About Jacob...

Once he was supposed to play the lead role in a film. But before he could conquer the celluloid, his sketches in the script already caused a stir. The owner of a tomcat discovered amazing similarities with her own pet: With the statement "That's my Jacob!" she gave the sketched four-legged friend a name and also brought together Jacob's fathers, the illustrator Sven Hartmann and the lyricist Thomas Härtner.

For almost forty years, the two worked together with and on Jacob, spreading his stories in words and pictures and in five languages in books, calendars (F.W.Heye Verlag) and magazines. Jacob comments cheerfully and ironically on everyday experiences and situations that happen to him with "his human". Caricature and commentary make one smile and sometimes laugh heartily. The viewer is amused by his own shortcomings and little weaknesses, which the likeable and cheerful cat encounters and thus provides a little help in life. His mischievous smile, his head resting in his velvet paws - makes you want to hug and cuddle him. And that's no problem either - he's available as a cuddly plush toy in all sorts of variations. That and more can be found in the shop.

...and his fathers

Jacobs Mensch, that is Sven Hartmann. He was born in Ticino in 1943. He studied and taught at the arts and crafts schools in Basel and Zurich. He decorated shop windows, worked as a stage designer, created lamps and puppets, made animated films and finally ended up drawing and painting. The successful artist lives in Zurich and Munich.

Jacob's enigmatic sayings were penned by Thomas Härtner, born in Gera in 1940. After studying directing and acting at the Folkwangschule in Essen, he worked in theatre and as a writer. Thomas Härtner worked as a director and acting teacher in Switzerland and Liechtenstein and died much too soon in March 2010 after a serious illness.

Since then, the texts for Jacob have been lovingly managed and adapted to the style of today by Iris Madl, an experienced lyricist and long-time Jacob fan.