About Maarten Toonder

One of the most famous Dutch artists of comics, who left a great mark on the Dutch comic scenes in The Netherlands, was Maarten Toonder. His most famous and well known creations are Tom Puss and Oliver B. Bumble.

On May 2nd 1912, Maarten Toonder was born in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. He was the son of a Dutch merchant navy captain Maarten Toonder and his wife Trijntje Huizinga.

He visited elementary and several other different school in Rotterdam.

In 1933, he joined the local Art Academy for a short spell and fulfilled his military service. In 1935, Maarten marries his neighbors' daughter Phiny Dick, short for Afine Kornélie Dick. She also was the daughter of a naval captain, made drawings and wrote comics and children's books. The couple settles in Leiden and Phiny assists Maarten with writing text for his comics and coming up with new comics. In 1940 they move to Amsterdam. Maarten and Phiny had 4 children.

In 1965 Maarten and Phiny emigrated to Greystone, Ireland and in 1990 Phiny died. In 1996 Marten Toonder marries the composer Tera de Marez Oyens. Unfortunately, she dies three months later. Because of health problems, Maarten moves back in 2001 to The Netherlands. The passing away of his first and second wife and three of his four children, left their mark on the last part of his life.

On July 27th 2005, Maarten Toonder, who was living at the Rosa Spier Huis in Laren, The Netherland at that time, died in his sleep.

See also:
Maarten Toonder's Work
Maarten Toonder's Economical Impact