1985 - De 'Alsjemaar Bekend' Band / Die echte wahnsinns band (Page + color - NF - Dutch BV)

EVERT GERADTS - born 1943 - The Netherlands
De 'Alsjemaar Bekend' Band / Die echte wahnsinns band
Page + color - Ink on paper + mixed media - 50x37 + 26x20 cm
Publication in Dutch Magazine 'Eppo Wordt Vervolgd' nr. 17 - 1985

Evert Geradts was one of the main representatives of the Dutch underground comix movement of the 1970s. Born in The Hague, he had several non-artistic jobs before publishing his first strip, 'De Diertjes', in the underground weekly Hitweek in 1968. This was followed by several other short strips for Hitweek/Aloha in the period 1968-73, such as 'Moe Koe' and 'Jan Zeiloor'. Shortly afterwards, other magazines took an interest in his work, which is characterized by a mildly critical look at society. Geradts, who was an avid collector of American comics and jazz records, drew most of his inspiration from US comics culture. Among his artistic influences were Walt Kelly's 'Pogo', the 'Donald Duck' comics by Carl Barks, Tex Avery cartoons and Al Capp's 'Li'l Abner'.
Inspired by the US underground movement, he launched the comic book Tante Leny Presenteert in 1971. It was named after his girlfriend of the time, Leny Zwalve. Geradts wrote many humorous comics for this comic book, featuring (mainly animal) characters like 'Karel Kater de Karrenhater', 'Klotekat' and 'Olsen de Olifant'. Among the other artists who regularly published their work in Tante Leny were Joost Swarte, Mark Smeets, Aart Clerkx, Harry Buckinx, Bill Bodéwes, Peter Pontiac, Peti Buchel, Ever Meulen, Armand Stijnen, Kamagurka and Arno van Dijk. Geradts also introduced the work of American underground artists like Robert Crumb, S. Clay Wilson, Kim Deitch and Skip Williamson to a Dutch audience.
Geradts and Swalve published Tante Leny on a non-profit base, and most of the revenues were reinvested in production costs, like high quality paper and color separations. Their innovative efforts were not unnoticed, and in 1977 they won the Dutch Stripschap Prize. By the mid 1970s, the underground comix movement had slowed down however, and the publication schedule for Tante Leny became more sporadic. The 25th and final issue appeared in 1978. Publisher Har van Fulpen of Drukwerk launched a new comics magazine called Talent out of the ashes of Tante Leny Presenteert and two other alternative publications, Speedo and De Omelet. Geradts edited the first two of the seven issues.
While most of his 1970s work appeared in Tante Leny, he also published comics and illustrations in such magazines as Avenue, Suck and Joost Swarte's Modern Papier. Geradts also gained international recognition, when his work appeared in some American underground comix, such as Projunior, Felch, BIJOU, Snarf, Rip Off Comix and Dutch Treat. The French publisher Artefact published an album called 'Rêves de Grandeur' (1979), which collected Geradts' 'Jan Zeiloor' stories, as well as two albums of 'Tante Leny Presente' (1977 and 1979).
In the early 1980s, Evert Geradts moved from The Hague to Arnhem. Together with Hanco Kolk, René Meulenbroek, Ben Jansen and Aloys Oosterwijk, he founded Studio Arnhem in 1981. By now, he was working as a full-time professional artist, and shifted to a more mainstream audience. Studio Arnhem became an inspirational breeding ground for a new generation of comic artists, and was later reinforced by newcomers like Gerard Leever and Kees de Boer. Evert Geradts was present in Dutch comics magazine Eppo with 'De Alsjemaar Bekend Band', that ran from 1984 and 1988. For Sjors & Sjimmie Stripblad he drew 'Henk Hond', which was written by Ruud Straatman, in 1989.
Geradts was the first of the original Studio Arnhem team to leave the studio, in 1985. He got married and eventually moved to the south of France, where he lives in the Toulouse area. He continued to work for the Dutch comic magazines however, although mainly as a scriptwriter. He created 'De Muziekbuurters' with Ben Westervoorde and Hanco Kolk for Taptoe in 1994, and wrote several of the longer 'Sjors en Sjimmie' stories, which were drawn by Spanish art studios for Striparazzi in the late 1990s.
Evert Geradts also has a long affiliation with Disney comics. In Tante Leny issue 9 of 1972, Geradts was the first in Holland to write about the legendary Duck-author Carl Barks. Barks had remained anonymous during the period he made his classic stories, but he was always labeled by fans and editors as "The Good Artist". As comics fandom rose in the late 1960s, US fanzines started writing about the Duck-man. Geradts' revelation caused a revival of Barks stories in the Dutch Donald Duck weekly, pursued by editors like Thom Roep. Geradts himself started writing Disney comics for the Dutch magazine in 1982. He has been one of the most productive writers of stories starring mainly 'Donald Duck' and his family. Other characters who have regularly starred in his scripts are 'The Big Bad Wolf', 'Madam Mim' and 'Goofy'.(source: Lambiek Comiclopedia)