Swedish Comics

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Swedish
Literature
Exchange
This is your guide to brilliant independent Swedish
comic books and graphic novels. The artists and
books presented here have been selected by writer
and critic Alexandra Sundqvist, who also wrote the
accompanying text. This booklet does not aim to cover
everything published in Sweden. Rather, the selection
is an expression of the writer’s personal views.
This publication is part of The Swedish Arts Council’s
duties to coordinate efforts aimed at enhancing the
status of high-quality Swedish literature outside
of Sweden, and to support international literary
collaboration. The Swedish Arts Council administers
grants and provides information abroad about Swedish
literature and Swedish authors.
We offer support for translations and other projects,
as well as travel grants for publishers, organisations
and translators of Swedish literature. Publishers
can apply for translation grants to publish Swedish
literature, including comic books and graphic novels.
Foreign and Swedish organisations and publishers
can apply for project grants for literary events
featuring Swedish literature, including comic books
and graphic novels.
You can find out more about the Swedish Arts Council’s
role as a hub for international literature exchange
at www.swedishliterature.se.
“Galago was a protest against
what we called ‘American cultural
imperialism’, a spac e dominated by
superhero comics an d Donald Duck.”
Socker-Conny (picture)
was a comic character who
arrived on the scene in the
1980s like a (literal!) smack
in the face. He brought
his creator, Joakim
Pirinen, to the attention
of a wide audience and
even helped to generate
interest in comics among the
Swedish cultural establishment.
Grants and other support for
comics enabled the creation of
dedicated access channels. Art galleries were keen to exhibit them. The
magazine Galago was founded in 1980
and went on to become a publisher of
comics and graphic novels as well as
a periodical: a hub for the Swedish
comics scene and a place where aspiring artists could publish their work.
“Galago was a protest against what
we called ‘American cultural imperialism’, a space dominated by superhero
comics and Donald Duck,” recalled
publisher Rolf Classon, one of the
founders. “Galago published socially
engaged black-and-white comics, often
with elements of slapstick. At that
time, the Swedish Arts Council was
looking to support original Swedish
comics. We received grants for the
magazine and the books we published.
That’s a cultural policy initiative that
demonstrates in very concrete terms
how it’s possible to make a difference.
I don’t think the unique comics culture
we have in Sweden today would have
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been as diverse as it is without
the political vision that existed
back then,” he continued.
A trait shared by several of
the artists associated with Galago
in the ’80s was that they didn’t
shy away from bleak subjects or
taboos. There’s something almost
Bergmanesque in the way Gunnar
Lundkvist, Joakim Pirinen and Lars
Sjunnesson give free rein to death,
anxiety and loneliness –with the
occasional small, insignificant pleasure
like black coffee, herring and alcohol
thrown in as a distraction. Pain thresholds are there to be continually tested.
Lars Sjunnesson’s character Åke Jävel
(whose surname means ‘bastard’) blows
everything up, while Gunnar Lundkvist’s Klas Katt engages in incest with
his grandmother and gives her AIDS.
Whereas the ’80s were about breaking down boundaries, today’s contemporary Swedish comics and graphic
novels have often focused on defining
new boundaries. Setting limits for
oneself and one’s own body. Creating
a new canon that’s not founded on
preconceived notions about things like
gender. This is happening in politically
and socially engaged graphic works
as well as in more subtle, literary tales
with genuine narrative structure, such
as Det som händer i skogen (‘What Happens in the Forest’) by Hilda-Maria
Sandgren and Nattbarn (‘Night Child’)
by Hanna Gustavsson.
Political comics reveal social structures by closely observing situations
that reproduce or reinforce social and
cultural conventions such as genderrelated power dynamics.
Liv Strömquist, a comic artist
whose works reference an eclectic list
of sources ranging from the Bible to
American TV series, has taken examples from religion, politics and pop
culture and drawn the pants off the
patriarchy in her five published volumes.
Nina Hemmingsson, Sara Granér
and Sara Hansson are three more
artists who work in a visual world
where events and absurdist humour
are employed to describe experiences
that are part of a larger structure. The
autumn of 2014 saw the publication
of an anthology entitled Kvinnor ritar
bara serier om mens (‘Women Just Draw
Comics about Periods’) in which some
30 comic artists address the subject of
menstruation with the aim of smashing
that taboo and getting us to talk about
some red-letter days.
