[press release]
Issue: 2021 Children’s Welfare Stamps
Date of issue: 11 October 2021
Appearance: sheetlet of five special stamps in five different designs, marked with ‘1’, the denomination for mail up to 20 g in weight destined for delivery in the Netherlands, with a € 0.48 surcharge
Item number: 410960
Illustrations: Tim Artz, Nijmegen
Design: Ubald Seveke, Amsterdam

On 11 October 2021, PostNL will issue a new stamp sheetlet with Children’s Welfare Stamps marked with ‘1’ for destinations within the Netherlands. The five stamps are dedicated to the 80th birthday of Tom Puss. Since 1924, PostNL has been issuing Children’s Welfare Stamps to raise money for projects aimed at improving the welfare of vulnerable children. This is achieved by adding a € 0.48 surcharge to each stamp. The proceeds from all surcharges will be used for projects developed by the independent Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland foundation. The foundation is committed to giving children in both the Netherlands and in other countries a chance of a better life. To make this aid possible, the foundation organises, among other things, the Children’s Welfare Stamps campaign. The campaign has been listed in the Dutch National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2017.

The Children’s Welfare Stamps campaign aims to offer help to children who do not have a safe home. This year, more than 100,000 pupils from the last two years of primary schools will be taking orders for the Children’s Welfare Stamps from 29 September up to and including 6 October. Because of corona, new ways of presenting the stamps have been devised. For example, children can send personal video messages. With a special sales box and order forms through the letterbox, it is also possible to keep the necessary distance at the door. PostNL will deliver all orders from 11 October. The proceeds from the 2020 campaign amounted to 7.6 million Euro.

In 1941, now 80 years ago, the first of 177 stories conceived by Marten Toonder (1912-2005) was published. The stories, in which Tom Puss and his friend Olivier B. Bumble experience countless adventures, together form the classic Bumble saga. For nearly 60 years, Tom Puss appeared in many Dutch newspapers almost every day. The daily comic took the form of a text strip in black and white, with the text underneath the pictures. From 1955, Tom Puss also appeared in the weekly magazine Donald Duck, as a balloon comic in colour. The success of the comic led to the creation of the Toonder Studios where other comics such as Panda, Kappie and King Hollewijn were made as well. In addition to the comic department, there was a successful animation department. The Toonder Studios were closed in 2002, but Marten Toonder’s work continues. The copyright on Marten Toonder’s works is vested in the Stichting Het Toonder Auteursrecht foundation; the business activities have been incorporated in the Toonder Company, and the licences are managed by Rubinstein publishing company.

Stamps about Tom Puss and Olivier B. Bumble were already published at an earlier time, such as, for example, the stamps Tom Puss 75 years (design Frank Janse) in 2016, and the Comic Stamps (design Julius Vermeulen) in 1996.

Pascal de Smit, Director of Stichting Kinderpostzegels: “As with children’s stamps, millions of children have grown up with the adventures of Mr. Olivier B. Bumble and Tom Puss. We are therefore pleased and proud that the comic heroes can be seen on this year’s children’s stamps and are celebrating their 80th anniversary with us. After all this time, their stories are still alive and connected to current issues.”

Design
The Children’s Welfare Stamps 2021 feature various characters from the adventures of Mr Bumble and Tom Puss. The sheetlet includes four equally sized stamps and one double-sized stamp in the middle. On the large stamp, Tom Puss and Mr Bumble walk side by side along a sandy path. The smaller stamps are reserved for other characters from the adventures of Tom Puss: Doddeltje, Wammes Waggel, the butler Joost, and the Marquis de Canteclaer. Together, the five stamps show a large scene in the open air. To the left and right, the illustration is flanked by two large trees. Near the left tree, Doddeltje is picking mushrooms, and between the roots of the right tree, Wammes is playing his accordion. The stamp with Joost shows Bommelstein Castle. On the stamp with the Marquis, the Dark Trees Woods can be seen in the distance. The illustration continues on the edge of the sheet, which also features the logos of Tom Puss 80 years, the Children’s Welfare Stamps campaign, and PostNL.

