Pommeke - 'Hete Avonturen' (1994). Note the spelling error in the last panel, which should be: 'uitkleedt'.
Uitgeverij Thumor was the pseudonymous Flemish publishing company which in 1994 and 1995 released two albums of 'Pommeke', a pornographic parody of Jef Nys' children's comic 'Jommeke'. Nys sued for copyright infringement and won his case, though the artist behind these comics remains unidentified. On the judge's orders, all copies were confiscated and given to Nys, making these two spoofs extraordinarily rare (and valuable).
Pommeke
In the 1970s and especially the 1980s, many popular Franco-Belgian comic series were subjected to pornographic parodies. Legal prosecution made some of these titles more notorious than necessary. Nevertheless, since the quality of most of these sex comics was sub zero, they were never genuine bestsellers. By the mid-1980s, the porn parody comic craze had already reached his zenith, making it all the more remarkable that as late as the mid-1990s Jef Nys' 'Jommeke' still became subject of a pornographic spoof, especially since the original comic was only famous and popular in Flanders. Titled 'Pommeke', the first album was released in 1994, 'Hete Avonturen' ("Hot Adventures"), followed by a sequel in the following year, 'Erop of Eronder' ("Up or Below", 1995).
In 'Hete Avonturen' (1994), Jommeke and his friends discover that their Scottish friend, Mic Mac Jampudding, suffers from erectile dysfunction. The culprit behind this problem is the mean butler Anatool. Since professor Gobelijn needs to make a special potion from an aphrodisiac plant found on a tropical island, Jommeke and Filiberke travel to this isle to find it. There they are captured by cannibals under command of the Queen of Onderland. She rapes the boys in her S&M dungeon until Flip saves them. Meanwhile, Rozemieke discovers Anatool's hiding place in the castle and is also raped. Jommeke and his friends eventually liberate her and tie Anatool to a pillar. The Duchess of Stiepelteen then extracts Anatool's ejaculation fluid, so Gobelijn can make a potion that enables Jampudding to have colossal erections again. All ends well with an orgy. In the sequel, 'Erop Of Eronder' (1995), Jommeke becomes the sex slave of the witches Hakeneus, Steketand and Pierehaar.
Pommeke - 'Hete Avonturen' (1994).
Both books were uncredited. A 1995 reprint of the first book carried the name of a fictional publisher, "Uitgeverij Thumor", on the front cover. This version also used the original name 'Jommeke' instead of 'Pommeke'. Originally, the books were only available in the erotic store chain Libidos, before regular comic stores also started ordering copies. The anonymous artist is almost certainly Flemish, given the limited success of 'Jommeke' across the borders at the time. Judging from the script and artwork, he was an obvious amateur. Many drawings are clumsily traced from official 'Jommeke' stories, sometimes down to the lay-out and panels. The front and back covers even directly use exactly the same font as any regular 'Jommeke' album. The artist didn't bother much about reading direction either. Characters often enter scenes or look at each other from positions and perspectives that disorient the casual reader. In both stories, the rambling plot is clearly made up as the artist went along, with many gratuitous sex scenes stretched out over several pages. By lack of enough female characters, the twins Annemieke and Rozemieke are manoeuvred in awkward sex positions almost every other page, mounted by either Jommeke, Filiberke or all the male adult cast members, including, at one point, even Flip the parrot. The comics also make use of a lot of pun-based names, of which "Anaaltool" (instead of "Anatool") is arguably the wittiest.
Pommeke - 'Hete Avonturen' (1994).
Legal action
By 1995, the 'Pommeke' parodies had achieved enough notoriety to catch Jef Nys' attention. While he didn't mind erotic comics and admitted that his grandson had also bought a copy, he felt the artwork was abysmal. Interviewed by Geert De Weyer, Nys bragged: "I could draw a better penis than that." Nys also didn't mind adults buying and reading these spoofs, but was worried about actual children, especially since the sex scenes with Jommeke, Filiberke and the Miekes could be interpreted as child pornography. The title font on the front cover and album summarisation on the back were such direct plagiarism that the books could easily be mistaken for the real thing. As such, Nys and his publisher Het Volk decided to sue.
The case received considerable press attention. During a TV broadcast of the debate show 'Schermen' (1995), hosted by Jan Van Rompaey, 'Pommeke' was the subject of a larger discussion about freedom of speech and censorship. Nys explained his position in the studio, with audience guests offering their two cents on the matter. Van Rompaey also conducted a live phone call with the comedian Jacques Vermeire, who had his own celebrity comic at the time, drawn by Geert Kinnaert. Vermeire was open-minded about pornography, but also said he wouldn't feel flattered if someone made a porn parody starring him, without asking his permission. From this perspective, he understood Nys' overall complaints. Apart from the pornographic aspect, Van Rompaey also discussed the thin line between parody and sheer plagiarism.
Nys officially charged the distributors and creators behind 'Pommeke' for copyright infringement. The case dragged on for several years. On 20 November 2000, the judge ruled in Nys' favor, issuing a fine of 300,000 Belgian francs in damages (7,500 euro today). The culprit was sentenced to a symbolic punishment of eight days imprisonment and a 3,800 euro fine. However, the artist was never found, as it was unknown person with a fictional address in Hasselt. Instead, only the business manager of the Libido stores was charged, along with three comic store merchants from Hasselt, Antwerp and Ghent. In an interview, Nys claimed he had a suspicion who the artist might have been, without clarifying who he had in mind. Many comic fans suspected his former assistant Edgard Gastmans who in 1972-1974 had created a 'Jommeke' rip-off called 'Willeke', which Nys put to a stop by threatening legal action. However, there has never been any actual proof that Gastmans was the artist behind 'Pommeke'. Comparing his artwork with that from the artist behind 'Pommeke', it is obvious that they are stylistically very different in graphic quality.
A consolation prize was that all remaining copies of 'Pommeke' were retrieved from stores and given to Nys. In an interview for Brabant Strip Magazine #109 (conducted by Patrick Vranken and Joppe Broeckhoven, June 2003), Nys recalled that he loaded the entire stock into his car, being very concerned about what he would say if a police patrol would ask him to pull over and have a look at his luggage. Back home, he kept the comics in boxes, frequently throwing some of them in a paper shredder to "brighten my mood". However, when comics journalist Geert De Weyer later interviewed Nys about the 'Pommeke' parody, the comic veteran surprised him by saying that he considered the spoof itself funny and sometimes gave copies to friends and relatives. But he also clarified that he had to make a stance "to protect the children and his good reputation."
'Pommeke'.