Ib Spang Olsen

Ib Spang Olsen (right) speaking with Steffen Brandt (left) in 2003.

Ib Spang Olsen (June 11, 1921 – January 15, 2012) was a Danish writer and illustrator. Olsen was best known to generations of Danes for his cartoons and illustrations, many of with appeared in children's publications.[1] He was particularly known for providing the illustrations and drawings for a series of nursery rhyme books written by Halfdan Rasmussen, including "Halfdans ABC".[1][2] Olsen also authored his own children's books as well.[1] Olsen drew for newspapers, magazines, books, posters, television, and comics.[2]

Olsen was born in Østerbro, Copenhagen.[2] He first began working as a cartoonist in 1942 for the Hjemmets Søndag section of the Social-Demokraten, a trade union newspaper which is now called the Aktuelt.[2] He then enrolled in the Copenhagen Art Academy and the Graphic School from 1945 to 1949.[2] Olsen taught at Bernadotteskolen from 1952 to 1961.[2]

In 1972, Olsen was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award for illustrations.[1] He also received the Gyldendal Prize for Children’s Books in 2008.[1] He was an active member of the Academia Council, which is connected to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts.[2] Olsen served on the Danish Ministry of Culture's committee on children and culture from 1982 to 1990.[2]

Olsen died in Copenhagen following a short illness on January 15, 2012, at the age of 90. His memorial service was held at the Marienborg Chapel on January 23.[1] He survived by his wife, artist, Nulle Øigaard; and his four children - Tine and Tune from his first marriage - and filmmaker Lasse Spang Olsen and Martin Spang Olsen from his second marriage to Øigaard.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "OBIT: Ib Spang Olsen, One of Denmark’s legendary artists and authors has died". Politiken. 2012-01-16. http://politiken.dk/newsinenglish/ECE1509778/obit-ib-spang-olsen/. Retrieved 2012-02-04. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Ørsted, Malene (2012-02-04). "The day the graphics died: how Ib touched his country deep inside". Copenhagen Post. http://www.cphpost.dk/culture/through-looking-glass/day-graphics-died-how-ib-touched-his-country-deep-inside. Retrieved 2012-02-04. 
Authors: Eleanor Farjeon (1956) • Astrid Lindgren (1958) • Erich Kästner (1960) • Meindert DeJong (1962) • René Guillot (1964) • Tove Jansson (1966) • James Krüss and José Maria Sanchez-Silva (1968) • Gianni Rodari (1970) • Scott O'Dell (1972) • Maria Gripe (1974) • Cecil Bødker (1976) • Paula Fox (1978) • Bohumil Říha (1980) • Lygia Bojunga Nunes (1982) • Christine Nöstlinger (1984) • Patricia Wrightson (1986) • Annie M. G. Schmidt (1988) • Tormod Haugen (1990) • Virginia Hamilton (1992) • Michio Mado (1994) • Uri Orlev (1996) • Katherine Paterson (1998) • Ana Maria Machado (2000) • Aidan Chambers (2002) • Martin Waddell (2004) • Margaret Mahy (2006) • Jürg Schubiger (2008) • David Almond (2010)
Illustrators: Alois Carigiet (1966) • Jiří Trnka (1968) • Maurice Sendak (1970) • Ib Spang Olsen (1972) • Farshid Mesghali (1974) • Tatyana Mavrina (1976) • Svend Otto S. (1978) • Suekichi Akaba (1980) • Zbigniew Rychlicki (1982) • Mitsumasa Anno (1984) • Robert Ingpen (1986) • Dusan Kállay (1988) • Lisbeth Zwerger (1990) • Kveta Pacovská (1992) • Jörg Müller (1994) • Klaus Ensikat (1996) • Tomi Ungerer (1998) • Anthony Browne (2000) • Quentin Blake (2002) • Max Velthuijs (2004) • Wolf Erlbruch (2006) • Roberto Innocenti (2008) • Jutta Bauer (2010)