Rob Derks
Profile Rob Derks
Rob Derks was born on September 1, 1974, in Nijmegen, where he still lives today. Together with his three children, humor and creativity play an important role in his daily life.
Rob is a Dutch comic artist and illustrator known for his energetic and humorous drawing style, in which busy scenes, expressive characters, and small funny details take center stage. His illustrations fit seamlessly with the recognizable chaos and humor of the Jan van Haasteren puzzles.
From a young age, Rob had a strong passion for drawing, comics, and cartoons. This love for humorous illustrations later grew into a professional career in the world of comics and puzzles. Today, Rob is one of the regular illustrators at Studio Jan van Haasteren, where he contributes to new puzzles in the recognizable style of Jan van Haasteren.
Childhood and Education
Rob Derks grew up in Nijmegen and discovered his passion for drawing and comics at a young age. He initially trained to become an art teacher, but soon realized that his true passion was not teaching, but creating illustrations and comic stories himself.
In 1999, Rob gained national recognition with his humorous comic strip Pakje Bakmeel, which appeared, among other places, in the newspaper Metro. The comic revolved around the humorous adventures of a talking bag of flour and stood out for its absurd humor and recognizable drawing style. Through the success of this comic, Rob continued to establish himself within the Dutch comics and illustration world.
Career
In 2001, Rob Derks co founded Studio Noodweer together with three other illustrators. What started as a small comic studio gradually grew into a creative collaboration between several illustrators and comic artists. Within the studio, artists work both independently and together on a wide range of comics, illustrations, and creative projects.
In addition to his work as a comic artist, Rob also designs beer labels for Brouwerij D’n Brul, entirely in his recognizable humorous style. His illustrations stand out for their lively scenes, funny details, and playful characters.
Alongside his work for Studio Jan van Haasteren, Rob also developed his own puzzle series, Pieces of History. In this series, historical events are portrayed in a humorous and accessible way, creatively combining entertainment and education.
Studio Jan van Haasteren
Since 2013, Rob Derks has been working as an illustrator at Studio Jan van Haasteren. The first puzzle he created for the studio was Seafood Supper, although The Winter Fair, his second illustration, ultimately became the first puzzle to be released.
In the years that followed, Rob contributed to many popular puzzles in the series, including The Renovation and the anniversary puzzle Jan van Haasteren Studio 10 Years. His illustrations stand out for their energetic compositions, lively characters, and the many funny details hidden throughout the scenes.
Rob’s humorous and dynamic drawing style fits perfectly within the recognizable world of Jan van Haasteren. At the same time, he adds his own creativity, speed, and playful details to the puzzles. As a result, his illustrations have a distinct character while preserving the signature chaos and humor of the Jan van Haasteren style.
Signature
Besides the familiar family characters and well known Jan van Haasteren elements, Rob Derks also includes various personal details and recurring jokes in his puzzles. For dedicated puzzlers, these have become recognizable signature elements.
Music plays an important role in his work. For example, two long bearded men, inspired by the band ZZ Top, regularly appear in his illustrations. References to Freddie Mercury, AC/DC, and Elvis Presley can also often be found. In this way, Rob subtly incorporates his love of music into the puzzles.
In addition, he regularly hides other recognizable elements in his drawings, such as a blue pen, twins, two arguing women, a painter, and a chimney sweep. These small recurring details are exactly what make his illustrations so enjoyable to explore, with something new to discover each time.
