Teun #3 - 'S.O.S. in de Himalaya'.
Henk de Vries was a Dutch amateur cartoonist from the Frisian town of Heerenveen, who between 1979 and 1981 self-published three comic books about the unemployed character 'Teun'.
Comics library
Henk de Vries was a prominent comic fan in the Heerenveen region. During the 1970s, public libraries had no comics in their assortment, so De Vries decided to fill that gap. Between 1971 and 1981, he ran his own comics library in Heerenveen's Sieger van der Laanstraat, where local fans could rent their favorite comics for 20 cent per book (according to Stripschrift issue #45).
'Teun op Safari'.
Teun
By the end of the 1980s, De Vries was part of the upcoming small-press comic scene, using the pen name "Henkus". He created three full-length comic books starring the unemployed 'Teun', a recent graduate who doesn't know what to do with his life. The books had socially conscious themes related to welfare work and job opportunities. The first publication, 'Teun op Safari' (1979), was made in collaboration with Hans van der Velde for the "activity and advice center" De Halte. It created awareness among youngsters about the problems they might encounter on the job market after leaving school. The follow-up 'Hondsdagen' (1979) was a solo effort by Henkus, and focused on children's holiday work. Written and drawn in collaboration with Rennie de Jong (AKA Renée), the third book 'S.O.S. in de Himalaya' (1981) spoofed the meeting culture and bureaucracy of committees and welfare organizations. 'Teun' reappeared on 28 August 1985 in a promotional supplement to the local newspaper De Koerier, in a full page comic story about Heerenveen's Posthuis Theater.
Heerenveen
Henk de Vries has remained active in Heerenveen's cultural scene. He has been a columnist and reviewer for the free local paper Groot Heerenveen.
'S.O.S. in de Himalaya'.