'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 gets me in trouble."
Ernst van Veenendaal is a Dutch graphic designer, who made comic strips for small press magazines and newspapers De Waarheid and Het Vrije Volk in the 1980s. Among his best known gag series were 'Thijs Anijs' (1984), 'Loenies' (1985) and 'Tater de Kater' (1985).
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'.
Comic Collectief
Through Walravens, Van Veenendaal got in touch with Marc de Boer, who self-published Baal. Van Veenendaal, De Boer and Walravens teamed up and formed the collective Comic Collectief in Amsterdam. Ernst van Veenendaal, who was a student of the Vrije Academie from 1983 to 1985, was already drawing for the children's page of the Communist newspaper De Waarheid. He brought his friends along to fill the paper's comics section in the period 1984-1985. The trio was clearly not influenced by mainstream newspaper comics, but more by the anarchic tone of underground comix. Peter Pontiac was an inspiration, and Van Veenendaal had also showed his work to Toon van Driel as a kid.
'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."
'Supernutz', a joint effort of Van Veenendaal and De Boer about a clumsy superhero, appeared sporadically in the paper in October and November 1984. From November 1984 onwards, the Collectief team gradually replaced 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), which was a more agressive version of Jim Davis' 'Garfield'. The latter was mostly made in cooperation with Marc de Boer, who also provided his own strip 'Ranonkel Verbogge' (3 January through 1 April 1985) and wrote 'Krent' (3 January through 1 April 1985) for Alfred Bryan.
Walravens provided 'Red Cat' (2 April through 18 May 1985) under the pen name Herrie. Most of the other newcomers were also former contributors to TNT, Baal and Remco de Korte's Rats, such as Tosti ('De Buren', 6 November 1984 through 30 May 1985), 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 a certain René ('Los Cocos', 30 May through 26 June 1985). De Waarheid dropped its comic section in mid 1985. A farewell strip by Ernst van Veenendaal and Marc de Boer appeared on 1 July 1985.
The Comic Collectief also self-published a parody of Donald Duck weekly called 'Bad Duck' in 1985. Van Veenendaal 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'.
'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 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 through his own firm Ernst van Veenendaal Concept & Creatie in Haarlem. He is also 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!"