For the typography of the texts, the Antique Olive (1958, Roger Excoffon) and the Comic Sans (1994, Vincent Connare) were used.

The illustration on the Children’s Welfare Stamps 2021 was made by comic strip artist Tim Artz. He became acquainted with Mr Bumble and Tom Puss at a very young age. “I was four or five years old when I saw the film If you know what I mean on television. My parents still have drawings that I made of Bommelstein Castle, Tom Puss, and the little dragon. Every year I would check the TV guide to see if it was being broadcast again. Until I got the film on video at the feast of Saint Nicholas. This is how my love of drawing was born. And of Marten Toonder’s work. I now also draw for Disney and previously for Woezel and Pip and Ducktales, but everything started with Mr Bumble and Tom Puss. First with the film, then with the balloon strips in Donald Duck and, when I was about eight years old, with the giant pocket books published by De Bezige Bij. For me, Tom Puss is the greatest comic hero in the Netherlands. Toonder was leading because of his beautiful drawings with a lot of attention for the atmosphere and the characters. I wanted that too.”

Young Artz published his drawings on Internet forums. His talent was quickly recognised; first by Disney, later by the Toonder Company. Artz: “In 2015, the Toonder Company was looking for illustrators for individual illustrations. That’s how I got into it. Recently, it has been very busy because of the celebration of Tom Puss’ 80th birthday. For example, I worked on the new comic book Tom Puss and the time-turner for two years. The story for this book had already been written before I was born. It was very special. I also made the illustrations for a new Golden Booklet. And for the stamps, of course.”

In recent years, Artz has become ever more familiar with Toonder’s way of drawing. “Obviously, you start by copying,” he says. “It becomes more difficult when you want to put the characters in different situations and poses. I have practised endlessly. I also learned from other illustrators with Toonder experience. I looked at the work of Piet Wijn for inspiration, and also that of Wil Raymakers and Henrieke Goorhuis. It is often about very subtle details. Moreover, Toonder’s characters act much more than the average comic character. That makes it extra difficult.”

Artz was asked to create a large scene for the children’s stamps, composed of five smaller scenes for each stamp. Furthermore, he was given complete freedom to choose the characters and the scenery. “I put the big stamp right in the middle, with Mr Bumble and Tom Puss on it together. This was a logical choice. I have not thought too long about the other characters either. Doddeltje and Joost are the closest to the main characters, and Wammes Waggel is one of my personal favourites. I hesitated a little longer about De Canteclaer. Hocus P. Pas and Kwetal were also good candidates. But the marquis is very popular with the fans. I often notice that at signing sessions. I also think it’s a great character myself.”

In the scene devised by Artz, Mr Bumble and Tom Puss walk side by side. The butler Joost follows with the picnic basket, Doddeltje is picking mushrooms. Wammes provides the music, and the marquis watches from a distance, disapproving as always. “They are having a picnic for Tom Puss’ birthday,” says Artz. “Other than that, there is no big story attached to it. Doddeltje picks mushrooms because the children’s stamps come out in the autumn. That is also why the leaves on the left tree are yellow. The biggest puzzle was to give the individual scenes a natural place within the individual stamps. In the drawing I have added some difference in height for the characters who are further away, like Joost and the marquis. Otherwise they would be too small on the stamp. And Wammes’ feet are lying comfortably on a stone because that makes the typography stand out better.”

Between 1957 and 1966, stories about Mr Bumble and Tom Puss appeared in Revue weekly magazine. The accompanying drawings were given their own treatment with special colouring. Artz used the atmosphere of these Revue comics as inspiration for his illustration on the children’s stamps, after he had studied a Golden Booklet to learn about this style. “Many fans of Mr Bumble and Tom Puss consider the stories in Revue to be the most beautiful colour work that has come out of the Toonder studios. So do I. It has a picturesque appearance. You can see this in the trees, for example. These are real Toonder trees: large, gnarled, and twisted. They almost seem like characters. I also wanted to keep it light and friendly. Fresh and cheerful. Precisely because they are children’s stamps.”

