspapers like AD and the comics annuals of publisher Sherpa. His own career as an illustrator and comic artist took off as well. The adventures of star reporter 'Tsunami Wow' were published in Zone 5300. One of his early creations was 'De Fantastische Tekenaar Fred' (1999), an editorial strip for Big Balloon's Striparazzi, the comic magazine edited by his brother Dirk. When Striparazzi folded, the Snoodijk brothers moved over to Malmberg's English language magazine Hello You, for which Snoodijk created the culinary adventures of 'Fatkid' (1999-2000). Snoodijk was also present in the alternative comic magazine Zone 5300 with star reporter 'Tsunami Now'.
Bibi Bazooka
The cute and voloptuous 'Bibi Bazooka' with her inseparable teddy bear was a recurring character by Snoodijk, who for the occasion assumed the pen name Naomi J. Strijdonk. Bibi was regularly confronted with political and economical dilemmas when she appeared in comics, cartoons and illustrations in Dutch men's magazines like FHM, Maxim and Blvd, and on several websites. Snoodijk released a charming pantomime cartoon novel with the character under his own publishing imprint Lapijn, simply called 'Bibi Bazooka' (2010).
'Umberto'.
Umberto
Another regular character by Snoodijk is the melancholic toy hamster 'Umberto', who starred in a cartoon book called 'Niets Van Belang' (Lapijn, 2009). For the fifth and final issue of Eisner, published in 2010, Snoodijk used his hamster for a comics adaptation of 'Kangaroo', a desastrous love story from the Dan Rhodes book 'Anthropology and a Hundred Other Stories' (2000). A comic with the character also appeared in 'Vijf Zinnen, Tien strips' (2011), a collective book of comic essays.
'Waarom moet ik naar bed?'.
Children's picture books
Tijn Snoodijk has gained most fame for his children's picture books, which he made on a regular base since 2000. He applies a readable and stylized graphic technique, which reminds of 'Miffy' author Dick Bruna, but with an absurd and original touch. His first book for instance, 'Getver! Alweer een boek!' (Zirkoon, 2000), can be considered a useful guide on how to avoid reading. It however won him the 2002 Zilveren Penseel ("Silver Brush"), one of the most important Dutch awards for illustrators of children's literature. The book was subsequently translated into English ('Yuck! It's another book!'), French (Beurk! Encore un livre!') and Italian ('Uffa! Ancora un libro!'). Zirkoon also published Snoodijk's next productions, which deal with a little man who has to reconstruct himself each morning ('Goedemorgen, Meneer Stukjes!', with Heleen van Rossum, 2003), a bear trying to discover the joys of visual arts ('Niet Aanraken, S.V.P.', 2003), an unqualified witch ('Hexa Kan Niet Heksen', 2005), a monster alphabet ('M Is Een Monster', 2005) or the definitive answer to the most frequently asked question among toddlers: Why do I have to go to bed? ('Waarom Moet Ik Naar Bed?', 2006). His book about the two aliens Qwl and Krz, 'Qwl + Krz en de Raadselachtige Planeet' (2007) was completely written in the language from the Brgwlx universe, but luckily enough, the book came with a translation key. In later years, Snoodijk wrote and illustrated picture books for publisher De Eenhoorn, such as 'Poesje Mauw: Wat Doe Je Nou?' (with Nanna Adams, 2014) and 'Robot Maakt Vrienden' (2017).
Advertising art
As a commercial artist, Snoodijk has worked for magazines like FHM, VPRO Gids and Elsevier, and for brands like Nutricia and G-rilla. Through Lapijn, he also designs and illustrates birth announcement cards.
Europa
Snoodijk returned to comics with the humorous strip about the mythological Phoenician princess 'Europa', the name giver of the European continent. In Snoodijk's rendition, the cute princess is stuck with an insufferable kid brother and a dull father, who has no eye for his daughter's talents. The series was launched in the tenth issue of Eppo magazine in 2019, and was serialized until August 2020.
Graphic contributions
In 2020 Snoodijk 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.
Recognition
In 2002 Snoodijk won the Zilveren Penseel ("Silver Brush") for his illustrations in the children's book 'Getver! Alweer Een Boek!' (2000).
'Getver! Alweer Een Boek!'.