Siem Praamsma (1921-2016)
SIMON (SIEM) PRAAMSMA was a Dutch comic strip artist well-known during the years 1945-49 as the creator of Jochem Jofel, Humpo Hotsflots, Ootje Teur, and De Tweede Pimpernel. He wrote all the stories himself and liked to regard himself more a writer than an illustrator.
Born in 1921 in Amsterdam, Praamsma first want to be a jazz trumpetist, but after attending the advertising department of the Kunstnijverheidschool (art college) he became interested in animated cartoons and begun his art career in 1942 at the Marten Toonder Studios.
Starting in 1945, his first comic strip, Jochem Jofel, Wereldreiziger, a reluctant hero, was published daily in De Waarheid; then came Humpo Hotsflots, the adventures of a goofy artist, published in Holland and Belgium; followed by his beeldromans (pocket-size comic books), De Tweede Pimpernel, a Superman-type action character; and in 1949 Ootje Teur ("auteurtje" = little author), a would-be writer out of ideas who gives up writing to live his own adventures.
Unfortunately the original drawings have all been lost, but copies of these comic strips can be read and downloaded on Siem Praamsma's official website.
In 1950, Siem, together with his wife Loeki and three small children, emigrated to Australia where they lived for nine years. First he worked as special staff artist for The Courier Mail in Brisbane and later in Sydney as illustrator in the advertising industry. In 1957, when television arrived in Australia, Siem Praamsma was hired as an animator by Eric Porter Productions, producer of TV commercials. In 1959 the family moved to Hollywood, California, where Siem was hired by Hanna-Barbera Studios, first as title artist and later as assistant animator on such shows as The Flintstones, Tom and Jerry, Johnny Quest, The Jetsons, Superman, Batman, The Smurfs and many other cartoons.
In 1983 Siem Praamsma retired to travel, paint watercolors, and write. His stories, Geschrijf - Korte Verhaaltjes Naar Het Leven (Scribblings - Short Stories of Life) is available in print and Kindle versions at Amazon.com. Another book, De Beeldromans van Siem Praamsma, is also available on Amazon.com.
Siem Praamsma passed away in Pahrump, Nevada (USA), on April 21, three days after his 95th birthday.
SIMON (SIEM) PRAAMSMA was a Dutch comic strip artist well-known during the years 1945-49 as the creator of Jochem Jofel, Humpo Hotsflots, Ootje Teur, and De Tweede Pimpernel. He wrote all the stories himself and liked to regard himself more a writer than an illustrator.
Born in 1921 in Amsterdam, Praamsma first want to be a jazz trumpetist, but after attending the advertising department of the Kunstnijverheidschool (art college) he became interested in animated cartoons and begun his art career in 1942 at the Marten Toonder Studios.
Starting in 1945, his first comic strip, Jochem Jofel, Wereldreiziger, a reluctant hero, was published daily in De Waarheid; then came Humpo Hotsflots, the adventures of a goofy artist, published in Holland and Belgium; followed by his beeldromans (pocket-size comic books), De Tweede Pimpernel, a Superman-type action character; and in 1949 Ootje Teur ("auteurtje" = little author), a would-be writer out of ideas who gives up writing to live his own adventures.
Unfortunately the original drawings have all been lost, but copies of these comic strips can be read and downloaded on Siem Praamsma's official website.
In 1950, Siem, together with his wife Loeki and three small children, emigrated to Australia where they lived for nine years. First he worked as special staff artist for The Courier Mail in Brisbane and later in Sydney as illustrator in the advertising industry. In 1957, when television arrived in Australia, Siem Praamsma was hired as an animator by Eric Porter Productions, producer of TV commercials. In 1959 the family moved to Hollywood, California, where Siem was hired by Hanna-Barbera Studios, first as title artist and later as assistant animator on such shows as The Flintstones, Tom and Jerry, Johnny Quest, The Jetsons, Superman, Batman, The Smurfs and many other cartoons.
In 1983 Siem Praamsma retired to travel, paint watercolors, and write. His stories, Geschrijf - Korte Verhaaltjes Naar Het Leven (Scribblings - Short Stories of Life) is available in print and Kindle versions at Amazon.com. Another book, De Beeldromans van Siem Praamsma, is also available on Amazon.com.
Siem Praamsma passed away in Pahrump, Nevada (USA), on April 21, three days after his 95th birthday.