'Wizzy en Woppy' picture book, illustrated by Peter Quirijnen (2002).
Peter Quirijnen was a Belgian freelance illustrator, visualizer and storyboard artist. After beginning his career in the Belgian animation industry, he joined Studio 100, where he drew comics and illustrations based on the children's TV characters 'Wizzy & Woppy' (2000-2004). Between 2004 and 2013, he was a background artist for the 'Suske en Wiske' comic at Studio Vandersteen, working with lead artists Marc Verhaegen and Luc Morjaeu.
Early life and career
Born in 1971, Peter Quirijnen began his career during the 1990s, working for the Antwerp animation studio Graphics & Animation and then the TV production company Studio 100, known for popular TV series like 'Samson & Gert' and 'Kabouter Plop'. One of his colleagues at the studio was Thomas Du Caju.
Wizzy & Woppy
Between 2000 and 2004, Quirijnen and Bruno De Roover were the artists for the Wizzy & Woppy Krant, a newspaper supplement of Gazet van Antwerpen and Het Belang van Limburg. Wizzy and Woppy were two characters from the children's TV show 'Wizzy and Woppy', produced by Studio 100. In the original show, they were mice who lived in a pet shop. De Roover and Quirijnen provided illustrations and picture stories, presented in a text comic format, with text printed underneath the images.
Suske en Wiske - 'De Knikkende Knoken'. Background art by Peter Quirijnen.
Studio Vandersteen
From 2003 on, Quirijnen was active as a freelance artist and illustrator, based in Kapellen, Antwerp. Between 2004 and 2014, one of his most important clients was Studio Vandersteen, the division of publisher Standaard Uitgeverij producing the classic 'Suske en Wiske' comic. Starting with the episode 'De Breinbrekers' (2004), he produced most of the comic's background pencil art, working for lead artists Marc Verhaegen and then Luc Morjaeu. When he left the studio in 2013, he was succeeded by Christian Verhaeghe. One of his main colleagues at Studio Vandersteen was clean-up artist Walter Van Gasse, with whom he has also collaborated on backgrounds for animated films.
Sequential visualization for newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.
Commercial art
After 2013, Quirijnen mostly did commercial art assignments. He provided visualizations during events and corporate meetings. Among his many clients were Coca Cola Hellenic in Greece, Philips in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, BMWi8 in Amsterdam, L'Oreal in Paris, Pernod Ricard, Korn Ferry, Sanofi and the Cartier Fifth Avenue Mansion in New York City. As an illustrator, he has created infographics for Het Laatste Nieuws and Bear Communications, designs for T-shirts and book covers and artwork for advertisements. In addition to digital art, he also worked with paint, steel and as a muralist. As "Mister Q", he offered his services as a tattoo designer, under the promise to "turn your story into a skin jewel".
Final years and death
In 2023, Peter Quirijnen was diagnosed with metastatic bowel cancer, which halted practically all his activities. He spent the next three years undergoing chemotherapy, while keeping a positive outlook on life. Quirijnen died in June 2026, at the age of 54.
Peter Quirijnen creating a mural in comic strip format.