George Van Raemdonck

George Van Raemdonck (28 August 1888 – 28 January 1966) was a Belgian comics artist and painter, and is generally considered to be the first Flemish comics author. He mainly worked for left-wing, socialist and anti-fascist magazines and newspapers, creating thousands of political cartoons.

Biography George van Raemdonck was born in Antwerp in 1888. His father, who worked as a pharmacist, also was a talented draftsman. His mother, who was French, died when George was still young. Because George van Raemdonck was gifted with some musical talent, he was sent to the conservatory to study the violin. At the same time, he started painting, and in 1903, aged fifteen, he entered the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, where he was taught by Franz Courtens, and where he won the 1913 de Keyer's Prize. During those years, he already made illustrations for a number of novels and for the magazine Lange Wapper.

He left Antwerp to live in Zwijndrecht on 29 July 1909. On 12 April 1913, he married Adriana Denissen, and their first daughter Pauline is born on 21 February 1914. His second daughter Anna was born on 22 February 1916. A monument representing Bulletje en Boonestaak has been placed in Boechout, and a park in the same town has been named in his honour.