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Jan Gustaaf Maria BOSSCHAERT is born in Borgerhout (near Antwerp) on 15 December 1957, as the son of Pieter Frans and Anna Catharina Van Meulder.
Jan studied free-style graphics at the Institute of Sint-Lukas in Brussels.
As a self-taught man, he learned several painting-techniques: with oil paint, acryl and alkyd.
In 1981 Jan Bosschaert becomes an independent artist and illustrator.
Since 1988 he works together in the designers-group called ‘Dark Forest Company’.
Jan Bosschaert is a graphic artist, strip cartoonist and allround artist. |
His work encompasses different activities:
- Illustrations and retouches for Belgian periodicals,
eg. Humo, Panorama, Playboy, Man
- Cover of books eg. ‘Het Taalstrijdboek’ for VRT;
- Theater sceneries, posters, pamphlets and costumes;
- Posters for cultural demonstrations eg. ‘Saint Amour’, ‘Het andere Boek’ (The other Book);
- Film posters eg. ‘Zware Jongens’ (Heavy Boys) and ‘Troubles in Paradise’ from Robbe de Hert;
- LP cover of ‘Bananas’ from The Paranoiacs;
- CD cover of ‘Silly Coïncidences’ from Pitty Polak, ‘Prima la Musica’ from Jan De Wilde’s, etc;
- Design of sceneries for ‘Gelieve aan uw toestel te blijven’ (Please stay at your TV) and
‘Qu'est ce que je vous?’ (What do you want?) for Marcel Vanthilt from BRTN;
- cooperated at ‘Strips voor Mozambique’ ('87) and a special edition of Agent 327 (Dossier CID, '85)
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Jan did several groups exhibitions; even in Kyoto, Japan in 1991 at the International Cartoon Exhibition.
Also individual exhibitions: eg. in 1993 in Antwerp: Art or Frame.
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Jan is best known as a strip cartoonist:
- 1982: His first album ‘Icarus’ was published by Albino.
- 1983: ‘Pest in het paleis’ (Plague in the Place), a parody of the Belgian politics, published by Kritak (scenario by Guido Van Meir) with nice drawnings of eg. Guy Verhofstadt as prime minister called "het joenk".
- 1987: ‘Omni, 20.000 millirem onder zee’ (Omni, 20.000 Millirem below Sea) published by Oberon (scenarico by Plijnaar and Van Die), a story about nature, first published in a magazine called ‘Sjors en Sjimmie’.
- 1988: ‘Wij danken U voor uw geboeide aandachtigheid’ (We thank you for your enthralling attention) published by Daedaulus
- 1989: ‘Walter & the King Kong Kooks’, a drawn catalogue for Walter Van Beirendonck, Belgian fashion designer (together with Marc Legendre)
- 1990: First album of the series Sam (in the first albums Marc Legendre wrote the scenario)
- 1996 ‘De rode draad’ (The red wire) is a compilation of his first works. |
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In the series Sam did appear:
Sam 1 - ‘De garage’ (The garage), '90
Sam 2 - ‘Apestreken’ (Monkey tricks), '90
Sam 3 - ‘De knokenkoffer’ (The kink case), '91
Sam 4 - ‘Pruimentijd’ (Plum time), '93
Sam 5 - ‘De kikkerpoel’ (The frog pool), '94
Sam 6 - ‘Circus Campioni’, '95
Sam 7 - ‘Naar Pruttelaar’ (To Pruttelaar), '96.
Sam 8 - ‘Hazera’
In 1994 appeared also an advertising edition of Sam as promotion for the metal industry: ‘Metaal, kei tof’ (Metal industry, fun to work in) and for Aquafin a special edition 'Red Neptunus’ (Save Neptune), about the water pollution. |
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Jan has also illustrated some books.
He works together with Marc De Bel, publisher Davidsfonds/InfoDok, publisher Averbode and Clavis.
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Jan received several laureates or prices as result of his torrent of creativity:
- 1983: Provinciale Prijs voor Schilderkunst in Antwerpen (Provincial Price for Art of Painting, Antwerp)
- 1985: Gouden Bommel (Golden Bommel) for best colouring and his debut with Omni
- 1991: De Bronzen Adhémar (Bronze Adhémar) for the whole work,
The Bronze Adhémar is the highest reward a strip cartoonist can get in Belgium.
- Prix jeunesse at the strip festival Bédéciné in Illzach (FR) for the Sam series
- 1998 Prijs voor Kinder- en Jeugdjury (Price for Child- and Youth Jury) for the book ‘Malus’
- Several prices for art of painting and posters.
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Jan is also known by his 'Babes', a remarkable collection of pin-ups, in the Belgian weekly magazine P-Magazine.
He sketches, draws and paints these girls with only one motto: ‘It must remain irritating, sweet, esthetic and pleasant'.
In 1999 a portfolio of his work is compiled on a CD ‘De Meisjes van Jan Bosschaert’ (The Girls of Jan Bosschaert)
At the end of 1999, after his father has died, Jan moved from his studio in Mortsel to his parental house in Wijnegem.
‘Jaguar’ is a trilogy in an unique narrative way, typical for Bosschaert. He works together with scenarist-writer Jean Dufaux. It is a mysterious story that takes places between the past and the future, while jungle and city merge together. Jaguar is published at Casterman.
In 2002 Jan wins the price le Prix Meilleur Album for the best strip album in Darnétal , Rouen (FR). He almost cracked his back with the 8 kg heavy image. And at the Festival of 9e kunst (9th Art) in Brussels in 2002, Jan also wins the price of Beste Nederlandstalige auteur (Best Dutch author).
In
2004 the third part was for sale, and in 2005 the forth part was published.
A totally different genre of strip is the serie ‘De Geverniste Vernepelingskes’.
It is a comic-strip by Jan and Urbanus (a Belgian comedian). Jan draws some nude BV’s (Famous Belgian person) in a characteristique way.
In 1998 appeared the first part, with Sabine De Vos, Jan Van Rompaey, Eliane Lieckendael, prins Laurent, Margriet Hermans, Ingeborg, Koen Crucke, Jacques Vermeire, Dana Winner, Herman Brusselmans, Els De Schepper, Helmut Lotti, Andrea Croonenberghs, Jambers, etc as (almost) nude. Also part two in 2002 was a success.
In 2004 appeared part 3: Urbanus en Jan 'Boss' Bosschaert meet the 'other' Piet Huysentruyt, Roos Van Acker, Natalia, Prins Laurent, Francesca Van Thielen and Katja Retsin.
In 2002 appeared also a new album called Zapman 'De wraak van Kamerah' (The revenge of Kamerah).
Zapman is a supercreature which can zap faster than its shadow. It is a quest for Kamerah, the fright of the Milky Way.
It is not my intention to mention all the works, publications or other gadgets of Jan Bosschaert. Please regard this page as my tribute to Jan Bosschaert.
I like to refer to the official Jan Bosschaert webpage, his fansite and other sites. |
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Genealogy
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