In 1964, 'Ik, Jan Cremer' (I, Jan Cremer) was published. Never before had a novel caused such a shockwave. The varied reactions were not limited to the literary world; politicians also commented on it and readers gave their unvarnished opinions. Artist and writer Jan Cremer's 'Ik, Jan Cremer' was a much-talked-about book, and he turned out to have an ingenious impact on publicity, keeping himself constantly in the spotlight. His book became a longstanding success, thanks to a strategy he had thought out down to the last detail.
The image on the cover also concealed a well-informed idea, and Jan Cremer was not prepared to deviate from his plan as much as an inch. A cover with an author’s portrait was just not done and considered terribly arrogant, but he was convinced from the start that he himself should feature on the cover in an invincible pose. In a denim suit on a Harley Davidson, wearing a navy cap and goggles on his head. He looks straight at you, as if he could run you over at any moment. It is a portrait of a free-spirited Dutch lad who will not be told what to do. The image became iconic.
‘Icoon' (Icon) by Jan Cremer and Onno Blom tells the story of the unrelenting bestseller 'Ik, Jan Cremer'.
