Mars Gremmen
Profile Mars Gremmen
Mars Gremmen was born on February 12, 1969, in Nijmegen and is a Dutch comic artist, illustrator, and caricaturist. He is known for his humorous drawing style, in which everyday situations are creatively transformed into absurd and comical scenes.
With his sharp eye for observation and attention to detail, Mars finds humor in small moments from daily life. His illustrations combine lively characters, funny situations, and recognizable chaos, fitting perfectly within the world of Jan van Haasteren.
In addition to his creative work, Mars is an enthusiastic birdwatcher and nature lover. In his free time, he enjoys exploring nature to observe birds, butterflies, and dragonflies. His interest in nature and wildlife can often be seen in the details and backgrounds of his illustrations.
Childhood and Education
For many years, Mars Gremmen wanted to create large, detailed scenes that humorously reflect modern society, similar to the busy and richly detailed works of Pieter Bruegel the Elder. At Studio Jan van Haasteren, he finally had the opportunity to turn that ambition into reality, fully within the recognizable style of Jan van Haasteren.
With his sharp sense of observation, Mars transforms everyday situations into lively and absurd scenes filled with humor, detail, and small stories unfolding everywhere at once. As a result, his illustrations fit perfectly with the familiar chaos and cheerful atmosphere of the Jan van Haasteren puzzles.
''My aim is to have a joke on every puzzle piece''
Mars Gremmen
Career
Mars Gremmen began his career in 1994 at the Sjors & Sjimmie Stripblad, formerly known as Eppo. There, he wrote scripts for Sjors & Sjimmie and created his first professional comics, taking his first major steps into the Dutch comics world.
In the years that followed, Mars worked on a wide range of comics, illustrations, and caricatures for several well known magazines, including Hello You!, National Geographic Junior, and Veronica Magazine. His work stood out for its combination of humor, sharp observation, and lively illustrations filled with small details.
For many years, Mars wanted to create large, detailed scenes that humorously reflect modern society, similar to the busy and richly detailed works of Pieter Bruegel the Elder. At Studio Jan van Haasteren, he finally had the opportunity to turn that ambition into reality in the recognizable style of Jan van Haasteren.
In 2016, Mars received a Stripschappenning for his comic De Ontdekkers, which won Best Children’s Comic Album of the Year. In addition to his work as an illustrator, he dreams of one day publishing a book featuring his favorite drawings and illustrations. For now, however, he already finds great satisfaction in creating puzzles and illustrations enjoyed by puzzlers around the world.
Studio Jan van Haasteren
In 2021, Mars Gremmen joined Studio Jan van Haasteren as its fourth illustrator. His first puzzle for the studio was At the Hairdressers, a 1000 piece puzzle. For Mars, this immediately proved to be quite a challenge, as he had to adapt to the large format and recognizable style of Jan van Haasteren.
A later puzzle that Mars especially enjoyed working on was Big Garden Birdwatch. It allowed him to combine his love of drawing with his passion for birdwatching. As an enthusiastic birdwatcher, he found it important to depict the birds as accurately as possible, paying close attention to color, behavior, and size.
Mars’s puzzles are lively, colorful, and filled with humorous storylines. His sharp eye for people, animals, and surroundings gives his work a distinct character within the recognizable world of Jan van Haasteren.
Signature
In the puzzles of Mars Gremmen, a birdwatcher can almost always be spotted. This character already appeared in his earliest puzzles and, in later illustrations, can often be seen enthusiastically searching for a kingfisher. This recurring search has since become a recognizable element within Mars’s puzzles.
Several bird species also regularly appear in his illustrations, including the grey heron, the raven, and the cormorant. In this way, Mars subtly incorporates his passion for birds and nature into the puzzle scenes.
In addition, other recurring characters often appear in his work, such as the Acrobat Family and Tarzan. These recurring details give Mars’s puzzles their own recognizable atmosphere within the world of Jan van Haasteren.