Alongside graphic titles that
tackle political and social issues, highly
personal autobiographical works have
had a strong presence since the second
half of the ’90s. Notable works in this
category include Martin Kellerman’s
hugely successful Rocky series as well as
the more low-key Hey Princess by Mats
Jonsson, published in 2002. Then
there’s also Sjunde våningen (‘The Seventh Floor’) by Åsa Grennvall, Aldrig
godnatt (‘Never Goodnight’) by Coco
Moodysson and Misslyckat självmord i
Mölndals bro (‘Failed Suicide at Mölndals Bro’) by Linda Spåman.
The currentvitality of the
Swedish comics scene is due in part
to the training courses available for
comic artists – most notably at the
Serieskolan (‘Comics School’) at
Kvarnby Folkhögskola in Malmö.
“Serieskolan in Malmö has
managed to expand the scene by
nurturing people you might not have
thought would become comic artists.
There’s kind of an ‘everybody can
draw’ atmosphere. At the same time,
they’ve got a wide range, from political
comics and documentary reportage to
science fiction, adventure stories and
manga,” Rolf Classon said.
These days, political comics and
cartoons have a secure place in our
culture and are published in many
newspapers, cultural magazines and
on social media. Meanwhile, comics
have gained a more prominent position
in editors’ literary repertoire, as well
as on the stage. Comic artists whose
works have been successfully adapted
for the stage include Liv Strömquist,
Nina Hemmingsson, Nanna Johansson,
Joakim Pirinen and Henrik Bromander.
Alongside political and feminist
comics, which are often text-driven,
there is a more literary graphic subgenre located in an image-driven,
subversive tradition. Works by Joanna
Hellgren, Emma Rendel, Emelie
Östergren and Anneli Furmark fit into
this category.
Andreas Berg, an art historian,
author and professor of illustration at the
Oslo National Academy of the Arts,
believes that the Swedish comics scene
has become more international. It’s
grown up and opened up to the world.
“Swedish comics have got better at
mixing autobiographical elements with
fiction,” he said. “Graphic titles have
become increasingly allegorical and
have begun to appreciate the literary
and visual qualities we often see in
works from France. Previously, the
focus had been more on the American
tradition, on autobiography.”
Berg is also happy about the status
of political comics in Sweden. “I think
the feminist discussion that’s being
conducted in Swedish comics is probably unique,” he said.
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Linda Spåman
Linda Spåman (b. 1976) is an artist and comic artist. She is a
master at combining social realism, surrealist absurdism and
bleakness in her books.
In her latest graphic novels, including BRF Ensamheten
(‘The Lonely Tower Residents’ Association’, Kolik, 2012) about
a cynical residents’ association on the outskirts of Gothenburg,
as well as Äkta Spåman (‘Genuine Fortune Teller’, Kolik, 2014)
she has stitched together a sizable patchwork quilt of human
neuroses, dark recesses, dreams and shortcomings by zooming
in on apparently ordinary people.
In Äkta Spåman, Linda Spåman describes her melancholic
feelings towards her job as a breakfast server at a seedy hotel by
the motorway, then grabs hold of life and begins telling strangers’
fortunes. That marks the beginning of a frenetic adventure and
a narrative about hilarious encounters with suicidal middle-class
men and disgruntled allergy sufferers.
Pictures from BRF Ensamheten (The Lonely Tower Residents’ Association) and Äkta Spåman (Genuine fortune teller)
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Joakim Pirinen
Joakim Pirinen (b. 1961) is one of Sweden’s most unusual comic
artists. In his career spanning more than 30 years, he has invigorated and baffled the Swedish comics scene with his absurdism and
comics-based Dadaism. Pirinen made his debut in 1983 with
Välkommen till sandlådan (‘Welcome to the Sandbox’). His big
breakthrough came with Socker-Conny in 1985.
Pirinen is a key figure in the new wave of Swedish alternative
comics aimed at a wider audience, which emerged in the 1980s.
Throughout his career he has smashed boundaries, in purely
aesthetic terms as well as in terms of content and character design.
Pirinen’s characters are seldom charming. They’re more often
gruff, damaged or severely depressed. They exist in a surrealistic,
absurdist comic world with hilarious overtones.
