This film shows the talent and diversity of the illustrator Jo Spier. Spier was born in Zutphen in 1900. At a very young age, he began to draw. After his education at the Rijksacademie voor Beeldende Kunsten in Amsterdam, he went to work for De Telegraaf in 1924. There he drew illustrations for reports for fifteen years and created hundreds of cartoons. His work is highly praised. Jo Spiers cartoons feature clear lines and a minimal use of grey shades. In each image, you can see quips, a joke or sadness. Spier could also do good portraits in a quick sketch. Many court drawings were illustrated by him in the thirties. In the Second World War, much changed for the Jewish Jo Spier. He was dismissed from De Telegraaf in 1940 and later he and his family were sent to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. Spier survived the war. Back in The Netherlands, he first worked for the Elseviers Weekblad and, in 1951, he left for the United States with his family. There he also worked as an illustrator. He made advertising material, post cards, calendars and designed advertising campaigns. He also illustrated several books. Jo Spier died in 1978.