The gentle brilliance of TO Honiball by Francois Verster (pdf) Afrikaans CV Click to enlarge Click for Picture of Adoons driving a car | Die Vioolspeler is 'n karikatuur van 'n straatmusikant. Eenvoud en improvisasie, soos
gepaardgaande met armoede word (tipies van talle Honiball-tekeninge) treffend
uitgebeeld. Menslikheid, ten spyte van die bobbejaanliggaam, is 'n toepaslike
tema. Die humor in sy werk is simpatiek, nie neerhalend, soos ook die meeste
van sy satire. Die gesigsuitdrukking en lyftaal is menslik - die keuse van 'n
bobbejaan, eerder as 'n mens maak die tekening universeel en nie eksklusief,
soos net vir 'n spesifieke taal- of rassegroep nie. 'n Volledige kommentaar op
o.a. hierdie werk is ingesluit in hoofstuk 5 van 'n Kultuurhistoriese ontleding van pikturale humor, met besondere verwysing na
die werk van TO Honiball DPhil, FP Verster, US 2003 |
Thomas Ochse Honiball was born on 7 December 1905 in Cradock. He grew up in Stellenbosch, where he attended the Paul Roos Gimnasium and did drawings for the school magazine. He studied
architecture at the University of Cape Town (until 1926). In 1927 he continued
to study commercial art in Chicago, where he was introduced to American
cartoons. On his return to Cape Town in 1930 he worked in advertising and later
as freelance caricaturist and cartoonist. From 1936 he worked for Nasionale Pers newspapers and in 1941 took over from DC Boonzaier as political caricaturist.
T.O. Honiball married Iona Boesen in 1934. They had four children.
Iona died in 1971. Honiball was married to Essie de Villiers - Dreyer in 1973. (Essie Honiball)
He retired in 1974 and held his first one man exhibition in Pretoria in the
same year.
He continued to sketch political caricatures until 1978.
In 1977 he donated his Honiballiana - collections to Stellenbosch University and the National Library
Museum (NALN - Nasionale Afrikaanse Letterkundige Museum en Navorsingssentrum)
in Bloemfontein. In 1985 he bestowed his collection of political caricatures to
the Nasionale Pers.
1986: Foundation of TO Honiball-Promosies
T.O. Honiball died on 22 Februarie 1990 in Montagu.
In 1998 a book of anecdotes, told by Honiball to Esje du Toit was published: Pen, penseel en 'n glimlag. The books on South African pictorial humourists by Murray & Elsabe Schoonraad
(1983, Afrikaans and 1989, English - Companion to South African Cartoonists)
included also biographical info on Honiball.
A new edition on Honiball and his works is planned for 2005.
Hobbies: Wood-work, metal-work (miniature windmills en model trains)
 Oom Kaspaas - click to see the whole series | Kaspaas Breekwater is telling his nephew boasting reminiscenses - amongst
others -about his time as a matie at Stellenbosch University . These cartoons appeared for the first time on 4 March 1939 in Die Byvoegsel of Die Burger. Between 1940 - 49 10 volumes of the collected cartoons were published. The cartoons appeared again in Die Landbouweekblad since 1971 and were thus happily saved from oblivion. Honiball created
Oom Kaspaas in 1939, (1. edition, 1940, 10. edition 1949, Nasionale Boekhandel) |
T.O. HONIBALL-trilogie available: Jakkals en Wolf, Oom Kaspaas and Adoons-hulle
at R165.
To order: See Helena Liebenberg's website Taaloord or phone S.W. Liebenberg 072-170 9331 or (021) 949- 2736 (tel. en faks)
Afrikaans text and information by Francois Verster, March 2003
www.StellenboschWriters.com © Rosemarie Breuer
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