In Pirinen’s latest book, Kommissarie Kvadrat (‘Inspector Square’,
Kartago, 2014) Inspector Square is supposed to be investigating
a murder, but people keep mistaking him for a flat-screen TV.
Welcome to the universe of Joakim Pirinen, where things have a
logic all their own.
pages from Kommissarie Kvadrat (Inspector Square)
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Liv Strömquist
Liv Strömquist (b. 1978) has been described as the most
influential figure working in feminist comics. She first achieved
success in 2006 with the satirical graphic work Einsteins fru
(‘Einstein’s Wife’). She depicts social issues in her books, taking
in a huge range of references from 21st-century pop culture to
the Bible.
Her fifth graphic title, Kunskapens frukt (‘Apple of Eve’,
Galago, 2014) is a book about what is often called ‘the feminine
sex’. It examines cultural constructs surrounding gender and
bodies and asks: What is the feminine sex in our society – and
how is it constructed?
In Kunskapens frukt Liv Strömquist works with text to a
greater extent than before, but never at the expense of her sharp
analytical skills. This book very successfully links attitudes to
women’s sexuality, gender and reproduction with dominant
social norms. Armed with her findings, Liv Strömquist stakes
out territory not only for young women, but also for herself.
images from prince charles känsla (left) and Kunskapens frukt (Apple of Eve)
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Åsa Grennvall
Åsa Grennvall (b. 1973) is sometimes called the ‘uncrowned queen
of feel-bad’ of Swedish comics. She doesn’t shy away from depicting
anxiety, depression, self-harming and dysfunctional relationships
in her graphic novels, many of which contain autobiographical
elements.
Åsa Grennvall trained at Konstfack University College of
Art and Design in Stockholm. Her first graphic title, Det känns
som hundra år (‘It Feels Like a Hundred Years’), was published
in 1999. Since then another eight books by her have come out,
including Sjunde våningen (‘The Seventh Floor’, Optimal Press,
2002), which was awarded the Urhunden prize, Sweden’s most
prestigious honour for comics and graphic titles. It has also been
translated into French, Korean, Finnish and Italian.
In 2014 Åsa Grennvall joined forces with Sofia Olsson, another
comic artist, to found Syster förlag, a new independent publisher.
Syster published Grennvall’s latest work, entitled Deras ryggar
luktade så gott (‘Their Backs Smelled So Good’), a graphic novel
about Jenny, a playwright who begins to contemplate her
parents’ shortcomings after the birth of her own children and the
emotional neglect she suffered as a child. It’s a book about escaping from established patterns, taking a good hard look at your
own emotional baggage and ultimately breaking free.
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page from Sjunde våningen (The Seventh Floor)
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Joanna Hellgren
Joanna Hellgren (b. 1981) had works published and praised in
France prior to making her Swedish debut with Frances, del 1
(‘Frances, Part 1’), the first volume of a graphic-novel trilogy
about a plucky, compassionate girl by that name.
Hellgren has garnered praise and awards in Sweden as
well for her tender, timeless portrayals of growing up. Her
pencil illustrations blend Swedish small-town melancholy
with Parisian nightlife. Another of her graphic works is Min
nattbror (‘My Night Brother’, Galago, 2014), an evocative
story about Jakob, a ten-year-old boy who lives in the shadow
of his dead brother. Min nattbror was first published in
France in 2008, where it was chosen as a sélection officielle at
the Angoulême comics festival. “Frances” and “Min nattbror”
have also been translated into Spanish and Italian.
More recently, Joanna Hellgren has branched out into the
world of Swedish children’s literature, illustrating a number
of picture books.
images from Min nattbror (My Night Brother)
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Mats Jonsson
Mats Jonsson (b. 1973) is one of Sweden’s foremost autobiographical comic artists. His stated ambition is to record his
entire life in comic format — and he’s well on the way. Jonsson
made his debut in 1998 with a comic entitled Unga norrlänningar
(‘Young Norrlanders’) but he reached a wider audience with the
cult classic Hey Princess in 2002.
That graphic novel, which is being made into a film directed
by Maria Blom, has been called a portrait of the generation born
in the 1970s. It recounts Mats’ life as a new Stockholm
resident in the ’90s.
