Ode aan Marten Toonder

This sculpture, standing at 7 meters high, was created by the artist group De Artoonisten and was unveiled in the summer of 2002. It is a special gift to celebrate the ninetieth birthday of the famous comic artist Marten Toonder, who was born in Rotterdam.

Toonder became well-known during the war years when he published his comics in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. One of his most popular creations is Oliver B. Bumble and his friend Tom Puss.

He was often referred to as the Walt Disney of the Netherlands because his drawings gained widespread popularity. In 1943, he co-founded Geesink-Toonder Productions in Amsterdam with Joop Geesink, a company that produced comics and animations.

Toonder received many awards and honorary recognitions for his illustrations and the quality of his writing. He introduced numerous new words and expressions to the Dutch language, some of which are still used today. His comic strips appeared in newspapers across Europe.

The statue features four of Toonder’s characters: Markies De Cantecler, Mayor Dickerdack, Professor Stickbock, and the artist Trepen Tijn.

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