Jommeke

"Jommeke"

Author(s)	Jef Nys (later continued by Gerd Van Loock (drawings and writing), Hugo de Sterk, Philippe Delzene (drawings) and Jan Ruysbergh (writing) ^[1]
Launch date	30 October 1955
Genre(s)	Humor comics, Adventure comics, Children's comics

Jommeke is a Flemish comic strip series in publication since 1955. It was created by Jef Nys and can be defined as a humoristic children's adventure series. Jommeke, an 11-year-old boy, is the series' main protagonist. It was originally published in Kerk en Leven, before moving to Het Volk, where it ran until the newspaper went bankrupt in 2010. Since then it is published in Het Nieuwsblad, De Gentenaar and De Standaard.

"Jommeke" is very popular in Flanders and, together with Suske en Wiske the best-selling comic strip in the region. However, its success has always purely remained a Flemish phenomenon, seeing that attempts at foreign translations all failed.

History

The first appearance of Jommeke was on 30 October 1955, as a gag-a-day strip in the Belgian magazine Kerk en Leven.^[2] After moving to another newspaper, Het Volk, in 1958, "Jommeke" became a full length adventure comic strip, while Nys also continued Jommeke gag pages in 't Kapoentje. Jommeke has sold 51 million albums in Belgium alone, which means an average of about 4.5 albums per person. This makes Jommeke the best-selling comic book series in Belgium behind Suske en Wiske. There's also a newspaper for children called "Jommekeskrant", which is delivered weekly together with popular Belgian newspaper "Het Nieuwsblad".

Main characters

Jommeke: A young 11-year-old boy who lives with his parents in Zonnedorp. He has no siblings, but he has a parrot named Flip who accompanies him everywhere. He is clever, honest, brave, loves adventure, and is recognizable by his distinct blonde haircut.
Flip: A green, red-winged parrot who is Jommeke's pet. Flip is able to talk like a human and is highly intelligent, if somewhat arrogant. His real name is "Filipus", but he prefers "Flip". He is cool headed and has on several occasions saved the day using his wit and his unique abilities as a bird such as flying, using his beak and taking advantage of his small size to spy and sneak. Although his age is unspecified, he has shown adult behavior, on a few rare occasions, by consuming alcohol and smoking cigars. He is also quite the womanizer, usually unsuccessful, due to the fact he is a parrot and not a human.
Filiberke: Jommeke's best friend, Filiberke joins him on most of his adventures. His pitch-black hair color contrasts nicely with the protagonist. He is creative, and a bit odd too. Many albums start with Filiberke engaging in some crazy activity relating to the main story (e.g. he's "playing a cucumber" at the start of album 146 Komkommer in 't zuur). He also often pretends to be sick, most to the annoyance of the other characters.
Pekkie: Filiberke's black poodle.
Annemieke and Rozemieke: Two identical twin girls, notable for their pony-tails. Their names are often shortened to "The Miekes". They are also good friends with Jommeke. Annemieke even has somewhat of a crush on Jommeke, and Rozemieke on Filiberke. The Miekes are notable for their motherly traits, including cooking and washing.
Choco: Choco is a chimpansee in a sailor suit. He is the Miekes' pet. He earned his nickname due to the fact that he loves to eat chocolate spread (or "choco", as it is named in both Flemish and Walloon dialect.)
Professor Gobelijn: An absent-minded professor, notable for his large walrus moustache. He is good-hearted, but frequently makes mistakes because of his absent-mindedness. For instance, he states the exact opposite of what he means, only to correct it immediately afterwards: I.e. "We will arrive next year, I mean tomorrow", "I have completely forgotten, I mean I remember it now." His inventions include pills that make people fly, a car that runs on grass, a submarine in the shape of a whale etc. In "Purpere Pillen" (Purple Pills) Jommeke and Filiberke saved Gobelijn's life. A plaque on his mansion states that he is a "Professor in Everything", i.e. he has a degree on any subject imaginable.
Anatool: The main antagonist of the series. He is an untrustworthy butler who often resorts to theft. He always wears women's shoes with high heels.
Kwak and Boemel: Two hoboes who live in an underground house in the middle of the forest. Sometimes they side with Jommeke and his friends, but most of the time they are their opponents. They don't shy away from stealing, kidnapping and collaborating with Anatool to get rich. Also notable are their speech impediments. Kwak makes unnecessary use of the letter "h" in front of words that start off with a syllable. Boemel switches the letters "b" and "p" and the letters "d" and "t" in every word he says.
De Koningin van Onderland: Prutelia van Achterberg, better known as "The Queen of Onderland", is a mentally ill woman who thinks she is a queen. She is Jommeke's most dangerous and ruthless opponent and the true villain of the series. She frequently escapes from her local asylum and then flees to her castle in Zonnedorp. In the third album "De Koningin van Onderland" (1959) she kidnapped all the children in Zonnedorp to become her personal slaves.