While Hey Princess is about the inevitable process of growing
up in an often bleak metropolis, Mats kamp (‘Mats’ Struggle’,
Galago, 2011) is about becoming a parent and navigating through
a bewildering mess of porridge, parenting groups and getting
on the property ladder. Mats Jonsson has also written two
autobiographical children’s novels published by Alfabeta.
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page from hey princess
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Nina Hemingsson
Nina Hemmingsson (b. 1971) focuses on artistic illustrations and
sharp satire in single-frame pieces or brief strips. She attended
art school in Trondheim, Norway and has published six graphic
titles since her debut in 2004. Her most recent volume, Snyggast
på festen (‘Cutest at the Party’), came out in 2014 from Kartago.
Nina Hemmingsson highlights societal norms and scrutinises
notions of love, sexuality, gender roles and neuroses. Her female
characters are forthright and coarse. They don’t beat about the
bush and are not presented in a flattering light. Feisty, foulmouthed old women share space with fierce girls reminiscent
of Tove Jansson’s Little My character. Hemmingsson takes a
behaviour generally regarded as ‘typically male’, twists it and lets
her female characters act it out. The results make readers think
as well as wince.
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page from Snyggast på festen (Cutest at the Party)
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Gunnar Lundkvist
Gunnar Lundkvist’s (b. 1958) Klas Katt was one of the first
Swedish comics for adults. It has enjoyed a faithful readership
since 1979, when Klas Katt i Hell City (‘Klas Katt in Hell City’)
was published. These comics are drawn in black ink, with an
almost minimalist look. It almost looks as if the white areas are
drawn on black rather than the other way round.
At the centre of it all is Klas Katt, a cat who’s happiest when
there’s a good supply of coffee. He’s not too bothered about
having company, except his slightly more social friend Olle
Ångest (whose surname means ‘angst’).
The Klas Katt comics are about life — the way life usually is:
frustrating, filled with suffering and worry, rarely in bright
colours and facing a constant headwind. But still worth living.
Throughout his career, Lundkvist has been praised as a perceptive chronicler of Sweden.
In his latest volume, Klas Katt blir deprimerad (‘Klas Katt
Gets Depressed’, Kartago, 2014) Klas Katt and Olle Ångest
wander round in a milieu dominated by emptiness. Olle wants
to work but cannot find a job. Klas wants to stay indoors.
Drinking coffee.
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page from Klas Katt blir deprimerad (Klas Katt Gets Depressed)
56
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Anneli Furmark
Anneli Furmark (b. 1962) grew up in Luleå in northern Sweden.
She is a visual artist and comic artist and published her first
graphic volume, Labyrinterna och andra serier (‘The Labyrinths
and Other Comics’) in 2002. She studied at the Umeå Academy
of Fine Arts and has enjoyed a lengthy career as a respected
artist. Her images are characterised by a closeness to nature and
its variations. She displays a rare talent in her graphic works for
depicting warmth and fragility in interpersonal relationships,
and especially people’s insignificance in relation to the marvels
of nature.
She provides ample evidence of this in her latest book,
Jordens medelpunkt (‘The Centre of the Earth’, Kartago, 2012)
about a family’s holiday in Iceland. It’s a dazzlingly beautiful
union between the striking landscape, an enthusiastic mum and
a teenager’s unshakeable boredom.
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page from jordens medelpunkt (the centre of the earth)
122
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Emelie Östergren
Emelie Östergren’s (b. 1982) images are dense and evocative.
Her world is a place that’s equally cosy and creepy, created in
pastels and populated by things we think of as pretty: peonies,
flower blossoms, girls in swishy dresses and idyllic stretches of
sandy beach. Danger lurks on the margins: unseen, unnamed
threats; secret doors and black holes.
Östergren’s debut work, Evil Dress (Sanatorium förlag) —
about a low-key yet terrifying game of hide-and-seek — was
published in 2009. It was followed in 2011 by the equally dreamlike The Duke and his Army — A Dream Revisited.
