Vlottes, Dick - 1 Original page - Senmoet - (jaren 1960)

Dick Vlottes was a Dutch comic artist, cartoonist and commercial illustrator. He began by illustrating pulp strips, the so-called graphic novels, and started his professional career at Toonder Studios. He contributed to several productions of the company, with the most notable example being his own newspaper strip 'Hinter and Minter' (1959-1961). From that moment Vlottes contributed to a large number of other magazines and newspapers, where he worked on his own creations or did production work as a letterer, graphic editor or colorist. In the sixties and seventies, notable solo strips by Dick Vlottes appeared in Olidin ('Senmoet the Egyptian', 1963-1966), Tina ('Ineke van Rijswijk' [1973-1977], 'Leonie, the Horoscope Girl' [1976-1981)) and Televizier ('The Scrapers', 1975), while he also tackled art for licensed properties such as The Flintstones, De Fabeltjeskrant and the Disney characters. In the eighties he was the regular sports cartoonist and illustrator for the newspaper De Telegraaf and made instructional strips such as 'Johan Cruyff Teaches Football' (1984) and the satirical gag strip 'De Krek' (1987-1990).

Dick Vlottes was born in 1932 in Uitgeest, North Holland. His true fascination with comic art began with the adventures of detective Rikki Visser, drawn by Jan Dirk van Exter for the Kennemer Dagblad and Jean Dulieu's strip 'Paulus the Gopher'. At the age of 14 Vlottes began drawing his own strips and had his first jobs in advertising illustrations and window dressing. After his military service he fully devoted himself to a career in the comic world. Always loving to draw 'Tarzan', Vlottes tried to sell a home-made strip with the famous jungle hero to ATH, a Rotterdam publisher of so-called 'graphic novels'. These were pulp-like graphic novels, full of action and adventure. Besides ATH Vlottes also drew graphic novel stories for the Bell Studio in Lunteren, run by Ben Abas and his father.

The increasingly experienced Vlottes subsequently worked at Toonder Studios. At the studio Marten Toonder and his team produced strips for Dutch newspapers and magazines, some of which were also sold to foreign publications. With their witty social-critical texts, provocative morals and excellent use of the Dutch language, the family-friendly Toonder strips managed to escape the fury of moralists. One of Dick Vlottes' first studio assignments was the science fiction strip 'Martin Evans', written by Lo Hartog van Banda. For Toonder Studios Vlottes also created his first original comic series, 'MINTER and HINTER' (1959-1961), about two adventurous twin brothers. Between 7 September 1959 and 29 July 1961 ten serialized stories appeared in the newspapers Het Vrije Volk, Trouw and De Stem, in which globe-trotting children met strange scientists, pirates and other crooks during their adventures in Egypt, at sea and in the forests around their birthplace Pebbel.

During his freelance period at the studio Vlottes also worked on comic series that Marten Toonder himself had created. Between mid-1961 and 1962 he contributed to about eight stories of the newspaper strip 'Kappie', together with fellow-artist Piet Wijn and inker Richard Klokkers. He also contributed to the production of the weekly balloon strip 'Tom Poes' in Donald Duck and contributed to a few 'Tom Poes' stories.

Early in the 1960s Vlottes left the Toonder Studios and offered his services to Olidin, the magazine of the Shell Junior Club, published by advertising agency Van Maanen. His first contribution consisted of two stories about the children's strip DUMMETJE ('Botje Boons Balloon', 1962-1963), about a boy and a living balloon named Dummetje, written by Harry van den Eerenbeemt. In addition, the editors of Olidin asked Vlottes for a new strip. This became 'Senmoet the Egyptian' (1963-1966), a historical balloon strip set at the end of the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt, featuring the poor sailor Achat and his son Senmoet in the lead. 'Senmoet' was entirely realistic, well documented and very detailed. Vlottes had been interested in Egypt since his early youth, and the country and its history were recurring themes in Vlottes' strips and paintings throughout his life. He wrote and drew the series completely by himself. Vlottes paid great attention to historical accuracy. Through the Swan Features Syndicate – owned by Marten Toonder's former business partner Ton de Zwaan – Vlottes continued his series as a newspaper strip. In the Nieuwe Haagsche Courant for example, 'Senmoet' appeared from 16 November 1964 to 15 November 1966. Because his strip appeared in newspapers with a Christian background, Vlottes noticed that the editors had omitted all curses referring to the Egyptian gods, resulting in strange white spaces in the speech balloons. Readers also complained about the many female characters, modeled after Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren. Because he felt the edits did not do justice to his strip, he decided to stop the 'Senmoet' series after nine stories.

Between 1982 and 1983 Nico Noordermeers published four book collections with 'Senmoet' stories for De Lijn. A full reissue followed in 2013, when publisher Amor Vincit Omnia reprinted all nine stories. In 2006 Ron Streppel of Boumaar published a number of Vlottes' early strips, 'Dummetje' and 'The Scrapers', in a limited edition. Vlottes also provided cover illustrations for Boumaar's reissues, including Henk Sprengers' 'Pilot Storm' (2008) and Loek van Delden's 'Smidje Verholen' (2008). 'Minter and Hinter' appeared in books by Bonte (2006) and De Keij-Positie (2013). Since most originals had been lost, Vlottes redid a few drawings in ink for reissues.

Later in life Vlottes was mainly active as a painter, often drawing inspiration from Egypt. A planned new comic project about the secrets of ancient Egypt never got off the ground. Until old age Vlottes remained a regular guest at Dutch comic conventions. On 22 October 2005, during the Stripdagen in Houten, Dick Vlottes received the Bulletje & Boonestaakschaal for his contributions to the Dutch comic industry. He received the prize together with fellow cartoonists Dik Bruynesteyn and Jan van der Voo. On the morning of 5 June 2022 Dick Vlottes passed away at the age of 89. In the second-to-last photo is Dick Vlottes, working on Senmoet.

This lot contains a beautiful original page from Senmoet. Original material by Dick Vlottes is rarely offered. Top quality. See how finely drawn and meticulously inked it is. A stunning page.

Also see the photos that are part of the description and give a good impression of what is offered.

This fine object will be well packed and shipped by registered parcel post.