List of albums

Up till January 2012 the following Jommekes albums exist: (actual available German titles of German publisher stainlessArt in brackets)

De jacht op een voetbal
De zingende aap
De koningin van Onderland
Purperen pillen
De muzikale Bella
Het hemelhuis
De zwarte bomma
De ooievaar van Begonia
De schildpaddenschat (Nr. 001 Der Schildkrötenschatz)
De straalvogel
De zonnemummie
Paradijseiland
Het Jampuddingspook (Nr. 002 Das Jampuddinggespenst)
Op heksenjacht
Het staartendorp
De gouden jaguar
Diep in de put
Met Fifi op reis
Wie zoekt die vindt
Apen in huis
Het verkeerde land
Het wonderdrankje
Dolle fratsen
De verloren zoon
De zeven snuifdozen
Kinderen baas (Nr. 003 Kinderherrschaft)
Geheime opdracht
De Samsons
De vliegende ton
Jommeke in de Far West
Knappe Mataboe
In Pimpeltjesland
Jacht op Gobelijn
Jommeke in de knel
Gekke grappen
Neuzen bij de vleet
De schat van de zeerover
Kaas met gaatjes
Lieve Choco
Anakwaboe
Twee halve lappen
De witte bolhoed
Filiberke gaat trouwen
De Jommekesclub
De zeepkoning
De tocht naar Asnapije
Diamanten in de zoo
De zilveren giraf
De groene maskers
De plastieken walvis
De fwietmachine
De zingende oorbellen
Het kristallen eendje
Broeder Anatolius
Tita Telajora
De vruchtenmakers
Het geheim van Macu Ancapa
De strijd om de Incaschat
De Kuko-eieren
Alarm in de rode baai
De hoed van Napoleon
Luilekkerland
Madam Pepermunt
De kristallen grot
De grasmobiel
De vrolijke bende
De slaapkop
De gele spin
Straffa Toebaka
De verborgen tempel
De sprekende ezel
Choco ontvoerd
De gekke wekker
De Kikiwikies
Prinses Pott
Het rode oog
Peuterweelde
Juffrouw Perlefinneke
Het plezante kliekske
De njam-njambloem
De luchtzwemmers
Opstand in Kokowoko
De stenen aapjes
De Plank van Jan Haring (Nr. 004 Die Planke von Jan Haring)
De granda papiljan
De lustige slurvers
De stad in de vulkaan
Jommeke in Bobbejaanland
Het piepende bed
De kleine professor
Prins Filiberke
Het aards paradijs
De haaienrots
De supervrouw
Melanie
Paniek rond Odilon
De valse kameel
De kaart van Wawa Wang
De grote knoeiboel
Het jubilee
Het monster in de ruïne
De vampier van Drakenburg
De bron van El Razar
De vlucht van Bella
De knook van Azmor
Zoete Mosterd
De pestkopjes
De sidderplanten
Guitenstreken
De viool van Varazdina
De olijke oliemannen
Het ei van de smartlapvogel
In de greep van Mac Rum
Het kriebelkruid
De lappenpop van Anatool
De gelukzoekers
De stenen handdruk
De bedrogen miljonair
Het apencircus
De vlag van Lord Chester
De rare doedelzak
Het Boheems schommelpaard
De schat van Angkor
Het geheimzinnige eiland
Drie in een slag
Het bal van Mathilde
De watervallen van Svanjabak
De grote zeilrace
De whiskymaker
Het geheim van Ambiorix
De kippen van Gobelijn
De spookkrater
Het gekkegas
De prinsen van Snoby
De kruik van Aztrakan
Het monster uit de diepte
Apen te koop
De rib van Kalafar
De blauwe grot
De Chinese kast
De bruid van El Toro
De documenten van Langneus
Va Kwak en moe Boemel
De pijp van Geurig Gras
Het levenselixir
Komkommer in 't zuur
Het Yacochacabeeldje
De vliegende brigade
De grote puzzel
De gestoorde zeereis
Het meermonster
S.O.S. Benistal
Het hoofd van Samos
De hellestokers
De kleine vandaal
De superster
De koningin van Kachar El Nachar
Het probleem van Jeff Klaxon
De kokoskoe
De verdroogde bron
Drie toverstokjes
De zwarte parel
Het Midasmysterie
Het verdwenen kasteel
Spaghetti met kaas
De mandoline van Caroline
De appelvreters
Het heksenbal
De slangegodin
Het Chocokomplot
De goudvis van Filiberke
Fifi in de knoei
Het geheim van de hoefslag
Het zevende zwaard
De verdwaalde vuurtoren
De snoezige dino's
Kwistig kwissen
Het bedreigde paradijs
Paniek op de Akropolis
Filicasso
De valse papegaai
Het zingende moeras
Berta Gobelijn
De kroon van Kazimir
De modekoningin
De pruik van Anatool
De zwarte cactus
De vurige inktvis
De koppige cobra
Alarm in het begijnhof
De magische spiegel
De drietand van Neptunus
De zilveren traan
Dinopolis
Gerommel in de Far West
De Elfenbron
Het schuimspook
De Kraaienburcht
De vergeten mijn
Stefanie Stekkebeen
De Kovonita's
De panda van Wanda
De lachende mango's
De verdwenen tuinkabouter
De kopermicroben
De ring van Mac Rum
De geniale malloten
Het raadsel van Kiekebilleke
Blinkende knopen
Het pompoenenkasteel
De geest van Anakwaboe
De limonadelelies
Zeven sterren
Holeman
De kimono van Yamamatsu
De laatste viking
Zoektocht naar Sorab
Het blauwe prieeltje
Operatie Bonsaï
De frietbaron
Wowofski
Strijd om de bizon
De komkommerprinses
De rare kwibussen
De erfenis van Sorgeloos
Het luchtkasteel
Het brein van Gobelijn
De goudkoorts van Anatool
Het slimme varken
Pekkie in Hollywood
Het zeemeerdinges
Duel in Venetië
Paljaskof
De pechvogel
Mama Mataboe
De dobbelmannetjes
Het roze olifantje
Kamperen is plezant
Graaf Dondersteen
De beer op sokken
Nobelprijs voor Gobelijn
De puddingkoningin
Het zwarte prikgevaar
Groene Haring
Het vreemde avontuur
Filiberke en Biliferke
Krokodillentranen
Fifi kampioen
Het Oké-parfum
Savooien op de Galapagos
Schattenjagers in Bokrijk
Het Spookdorp
Choko verliefd
Paradijseiland in gevaar
De clanstrijd
De blauwe wenssteen
Tobias Snuffel
De kwakzalver
Storm aan zee
Oost west, thuis best
De recordjagers
De brulharp
De Keizer van Tuktut
De wens van Amma-Moai
De papegaaienbruiloft
Pannenkoeken van Pierehaar
Olmek en Toltek
Prins Carnaval
De lawaai-eter
De gestrande pennenzak
De koning van Bananopia
De boemerang van kirimbir
Odilon vermist

