Jan was born in The Netherlands on February 24, 1936. His passion for drawing kicked off from the moment he could hold a pencil. Jan studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rotterdam. On completion of his studies in the 1950's, Jan worked at advertising agencies. He then met Loek van Delden, who asked him if he'd be interested in assisting him with his daily cartoon "Smidje Verholen". These we Jan's first steps as a professional cartoonist. For decades Jan van Haasteren has created highly detailed, colorful and, above all, humorous illustrations, exclusively for Jumbo. Most of Jan's fans will immediately search for his trademark - the shark's fin - featured in every puzzle. But you can also look for other favorite images - The Hands, The Dentures and Jan's self-portrait which you will find in nearly all of his illustrations.