Donald Duck - 'Archeologica '(Donald Duck #25, 23 June 1995). © Disney.
Jaap Stavenuiter is a former Dutch comic book artist, who worked on Disney comics in the 1980s and 1990s. As a member of Studio Funny Farm in Arnhem, he also contributed to their comic magazine Razzafrazz.
Studio Arnhem
Born in Arnhem, Jaap Stavenuiter had one of his amateur comic stories ('Sam Shortcut') published in issue #27 of the comic news magazine Zozolala (1986). While the drawing style revealed influences from Peter de Smet, the artist has later mentioned George Herriman and Carl Barks as his favorite comic creators. In Arnhem, Stavenuiter often visited the local comic book shop Het Gele Gevaar, owned by comic artist Ben Jansen. The latter was also co-founder of Studio Arnhem, a local comic studio that brought forth a new generation of Dutch comic creators. By the late 1980s, most of the original members had left or were about to leave, with the exception of Jansen. Around this time, Stavenuiter joined the studio, followed by Ronald van Vemden, Hans Pieko and Hendrik J. Vos. Most of the time, all were working on their own projects, with Stavenuiter drawing Disney art for the Dutch licensee VNU.
Cover drawing by Jaap Stavenuiter for Donald Duck (issue #28, 11 July 1992). © Disney.
Disney comics
Between 1989 and 1999, Stavenuiter drew several comic stories with Donald Duck and his family members, especially 'The Junior Woodchucks', 'Grandma Duck' and 'Gus Goose'. His work was often inked by Jules Coenen. While he initially worked from scripts by several of the regular Dutch scriptwriters, most notably Jan Kruse and Frank Jonker, in 1997 he began writing scripts himself in collaboration with Frans Leenheer. However, those stories were mostly drawn by other artists, for instance Sander Gulien, Hans van Oudenaarden or artists from Studio Comicup in Barcelona.
'Wilbur Wolf' (Razzafrazz #1, 1992).
Funny Farm
In the early 1990s, Stavenuiter was a member of another Arnhem comic studio, Funny Farm, where he worked alongside Kees de Boer, Gerard Leever, Stef de Reuver, Jeroen Steehouwer, Hester van de Grift, Mars Gremmen and Frans Leenheer, among other people. After the death of Ben Jansen in 1994, Funny Farm moved into the old Studio Arnhem building at 31A Kastanjelaan, where it is still based. Between 1992 and 1994, Stavenuiter was part of the editorial team of Funny Farm's own magazine Razzafrazz, for which he also made a couple of comic stories, for instance the funny animal story 'Wilbur Wolf' (1992), in tribute to Tex Avery, Chuck Jones and 1940s animation in general. Around this time, he also produced artwork for the educational publishing house Malmberg and the toddler's magazine Bobo. In the first 1998 issue of the pop cultural magazine Zone 5300, Stavenuiter had a comic page published based on the Dolly Parton song 'Two Little Orphans'. Around the turn of the century, Jaap Stavenuiter left the comic industry and moved on to work as an IT specialist and web designer.
'Dolly Parton: Twee Kleine Wezen' (Zone 5300 #1, 1998).