'Met Toto Op Reis'.
Bernardus Lambertus Vinger was an early to mid-20th century Dutch children's book illustrator. In the 1930s, he created an obscure newspaper comic, 'Met Toto Op Reis', later published in book format too.
Life and career
Bernardus Lambertus Vinger was born in 1881 in Zwolle. He was a pupil of Daniël Lako. In the 1920s, Vinger lived in Wijk aan Duin, where he made advertisement illustrations for the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt cigars, manufactured by the Majoor Brothers factory. He also made paintings and illustrated postcards. As a children's book author, he illustrated 'Pension Zonneduin' by C. John Kievit (of 'Dik Trom' fame) in the early 1940s and works of classic world literature in the 'Goede Lectuur' collection. Vinger also wrote and drew he picture books 'Hans in Poppenland', 'Hans in het Circus' and 'Hans Bij de Kabouters' for Mulder & Zoon in Amsterdam around 1949. The same year, he also passed away in Amsterdam.
Met Toto Op Reis
Vinger was also the writer and artist behind 'Met Toto Op Reis', a text comic (with rhyming narration under the images) about a little African boy who is lost from home, picked up by a Dutch ship and returned to his native country after a long adventurous journey. According to Hans Matla's comic book catalog, 'Met Toto Op Reis' was published in book format in 1948. The story was certainly published in a newspaper before, though there are no title or specific dates recorded by history. Judging from the fashions of the characters in the comic, 'Met Toto Op Reis' presumably dates back to the 1930s.
'Met Toto Op Reis'.