In her latest book, Bortbytingen (‘The Changeling’, Kolik
förlag, 2014) Emelie Östergren presents her take on a folk tale
as told by Nobel Prize-winner Selma Lagerlöf. It’s a story about
difference, intolerance and daring to stand up for what you
believe in — a narrative that has gained resonance in a Europe
regarded by many people as being influenced by increasingly
conservative, nationalist tendencies.
images from bortbytingen (the changeling)
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mats jansson
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åsa grennvall
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nina hemmingsson 16
gunnar lundkvist 18
Galago
Box 17506
118 91 Stockholm
[email protected]
www.galago.se
Sanatorium Förlag
Samtingsgatan 37e
645 34 Strängnäs
[email protected]
www.sanatorium.se
Kartago Förlag
Box 3159
103 63 Stockholm
[email protected]
www.kartago.se
Syster förlag
Åsa Bergshamra
640 24 SKÖLDINGE
[email protected]
www.systerforlag.se
Kolik Förlag, Norstedts
Box 2052
103 12 Stockholm
[email protected]
www.kolikforlag.se
Swedish Arts Council
P.O. Box 27215
SE-102 53 Stockholm
+46 (0)8 519 264 00
emelie östergren 22
© The Swedish Arts Council 2015
Text: Alexandra Sundquist
Translation: RUTH URBOM
Graphic design: Studio Mats Hedman
Editor: Jan Kärrö
CO Editor: Andreas Åberg
Printed by Wikströms Tryckeri AB
COVER IMAGES: FRONT COVER AND INSIDE
FRONT COVER FROM “SNYGGAST PÅ FESTEN”
BY NINA HEMMINGSSON. BACK COVER IMAGE
FROM “PRINS CHARLES KÄNSLA” BY
LIV STRÖMQUIST.
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photo: CAROLINE ANDERSSON
The Göteborg Book Fair and the Arts
Council together provide funding for
translators, non-Nordic publishers and
subagents interested in attending the
Open for application:
17 December 2014 – 15 January 2015
7 April – 5 May 2015
4 August – 1 September 2015
20 October – 17 November 2015
anneli furmark
photo: Sara Appelgren
GÖTEBORG BOOK FAIR
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
– FOR TRANSLATORS,
NON-NORDIC PUBLISHERS
AND SUB-AGENTS
The objective of this grant is to support
literary events and international exchange
which promote high quality Swedish literature and drama internationally. Foreign
publishers may apply for funding to help
cover the cost of inviting Swedish authors
for book launches, literary festivals and
similar events. Organizations may apply
for funding for projects or international
exchanges. Projects can include, but
are not limited to, translation seminars,
collaborative literary projects and themed
events. Financial support may also be
awarded to information campaigns and
publications aimed at promoting Swedish
literature internationally.
liv strömquist
photo: Nina Varumo
Open for application:
5 January – 3 February 2015
9 April – 7 May 2015
8 September – 6 October 2015
GRANTS FOR LITERATURE
PROJECTS AND TRAVELS
6
photo: magnus liam karlsson
The support scheme applies both to
fiction for children and adults, comics and
non-fiction, and could be granted for either translation costs or both translationand production costs for foreign editions
of Swedish books, such as fully illustrated
children’s books, non-fiction or comics
and graphic novels.
joakim pirinen
joanna hellgren 12
photo: MARTIN STENMARK
TRANSLATION GRANTS FOR
SWEDISH LITERATURE
Open for application:
Applications must have reached the
Swedish Arts Council no later than
May 7 2015.
4
photo: livia rostanovyl
Open for application:
5 January – 3 February 2015
9 April – 7 May 2015
8 September – 6 October 2015
linda spåman photo: leo a sörlin
The Swedish Arts Council is responsible
for allocating funds for work-related
travel and skill improvement activities
for translators of Swedish literature and
drama. Professional translators of
Swedish literature and drama may
apply for these grants.
Göteborg Book Fair. The travel program
takes place from 23-26 September
2015. Non-Nordic publishers and subagents who are interested in publishing/
working with Swedish literature of high
quality can apply. Translators of Swedish
literature can also apply for this grant.
The grant will cover a part of the travel
cost, accommodation for 3 nights,
and entrance card to all seminars at the
fair. The program is partly booked, with
information meetings, lectures, and
evening activities, and partly open to
individual programs.
photo: Anna Lundell
GRANTS FOR TRAVEL AND
INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE
FOR TRANSLATORS OF
SWEDISH LITERATURE
photo: CAROLINE ANDERSSON
The Swedish Arts Council offers support for literary
translations and projects as well as travel grants for
publishers, organisations and translators of Swedish
literature.
For more information – see www.swedishliterature.se
photo: ylva smedberg
Grants