The creator of the classic character Miffy has passed away at the age of 89.
Dick Bruna – the creator of the iconic character Miffy – has died at the age of 89, in his home town of Utrecht, the Netherlands.
The illustrator and author of 124 picture books, Dick’s career spanned 60 years. His 32 books about Miffy – the little white bunny with a round face and long pointed ears – brought global success beyond his native Holland.
First published in 1955, the Miffy stories are now published in more than 50 languages, and have sold over 85 million copies worldwide.
Outside of publishing, Miffy stars in several TV series, most recently the CGI animation Miffy’s Adventures Big and Small, which launched in 2015 on Tiny Pop in the UK.
The character’s popularity has also spawned a global merchandise programme spanning five continents, worth $300 million annually at retail.
In 2013, Miffy the Movie – the first ever feature length film – opened in the Netherlands, breaking box office records for a film aimed at such young children. The film was released in selected countries around the world including Japan, Australia, US and UK.
The character has also appeared in a number of catwalk campaigns. Notably, British fashion designers Clements Ribeiro, long-term fans of Miffy, marked the 50th anniversary with bespoke cashmere knitwear in their autumn/winter 2010 collection and nightwear at Top Shop.
In 2011, an exhibition – Miffy in fashion – at the Dick Bruna Huis in Utrecht, involved a collaboration with international designers to create their own individual outfits for Miffy. The results were displayed on a catwalk at the museum throughout the year.
Utrecht is also the home of the Miffy Museum, while Studio:Dick Bruna is an exact replica of the studio Dick worked in for many decades, built as a permanent visitor attraction on the top floor of the Centraal Museum.
Dick retired in the summer of 2012. He is survived by his wife, three children and six grandchildren.
Michael Bond, the author of Paddington, commented: “For millions of children, Dick Bruna’s books are the first they will encounter.
“They don’t know how lucky they are, for his stories are a wonderful window on the world; a world of colour and shapes and words, put together in a form that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.”