Graphic designer Ubald Seveke from Amsterdam was responsible for the design of the Children’s Welfare Stamps 2021. Seveke is familiar with the world of illustrations and comics. For example, he has designed many books for Rubinstein publishers with Dick Bruna’s Miffy in the leading role. Seveke also devised the logo of Puss 80 years, commissioned by the Toonder Company.

More about Marten Toonder
In the Toonder Studios, Marten Toonder (1912-2005) liked working on the newspaper comic about Tom Puss and Olivier B. Bumble best. After moving to Ireland in 1965, Toonder worked with renewed energy on the comic, which gradually developed from a children’s comic into a literary phenomenon. Via the literary giant pocket books published by De Bezige Bij, the comic found its way to an adult audience. On the occasion of Tom Puss’ 80th birthday, a new adventure was published in comic book form this year, The time-turner. An adaptation of the balloon comic book The blowing spirit was also published as a Golden Booklet. This year, shoe manufacturer Van Bommel (Mr Bumble’s Dutch namesake) is selling special Bommel shoes and, in a few years’ time, an indoor amusement park will arise in the Achterhoek region under the name Bommel world.

More about Children’s Welfare Stamps
Children’s Welfare Stamps were first issued in 1924 to give children orphaned due to the Spanish flu a safe home. The rich history shows many milestones. In 1948, children started selling stamps from door to door for the very first time. Since then, many princes and princesses have been depicted on the stamps, and major organisations and projects such as the Children’s helpline were established thanks to the money raised by the Children’s Welfare Stamps campaign. Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland is still committed to supporting children who live in an unsafe home environment. Projects such as Huisje Boompje Beestje and the Warm Welcome Bag help children feel at home in shelters for the homeless and for women.

More about the theme: Give more power
The corona crisis has had a profound effect on the lives of all 1.5 million primary school pupils in the Netherlands. The long-term consequences of the abrupt closing of schools and loss of social contacts are slowly becoming apparent. Reports of domestic violence are increasing in number, and more children are affected by poverty. This year, more than ever before, children’s requests for help are about emotional problems such as loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Every child has been affected by the consequences of the corona measures. As a result, every child has become vulnerable. The proceeds of the Children’s Welfare Stamps campaign go to projects that help children develop more resilience, so that they are better able to cope with these times of crisis.

Sale/Validity
Pupils from the last two years of primary schools will be taking orders for the Children’s Welfare Stamps from 29 September up to and including 6 October 2021. While stocks last, the stamps are available at Bruna as well as via www.postnl.nl/bijzondere-postzegels and on the Stichting Kinderpostzegels Nederland website. The stamps can also be ordered by phone from the Collect Club customer service on telephone number +31 (0)88 868 99 00. The validity period is indefinite.

The denomination on these stamps is ‘1’, the denomination for items weighing up to 20 g destined for delivery in the Netherlands.

Technical Details
Stamp size: 4 stamps measuring 36 x 25 mm and 1 stamp measuring 36 x 50 mm:
Sheet size: 144 x 75 mm
Paper: normal with phosphor print
Glue: synthetic
Printing technique: offset
Printing colours: cyan, magenta, yellow, and black
Print run: 1,232,000 sheets
Format: sheet of 5 stamps in 5 different designs
Illustration: Tim Artz, Nijmegen
Design: Ubald Seveke, Amsterdam
Printing company: Koninklijke Joh. Enschedé B.V., Haarlem
Item number: 410960

Copyright
© 2021 Koninklijke PostNL BV
Illustration © Stichting Het Toonder Auteursrecht, licensed by Rubin