Peter van Straaten

Peter van Straaten was a Dutch cartoonist and comics artist, born 25 March 1935 and died 8 December 2016. He is best known for his incisive political cartoons and his wry, satirical observations of everyday life. For nearly two decades, his newspaper comic strip *Vader & Zoon* ran in *Het Parool*, becoming a beloved fixture of Dutch media. His work also appeared extensively in *Vrij Nederland* and other publications. Across his career, he contributed as an artist, colorist, inker, letterer, and writer on 82 issues, with his most credited titles including *Vader & Zoon*, *Vrij Nederland*, *'t Gaat wel*, *Aanstoot*, *Altijd wat*, and *Er kan wel wat zout uit*. His style was marked by a sharp, minimalist line and a keen eye for human foibles, often finding humor in the mundane. While he worked largely solo, his collaborations were primarily with editors and publishers who championed his distinctive voice. Van Straaten’s legacy lies in his ability to capture the absurdities of Dutch society with both warmth and bite, influencing later generations of cartoonists. He received major recognition for his work, including the Stripschapprijs and the P. Hans Frankfurtherprijs, cementing his place as a key figure in European cartooning.