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German cartoonist Uli Stein dies aged 73

September 4, 2020

One of Germany's most famous cartoonist, whose career spanned 40 years, has died unexpectedly. The artist was known worldwide for his drawings of animals and people with huge noses as well as his cheeky humor.

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Cartoonist Uli Stein
Image: Privat

German cartoonist Uli Stein died last week aged 73, his foundation announced on Friday.

Stein died in his home near the northern German city of Hanover last Friday.

He was buried according to his wishes at a ceremony attended by his closest friends, Katja Seifert, head of the Uli Stein Foundation for Animals in Need, said.

The cartoonist, famous for his animal and human characters with big, bulbous noses, had been suffering from Parkinson's disease, but his death was considered sudden, according to Seifert. 

Uli Stein cartoon
This cartoon makes a play on 'kiss,' which sounds similar to the word for pillow in German. 'Give me a kiss!' orders the first mouse. 'Why don't you get your own pillow,' the second mouse repliesImage: Uli Stein/Lappan Verlag

International success

Born on December 26, 1946, in Hanover, Stein left to pursue his studies in Berlin and worked as a freelance photographer and a copywriter for local newspapers. 

He then dropped out of his studies to become a full-time journalist. Since the late 1970s, Stein devoted the rest of his career to drawing.

His drawing style typically featured bulgy-eyed and bulbous-nosed animal and human characters including cats, dogs, mice and penguins.

Stein published his first postcards in 1982, followed by his first books in 1984.

A cartoon by Uli Stein
A florist's sign says 'Say it with flowers.' A customer asks: Do you have any that says 'F**k off?'"Image: Uli Stein/Lappan Verlag

Over his 40-year long career, his works featured in more than 13 million books and almost 200 million postcards across Europe, where he became known for his cheeky sense of humor. 

"I want to give people some fun, entertain them and give them nice moments in bad times or in good times," Stein said in an interview in 2009.

mvb/mm (dpa, AFP)