Lo Hartog van Banda

Lodewijk Hartog van Banda, better known as Lo Hartog van Banda, was born on 4 November 1916 in The Hague, Netherlands, and died in the same city on 2 February 2006. He is best known as a Dutch comics writer with a sharp satirical edge. After living in the Dutch East Indies during the 1930s and early 1940s, he was arrested as a conscientious objector during World War II and interned at the Jodensavanne camp in Surinam. He later joined the Toonder Studio, where he co-wrote series such as *Aram*, *Kappie*, *Panda*, and *Tom Puss*, and created his own strip *Koning Hollewijn*. When Marten Toonder relocated to Ireland, Hartog van Banda left the studio and went on to script *Arad en Maya*, *Arman en Ilva*, and *Ambrosius*. *Arman en Ilva*, a dark and unsettling science-fiction serial about a young troubleshooter and his blonde companion navigating a future of space pirates and seductive assassins, was syndicated in daily newspapers across Europe. He also wrote for Dutch television, creating the series *Tita Tovenaar*, *De Astronautjes*, and *De Bereboot*. Outside the Netherlands, he is most recognized for his three *Lucky Luke* stories: *Fingers*, *Nitroglycérine*, and *Chasse aux fantômes*. In 1975, he received the Stripschapprijs, the Dutch industry's career achievement award for comics creators.