Frank Jonker

From McDrake Wiki

<...hier moet nog algemene informatie over Frank Jonker komen...> == Een interview met Frank Jonker == ''Interview taken from a email from Frank Jonker to Timo Ronkainen, sent between 12 January and 20 February 2003. Used in a Finnish article in fanzine [http://perunamaa.net/ankistit/ Ankkalinnan Pamaus] (possibly issue 12, 2003).'' Hi Timo, Down below you find my answers on your questions I was born on 18th of april, 1965. And my education? Well, by now I really don’t know why I ever did this, but I went to school to become a biochemical analyst. I even worked in a laboratory for almost four years (1987-1991), fortunately most of that period was part-time work (3 days a week). After I was fired there (Yes, I have a sort of Donald Duck-career:-), I worked a few years for an exployment agency. My last job was in a furniture factory and had nothing to do anymore with laboratory work. That was the moment I fired myself and became a full-time script-writer. '''How and when you started writing Disney comics? I heard you won a script writing contest announced by Dutch DD, can you tell mor about this?''' Indeed, I started script-writing by winning a contest. This script-writing contest was organised by The Dutch Stripschap and the Donald Duck magazinen in 1989. The Stripschap is an organisation that promotes comics in the Netherlands. They organise once a year the Dutch Comic Days and lay contacts between everyone who is interested in making, editing or collecting comics. The assignment for the contest was to write an one-page story about a Disney-character. I choosed Donald and wrote a one page about a job as potatoe-sorter. I was one of the three winners and my story was illustrated by Mau Heymans and published later on in the Donald Duck (H 89172). At the prize distribution Thom Roep, the chief editor of Donald Duck, said to us: “If you want to do more for us, go ahead!” Well, so I did and still do today. [[Image:18.jpg]] Excerpt from Frank Jonker’s first Duck story, illustrated by Mau Heymans ([http://coa.inducks.org/s.php?c=H+89172 H 89172]) '''Have you done other comics work besides Disney, or other writing?''' Yes, after I started being a full-time writer in 1995, I wrote also comic stories for the Dutch Tina-magazine (a magazine for girls) and had my own weekly comic there from 1999 till september 2002, called Puck. This comic was for a long time illustrated by Paul Hoogma. I also made a comic for the Okki-magazine (a magazine for children in the age of 7 and 8), called Luuk and Lotte (about an 8 year old twin). And I still make the comic Vera and Victor for the Volantary Organisation, with artwork from Remco Polman. It’s published once or twice a year. I sometimes deliver the ideas for cartoons for Remco or Paul. Besides the comic (and cartoon) work, I started writing short childrens stories and songs and I’m also working on a children’s book, that, I hope, will find an editor this year. Well, I try to write as much as possible different things to earn my money, but almost always children- or family-stories. '''You have done mainly Donald Duck stories, but also others, what do you prefer best?''' I prefer the Ducks, because of the work of Carl Barks. I really like to make the Duck stories in his style and also prefer them illustrated in a Barks way. Also, the Duck-universum as created by Barks is really perfect for making good stories. As a scriptwriter you don’t need new characters to go on making new stories. Looking around you to the society is the only thing you need to do for inspiration. I could imagine that I’ll be making Duck stories long time after I have retired. Besides the Ducks, I also like to do Basil of Bakerstreet, Joe Carioca and Madam Mim, also because of the quality of their character. '''How you start up a new story?''' Mostly, something I see, hear or read inspires me and then I start thinking about it. What could happen, how should the story begin and how can it end. For Duck-stories also the work and the themes of Carl Barks are a source of inspiration. When I have got a good beginning and a good ending, I start writing the story. I know what is going to happen in a rough way and the ‘white spots’ are most of the times filled in by the characters themselves. In the first year I sometimes started writing when I had just an idea and no ending, but that went wrong a few times and the story went nowhere. So since then I never starts writing before I’ve got an beginning and an end. [[Image:Jonker_Script.gif]] Original ending of [http://coa.inducks.org/s.php?c=H+98290 H 98290], sketch by Frank Jonker '''You have written several stories with Paul Hoogma. It’s a bit uncommon way, at least in Disney comics, how do you work together?''' Most of the times we start with a cup of coffee and talking about Duck- or Disney-character and what could happen. The first idea always comes from something one of us has heard, seen or read. Then we start talking about the idea until we have a beginning, a sort of a story-line and an ending. After that we write out the texts and balloons on the pages and than we start making the sketches for the illustrations. Paul page 1, me page 2 at the same time, etc.. Around 1993 we worked together with a lot more people on Duck-stories. Remco Polman, Mau Heymans, Kirsten de Graaff. Paul en I are the only one left from that group, who still have time to make an appointment and work together on a story. The last two years I also wrote some stories based on ideas of Daniel van Eijmeren, who wrote out the most important scenes and I built the rest of the story around that scenes. These