On Thursday 25 February, ten winners were given the exclusive opportunity to talk to Jan online. During this conversation many nice questions were asked and we didn’t want to withhold them from you.
Below are the questions that were asked during the online conversation, with Jan’s answers.
- Do you have any bucket list wishes regarding your puzzle collection?
I would like to have my own exhibition. There are still plenty of products that have not been seen and that come into their own nicely. - Do you make your own puzzles?
No, my puzzles have no more secrets for me. I’ve been working on the design puzzles for a few months, so I know exactly which piece goes where. - Will there be a Covid-19 related puzzle?
Haven’t really thought about it yet… It could be, but I don’t know to what extent you can make a nice record of this, of course it’s not really a nice time…
There are also a lot of other topics about which I can make a puzzle. - Are the outer edges of a puzzle deliberately made quieter?
I often make sure that the situation is in the middle of the puzzle, so that the outer edges are indeed a bit quieter. - Which response to a puzzle has touched you the most?
Difficult question because there are so many… But one of the most beautiful was that someone had suffered a loss and tried to counter the sadness by making my puzzles. - Are there secret characters incorporated into a puzzle?
Family members of mine have been incorporated into several puzzles. These are not secret, only you do not know them. - What is the best birthday present you have received?
I have received cards from all over the world for my birthday. These cards come from China, Germany, France, Belgium, Scandinavia and a lot of cards from America. It will probably take me a year to read all of these… - What is your own favorite character and why?
Actually, all the characters mean a lot to me. I can have so much fun with it…
But if I really had to choose, it would be Santa Claus. I also like to use one of my cartoon characters in it. - Do you ever dream about your figures and your puzzles?
I often dream about situations that I end up using in my puzzles. But sometimes I forget them too. Apparently it’s getting harder to remember? - What is your favorite record that you have made?
The Beach is one of my favorites, as is the Hospital. I regularly check my search book to see which plates I have drawn. I recently discovered a mistake, I forgot to draw Sinterklaas in a few pictures. - What are you currently working on?
At the moment I am busy with the Junior line which will be released in September 2021. This is a lot of fun to do, you have to put yourself back in the children’s world. This is not difficult for me, because I am still childish in my head… ? - Do you ever make puzzles yourself?
I’d like to, but I don’t have time for it. I still have so many ideas. I would also love to make comics again… But where do I find the time for that? - The shark and the octopus are these special animals for you?
The octopus has 8 arms and you can do crazy things with them. I also think the octopus is a special animal, nice pink and he has an intelligent character. The same goes for the snake, you can always do something crazy with it. - Will older puzzles be re-released?
Jumbo changes the collection every year, old records are regularly used and others are removed. - How did the character Jane come about?
Jane was a secretary at the Bureau. At first she would appear in every record, but now I draw her whenever the subject of the record allows it. - Do you have an addiction yourself?
My biggest addiction is drawing and maybe chocolate is a bit… - How did you come up with turning your drawings into puzzles?
I worked for a long time in the advertising world, where I made a lot of posters.
First people wanted to hang these posters on the wall, later I came into contact with Jumbo and then we thought of making puzzles out of them.