Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Oliver B. Bumble and Marten Toonder

Oliver B. Bumble (Olivier B. Bommel in Dutch language) is a fictional anthropomorphic bear and one of the two main characters, the other being Tom Puss (Tom Poes in Dutch) in an originally Dutch series of comic books bearing the name of either one main characters in their name, written by Marten Toonder.


Sir Olivier Berendinus Bommel is a gentleman of good standing, for whom money is no object and Lord of Castle Bommelstein. Sir Bumble is very class-conscious, but not unlikable. He drives a modest car, de "Oude Schicht" (the Old Flash), en dresses very modest in no more than a checkered coat. 
In 1938 Tom Puss was the leading figure in a children's-cartoon, where eventually Olli B. Bumble became the leading figure. First only appearing as a supernumerary, he developed into Oliver B. Bumle. The first Bumble-cartoon appeared in 1941 in a Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. De Nieuwe Rotterdamse Courant, another Dutch newspaper, started to publish Bumle's adventures in 1947. In total there are 154 original stories published. 
On january 20th 1986 the last part of the last story, written by Marten Toonder about Oliver B. Bumble, was published. He is probably the most important cartoon-hero in Dutch literature. He's translated in at least 20 languages, was published in 21 countries and has made millions of people enjoy his adventures. Bumbe is a concept, an industry, a declaration of love. Bumle has become cult.
One other character in the Bumble comics is painter Terpen Tijn (Turpentine); a bohemian who lives for art and has no concern to bourgeois pettiness. He is sloppy dressed and wears a black beret, of course. He applies his paint with great energy onto the canvas, spreading "strong vibrations". It is said that Toonder based Terpen Tijn on Dutch painter Karel Appel

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