stories were infact written by email. '''Do you have some specific artists in your mind while writing? Do you have any influence on who would draw your story?''' I like to have my stories worked out in a Barks way. Carl Barks is probably the artist that I have in mind while writing. But also for me it’s always a surprise which artist is doing my story. I really like it, when one of my stories is illustrated by Mau or Bas Heymans or Sander Gulien, but I don’t have any influence on that. '''Are you assigned to make certain amount stories on certain time span, or can you do as many/few as you wish?''' I do not have assignments from the Donald Duck and fortunately also no deadlines. So I really have total freedom and can make as many/few as I wish and whenever I’ve got the inspiration for that. I believe that the Dutch Donald Duck may produce 1000 pages a year, but my production is a lot lower then that. '''You have done Disney comics scripts now 13-14 years (correct?) for Dutch publisher. What has changed during this time? Did you noticed any changes after Finnish publisher bought Oberon’s magazine division?''' I think most changes after the Finnish publisher bougt the Oberon/VNU magazine division have taken place inside the building. Artists and scriptwriters working at home, do not notice much of this, I think. In the last 14 years the editor mooved from Haarlem to Amsterdam and from Amsterdam to Hoofddorp. The name changed from “Oberon’ to ‘Geillustreerde Pers’ (illustrated press) to “VNU tijdschriften (VNU magazines) to Sanoma tijdschriften (Sanoma magazines). That were the most important changes for us in the last 14 years. During the years we sometimes hear there is no need for long (10 pages or more) stories. Sometimes characters as for example Alladin and the Little Mermaid appear in Donald Duck and disappear a few years later. Then the editorship doesn’t buy that kind of stories anymore. Then we have to concentrate our stories on a few less characters. As a reader I sometimes finds it a pity when characters disappear, because the reader in me knows that the writer hasn’t told all his stories yet. '''How much time one script takes until it’s ready? Do you need it to be OK’ed by editors and is much rewriting required often?''' It depends on how long the story is. A normal four-page story can be done in one day, a 10 pager in two or three days. Short stories do mostly not need much rewriting. As the story becomes longer, the risk of rewriting a lot is longer. For example the Duck-story “The physicans of the Andes” ([http://coa.inducks.org/s.php?c=H+97030 H 9730]) that I wrote together with Paul Hoogma, Remco Polman and Anja Barten needed two years before we dare to send it to the editorship. Of course we didn’t work every day on it, but once in the three, four weeks. [[Image:Andes_Excerpt.jpg]] Excerpt from “The physicans of the Andes” Nowadays after I have send it to the editorship most stories do need no or not much rewriting. In the beginning, in 1990, when I wrote my first 10 pages I got them back with comments on almost every pages and then I had a lot of work by rewriting them. But I have learned a lot of that and that’s probably why the stories do not need much rewriting anymore nowadays. The editorship always has to OK a story before buying it. After that they send it to the artist who is going to work it out. '''Do you meet other Dutch writers and artists on regular basis?''' We see each other at least on the yearly Dutch comic days. And of cours we phone and e-mail with each other and sometimes I visit artists in the place where they live. In the case of Paul Hoogma we see each other every two-three weeks for making a new story or working further on one. That were my answers. I hope I’ve given you enough information. Otherwise mail again with extra questions and I’ll try to answer them again. No problem! I’ll also try reach Mau to give him your adress or otherwise send it to him by email or snail-mail. Good luck! Best wishes, Frank ''Timo Ronkainen is a Finnish cartoonist, writer, and donaldist. Website: Comics and Stuff. (link verlopen)'' ''Source of interview: email from Timo to Daniël, Thursday 20 February 2003.'' == Notities door Frank Jonker == Over Disney: * [[Frank Jonker notities 2002A]] * [[Frank Jonker notities 2002B]] * [[Frank Jonker notities 2003A]] * [[Frank Jonker notities 2003B]] * [[Frank Jonker notities 2004A]] * [[Frank Jonker notities 2004B]] * [[Frank Jonker notities 2005A]] * [[Frank Jonker notities 2005B]] * [[Frank Jonker notities 2006]] Buiten Disney: * [[Frank Jonker notities 2002T]] * [[Frank Jonker notities 2003T]] * [[Frank Jonker notities 2004T]] * [[Frank Jonker notities 2005T]] * [[Frank Jonker notities 2006T]] Inmiddels houdt Frank, na een periode te hebben overgeslagen, dergelijke notities bij op zijn [http://debobeversstrip.blogspot.com/ Bob Evers blog]. == Meer over Frank Jonker == * [http://debobeversstrip.blogspot.com/ Blog van Hans van Oudenaarden en Frank Jonker (De makers van de Bob Evers Strip)] * [http://debobeversstrip.blogspot.com/search/label/cursus Cursus van Hans van Oudenaarden en Frank Jonker (Bob Evers Strip)] * [http://coa.inducks.org/creator.php?c=FJo Hoofdpagina van Jonker op Inducks] * [http://coa.inducks.org/creator.php?c=Fjo&c1=date Een index van Jonker's werk op Inducks] * [http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Jonker Officiële Nederlandse Wikipedia pagina over Frank Jonker] [http://info.mcdrake.nl/mc_dauteurs.html#mc_da20060427 Oorspronkelijk artikel], geplaatst door Daniël van Eijmeren (27 april 2006). [[Category:Disney artiesten|Jonker, Frank]]

Return to Frank Jonker.