SATIRICAL COMIC BOOK SERIES OF NINE TITLES 1977 - 1979

Adoons-hulle boer vorentoe (1977), 54 pages

Adoons-hulle dons op (1977), 46 pages

Adoons, Keesje, Kaas en Kie (1977), 54 pages

Jakkals en wolf in die pekel (1978), 50 pages

Jakkals en Wolf sien spoke (1978), 50 pages

Jakkals en Wolf van Uilkraal (1978), 50 pages

Oom Kaspaas maak ǹ plan (1979), 50 pages

Oom Kaspaas op hol (1979), 50 pages

Oom Kaspaas in die knyp (1979), 46 pages

Pictorial laminated boards, bookplates on the front free endpapers, signed by the artist on each title page, a fine set.

The artist Thomas Ochse Honiball (1905 -1990) is particularly remembered for his humorous comic series, rather than his political cartoons that he created in Die Burger over some forty years. He is the "pioneer of the Afrikaans comic strip." He entertained readers of Die Burger, Die Huisgenoot, Die Landbou Weekblad and Die Jongspan with the adventures of ‘Oom Kaspaas’ and later also ‘Jakkals en Wolf’ and ‘Adoons-hulle’.

The first episode of ‘Oom Kaspaas’ was published on March 4, 1939. The series appeared in Die Burger until 1957 and in Die Landbou-Weekblad from 1975 to 1982. From 1940 collections of ‘Oom Kaspaas’ comic strips was published as books. ‘Jakkals en Wolf’ was published in 1942.

The Jakkals character of Honiball is not based on the symbolic fox characters of indigenous folktales of Africa. Some stories, which appeared in his first slips, were told to him by his childhood nanny, but his ‘Jakkals en Wolf’ were mostly based on the European version of the clever Jackal (Reinard the Fox) and the stupid Wolf.

Honiball intended to remain genuinely Afrikaans, creating his own characters and had a dislike for hurting or humiliating people. This played a role in his decision to choose baboons rather than humans. The people of these stories are based on real events or jokes he had heard.

‘Adoons-hulle’ were Honiball's personal favourite series. Adoons and Klaas Windvogel are the main characters in the series, mostly playing the roles of protagonist and antagonist. Adoons represents the well, intended guy who just can't win.

‘Adoons-hulle’ are a satirical commentary on South African society.  The drawings depict dress, milieu and typical activities of that period.

Sources: Francois Verster: ‘n Kultuurhistoriese ontleding van piktuarale humor, met besondere verwysings na die werk van T.O. Honiball. D.Phil. Thesis, University Stellenbosch, 2003 and Amanda Botha.