'Loenies' (De Waarheid, 4 April 1985). Translation: "But... but... You have a complete anvil hanging on your ear!" - "What?! Only one? Oh dear, then I might have lost one!!! Earrings always get me in trouble."
Ernst van Veenendaal is a Dutch graphic designer, who made comic strips for small press magazines as well as the newspapers De Waarheid and Het Vrije Volk during the 1980s. Among his gag series were 'Thijs Anijs' (1984), 'Loenies' (1985), 'Tater de Kater' (1985) and 'Onwystrip' (1986-1988).
Early life and career
Ernst van Veenendaal was born in 1966. In his late teens, he and Bob Timman self-published six issues of the amateur comic magazine TNT (1983-1984). Among the contributors were Cor Beekmans, Jean-Pierre Coumans, Johan Dorpmanns, Dirk A. Duyn, Guido de Groot (Kito), Eric Heuvel, Michiel Hogenboom, Bauke Klomp, Bart van der Kraan, Caryl Strzelecki, Tofani, Bert Wagendorp and Herwin Walravens. Van Veenendaal was also present in other small press magazines, such as Strip Nieuws, with the comic strip 'Burgerman'. During this period, from 1983 to 1985, Van Veenendaal was also a student at the Vrije Academie.
Comic Collectief
Through Walravens, Van Veenendaal got in touch with Marc de Boer, who edited another zine, Baal. Teaming up, Van Veenendaal, De Boer and Walravens formed the collective Comic Collectief in Amsterdam. By then, Ernst van Veenendaal was already drawing for the children's page of the Communist newspaper De Waarheid. In the period 1984-1985, he brought along his friends to fill that paper's comics section. The trio was clearly not influenced by mainstream newspaper strips, but more by the anarchic tone of underground comix. Peter Pontiac was an inspiration, and as a kid, Van Veenendaal had also shown his work to Toon van Driel.
'Tater de Kater' (De Waarheid, 10 June 1985). Translation: "Alright, so cheese doesn't attract those mice. But what will?" - "Let's try it this way."
In October and November 1984, the 'Supernutz' strip, a joint effort of Van Veenendaal and De Boer about a clumsy superhero, appeared sporadically in De Waarheid. From November 1984 onwards, the Collectief team gradually replaced the features of De Waarheid's more experienced comic artists Hein de Kort ('Korte Grappen'), Wim Stevenhagen ('Han & Hanneke') and Eric Schreurs ('Retep'). Van Veenendaal himself was responsible for the strips about the witty 'Thijs Anijs' (6 November through 31 December 1984), the absurd strip 'Loenies' (2 April through 3 June 1985), and 'Tater de Kater' (4 through 28 June 1985), the latter a more aggressive version of Jim Davis' 'Garfield'. The 'Tater de Kater' strip was mostly made in collaboration with Marc de Boer, who also provided his own strip 'Ranonkel Verbogge' (3 January through 1 April 1985) and wrote 'Krent' for Alfred Bryan (3 January through 1 April 1985). Herwin Walravens, in turn, contributed 'Red Cat' (2 April through 18 May 1985).
Most of the other newcomers were also former contributors of the amateur magazines TNT, Baal and Rats, such as Tosti ('De Buren', 6 November 1984 through 30 May 1985), Remco de Korte ('Rats', 3 January through 1 April 1985), Gerrit Geitenoog ('Ondermaten', 4 April through 23 May 1985), Kerst Brouwer ('Het Lot(h) van Jonas', 31 May through 29 June 1985) and an artist known only as René ('Los Cocos', 30 May through 26 June 1985). In mid-1985, De Waarheid dropped its comic section. A farewell strip by Ernst van Veenendaal and Marc de Boer appeared on 1 July 1985.
Still in 1985, the Comic Collectief self-published a parody of Donald Duck weekly called 'Bad Duck'. Van Veenendaal also self-published small-press book collections of Walravens' 'Go-Go and Red Cat' (1983), his own strip 'Tater de Kater' (1984) and of Tosti's 'De Buren' (1984). With Marc de Boer and Alfred Bryan, he also attempted to make an animated film with the character 'Tater de Kater', but this project was never completed.
'Thijs Anijs' (De Waarheid, 6 November 1984). Translation: "Hey, look at this! This is exactly the job I'm looking for... full time, independent working person, man or woman, for newspaper, no experience necessary. I've always wanted to be a journalist. Let's call right away. So I can already start today! What do you mean: "Have I started yet?" What kind of job is it then?" - "Ah, well, you've been hired for the job as a comic character!"
Onwystrip
Between 13 November 1986 and 30 April 1988, Van Veenendaal also provided the weekly comic strip 'Onwystrip' to the youth section Onwijs of the socialist newspaper Het Vrije Volk.
Graphic design and other activities
Since the late 1980s, Ernst van Veenendaal has been working as a graphic designer, industrial designer and art director for advertising studios like Studio Arthur van der Veer, Rijnen Reklame, O.K.S., Straight Communications, RRC, HCP Creative Communication & Marketing, Zuurstof Marketing en Communicatie and, from 2015 on, through his own Haarlem-based firm Ernst van Veenendaal Concept & Creatie. He has also been active as a musician.
'Onwystrip' (Het Vrije Volk, 27 November 1986). Translation: "Say Karel, my pal. I'm holding a party tonight. Do you want to come along?" - "Yes, fine, then I can introduce you to my new girlfriend. A woman like her you don't meet... every day!"