At the grave, Peter de Wit
Tot Zover
Deadly Fun - Peter de Wit
In cartoons and comics, death and funerals are popular themes, but rarely for an entire series. Not so with cartoonist Peter de Wit (1958), well known, among others, for Sigmund. He started sketching and didn't stop. Now on show at Museum Tot Zover.
ticketsLaughing at misery is of all times. Worries, pain and fear are shared in this way and thereby softened. Peter de Wit knows how to deal with this discomfort. He provides poignant situations with comic commentary. Recognisable scenes from the coffee room pass by, as well as choosing the coffin, the farewell itself and the arrival at the gates of heaven. The cartoons emphasize our inability to deal with tragedy.
Peter de Wit
Peter de Wit (1958) has been drawing comics about human discomfort for years. He is well known for his daily comic strip about the cynical doctor Sigmund in the Volkskrant. And for 25 years he has drawn for Relevant, the magazine of the Dutch Association for a Voluntary End of Life. Yet death was not a major topic for himself. “However, as the years climb, death does creep into my life more and more.”
One day De Wit started drawing about death. Just like that. Soon a book was filled, titled Doodleuk (Concerto Books, 2024).
Laughing at death?
The joke is alternately in the drawing or in the text. “Death has humor in it,” says De Wit, “You can come up with jokes about it relatively easily.”
But not all cartoons are for laughs. Many have a surprisingly sensitive, loving and poetic side.Thus, humour acts as a mechanism for dealing with difficult situations. It removes tension and can provide a sense of relief.
The Doodleuk exhibition is playful in design; apart from prints, there are several try-outs and sketches on display. De Wit has also recorded an audio tour: listen to his motivation and his favourite scenes. (There is a translated text in English).
Doodleuk - het boek
The book Doodleuk (96 pages) was published by Concerto Books and is on sale for €14.99. The book is also available in our museum shop. On the occasion of the exhibition, six postcards were published as well as three limited edition art prints of Peter's most beautiful cartoons from the Doodleuk series.
About Peter de Wit
Peter de Wit (1958) drew for Eppo and Sjors en Sjimmie, among others, but has long worked mainly for daily newspapers. From 1994, his Sigmund appeared in the Volkskrant and, together with Hanco Kok, he drew S1ngle for various newspapers. In 1999, De Wit received the stripschapsprijs, the only Dutch oeuvre prize for cartoonists.
Peter de Wit bij Opium
Peter de Wit was te gast bij het radioprogramma Opium, waar Shula Tas hem interviewde over het boek en de tentoonstelling Doodleuk.
Luister het gesprek hier terug.