There are also some special albums, with a few games, jokes and some of the above stories added:

Jommeke's album 4 2001
Winteralbum 2001
Veilig door het verkeer met Jommeke 2002
Winteralbum 2002
Winteralbum 2003
Winteralbum 2004
Winteralbum 2005
Winteralbum 2006
Zomeralbum 2003
Zomeralbum 2004
Zomeralbum 2005
Zomeralbum 2006
Zomeralbum 2007

Translations

Apart from some editions for the Netherlands, Jommeke has been unsuccessfully translated into French, English, Finnish and Swedish.

A German edition was published from 1971 until around 1980 and lasted 32 volumes (the original comics were printed out of order and volumes 27-28 do not exist!) by Gemini Verlag (1-18) and Europress (19-26, 29-34). The series title was (Die tollen Abenteuer von) Peter + Alexander, obviously a play of words on Austrian actor and singer Peter Alexander.

German editor stainlessART has started to publish the German version of Jommeke in 2011, keeping original names and places. See www.jommeke.de and www.facebook.com/Jommeke.de for further reference and an actual list of already published adventures.

Jommeke in other media

In 1968 Jef Nys directed a live-action film called "De Schat van de Zeerover" ("The Pirate's Treasure"), which was a low-budget adaptation of the eponymous Jommeke album. It was essentially an amateur project, made by him and his family members and starred his own son in the main role.^[3]

Jommeke in popular culture

On July 31, 1997 ^[4] Jommeke was the first comic book character to receive his own statue in Middelkerke, in front of the casino.^[5] It was sculpted by Valeer Peirsman.^[6] On March 26, 2014 Jommeke's statue became a victim of vandalism. It had to be restored and was placed back again on June 28, 2014.^[7] On July 29, 2006 Annemieke and Rozemieke also received a statue in Middelkerke, but nearby the Theresiastraat.^[8] It was sculpted by Monique Mol.^[9] In 2015 it was announced that two other characters from the franchise, Filiberke and Pekkie, would also receive statues on the Zeedijk of Middelkerke.

On June 18, 2011 ^[10] a wall depicting Jommeke characters was inaugurated near the Frans Halsplein in Antwerp.^[11]

On May 27, 2015 a special comic book wall was made in the Lokvogelstraat in Laeken, Belgium. It features a huge wall painting starring Jommeke and the main cast members.^[12]

Sources

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