The Day The Toiletries Revolted

In the years before the outbreak of World War I, there was a boom in children's magazines in the Flemish part of Belgium, which featured graphic stories alongside texts. This was a new phenomenon that had already gained popularity in England and France. 

• the first Flemish magazine was Het Mannekensblad (1911-1914?), 
• the second De Kindervriend (1912-1940?), 
• the third De groote avonturen (1913-?), 
• the fourth Het lacherke (1914-?), 
• during the German occupation, a fifth title was even launched, De geïllustreerde kinderwereld (1915-1926?). 

They were all published in Antwerp by three publishers: N.V. Patria, Vlaamsche Volksuitgaven, and Jos Van Aelst. As only a few copies have been preserved in public collections, they remain difficult to research (see De Laet 1977, Peeters 2012). It seems that many of the graphic stories are in fact reprints from British or French children's magazines. Unfortunately, the Flemish magazines rarely indicate the origin of their material and usually omit the authors' names. As a result, it is very hard to determine which material was created by Flemish authors and which came from abroad. 

In general, these graphic narratives appear less polished than what was previously customary in the illustrated press for adults. The drawing style looks more amateurish, and the framing is standardized with little variation in the size or shape of the panels. The captions usually appear to be one continuous text, in which the breakdown of images and texts is not always precisely aligned. 

Nevertheless, there are some remarkable publications, such as this story, “Hoe Mijneer Vuilepiet van zijn gebrek genezen werd.” (How mister Dirty Pete was cured of his disability) from De Kindervriend (N°216, probably late 1920s).

Five strips of three equally sized panels tell a humoristic but moralistic story with supranatural features (toiletries come to life to annoy a sloppy man). Perhaps the anonymous creator was inspired by silent films with animated objects such as The Haunted Hotel (Blackton 1907). However, the graphic narrative has a different location, different objects, and a different theme. It is about a man who does not take enough care of himself and always looks extremely sloppy, annoying not only his wife but also the toiletries on his dressing table. They become animated. First they draw up a contract for him saying “I commit myself to being clean”, but the hasty man doesn’t even notice the contract on his dressing table. The toiletries then really turn against him: the comb gets painfully stuck in his hair, the soap stings his eye, the razor cuts his cheek, the collar of his shirt irritates him, the suspenders slip off, his hat slips deep over his head, and nails of his worn-out shoe prick his feet. Finally, his wife chases him back to his dressing table with a broom. Only then does the poor guy notice the contract and come to his senses. He signs the contract and from now on takes care of himself as he should. 

 

Literature:

Danny De Laet (1977) Het Beeldverhaal in Vlaanderen. Breda: Brabantia Nostra. 

Jozef Peeters (2012) Het Mannekensblad. Een bijdrage tot de voorgeschiedenis van het stripverhaal in Vlaanderen. Kessel-Lo: Loberen.