Gustave Verbeek

Gustave Verbeek, also Gustave Verbeck (* 1867 in Nagasaki, † December 5, 1937 in Bronx, New York City ) was a Japanese- Dutch newspaper illustrator. He became known by its reversible comics.

Life

Gustave Verbeek was born in 1867 as the son of the Dutch missionary Guido Verbeck in Nagasaki. He spent his childhood in Japan and later studied art in Paris. In 1900 he emigrated to the United States to collaborate with some important illustrated magazines ( Harper's, Saturday Evening Post ). A few years later, he joined the New York Herald in, in which he published three comic book series over the years: The Upside Downs of Little Lady Lovekins and Old Man Muffaroo (1903-1905), The Terrors of the Tiny Tads (1905 - 1915), and The Loony Lyrics of Lulu (1910).

1920, Verbeek retired from the comics and became a painter and sculptor. He died in 1937 in New York.

Works

The Upside Downs of Little Lady Lovekins and Old Man Muffaroo

1903 published his first Verbeek comic book series The Upside Downs of Little Lady Lovekins and Old Man Muffaroo and thus illustrated the weekend edition of the New York Herald until 1905 with a total of 64 comics. Supposedly, the newspaper he had asked for only accommodate six images. He came up with the idea to double by using reverse images, the length of his stories. In this case, all six frames from the " right" side will only read. If the reader arrived at the last picture, he turns the whole comic on the head. Now, six "new" frames add to the comic, each of which again makes sense and at the same time fits into the overall story. The two main characters of " Little Lady Lovekins " and " Old Man Muffaroo " are designed so that they are turned upside down each representing another figure.

The most famous image from one of these comics comes from the story A Fish Story. It shows the first part of Old Man Muffaroo in a wrecked canoe. He is stranded on an island with two trees and is attacked by a fish. The second part of this fish, the head of a giant bird ( Roch ), the Little Lady Lovekins has in its beak. This bill was before the canoe of Muffaroo. From the island is the body and out of the trees, the legs of the bird have become.

Other well-known comics from the series:

• The Fairy Palace (1904 )
• The Thrilling Adventure of The Dragon (1904 )
• Bird of boat (1904 )
• Kleedhokjes (1903 )

The Terrors of the Tiny Tads

The Terrors of the Tiny Tads appeared for the first time on September 15, 1905 New York Herald, continuing the illustration of their weekend edition until 1915 continued. That case involved a group of young children who were never named except the generic Tad. The Tads were condemned to constantly meet terrifying figures who were rarely nice and often threatening. Animals were combined to form a new fancy shape. Sometimes it even inanimate objects such as suitcases or hotels were used.

In all three of his series, he used techniques such as cases words, invented animals and objects, and especially a reliance on visual and literary limitations.