Category: Tusen Serier

So. We’re a couple of months into 2015 and for the moment there’s a lot of different projects that are approaching completion. Here are a few:

TUSEN SERIER
Four books are in the works. In order of probably appearance:

Lillebrors fantastiska mardrömmar
This one is finished. Just waiting for test prints to see that the colors are ok. It’s been a complex process, not without problems, but finally we are at the finishing line. By Meisam Azimi, Aida Ghardagian, Mauritz Tistelö and Bekim Gaši, translated into Farsi, Bosnian and English, this will be the first book to be published under the TUSEN SERIER GRÄNSLAND imprint (even if Destruktörerna was technically the first) for books in the borderlands between comics and illustrated litterature.

Finsmakarna
I finished most of the other work last night, so now I’m working on the translation for this sequel to Destruktörerna from 2013. Written by Rubén Aguilera, with beautiful art by Marco Leal. Another GRÄNSLAND book.

Myling
Yossra El Said is currently adapting Amanda Casanellas‘ short story. Both versions of the story will be included in the book.

Fem prostituerade kvinnors historier
I will soon meet with Amalia Alvarez to see her work so far on her follow-up to Fem papperslösa kvinnors historier. 

There are also more coming, but later during the year.

Tusen Stafettserier
This subproject to Tusen Serier is getting closer to be properly launched and finished at more or less the same time. The last workshops will happen during March and then there will be a book + exhibition of jam comics that will tour some Swedish cities during the spring.

WORMGOD
I so wish I had time to start working on Piracy is Liberation vol 03, but it looks like that’s gonna take a while longer. There are also plans for making the first two volumes available in digital form, but that’s probably going to wait some more as well.
On the other hand:

After the ends of the world
This one is being printed as we speak and should be available pretty soon, with an expanded revisiting of the exhibition of the same name from AltCom 2014. Look for it! By me, Susanne Johansson and Heidi Somero, with a soundtrack by Dekoder, Nimam Spregleda, Feberdröm, Knullkraft and Concrete Threat.

THE TROLL
This is a book that was supposed to come out last year, a re-publishing by Komika förlag of an old 24-hour comic of mine. Since it was delayed, we’ve been talking about expanding the story with more pages. I’m aiming at between 48-72 new pages of story. A new beginning and a new ending. Like the original story, this new creature will be heavily inspired by the films of Shinya Tsukamoto and the music of Chu Ishikawa. Probably some more Manga/Anime influences as well. If all goes as planned, it will be released in time for the Stockholm International Comics Festival (SIS).

FESTIVALS
So far, I’ve been to Å-fest in Borgå/Porvoo (Finland) to represent Tusen Serier.
Next one will be Textival in Göteborg in the end of March.
And I guess the next one after that will be SIS in May, but there’s also a book fair(?) in Botkyrka (Stockholm) in April…

C’EST BON KULTUR
I’M BACK IN CBK! After a 5 year absence, I’m back where I started 15 years ago, in an almost completely new editorial crew. So far it’s mostly been about finishing up after the former crew, putting together their last issue (CBA vol 28), where I happen to have a comic (Singularity, which is also published in the Novo Doba 2014 anthology and After the ends of the world. It is being printed right now and will come soon. I’m going to look at some proofs today.
I also made a comic, Viral, for the first anthology issue featuring the new crew: CBA vol 30, coming this fall. I also sent a b/w version of this story to Stripburger, so maybe you’ll see it there first. Maybe…

What else is happening?
Oh yeah, there’s some union-related stuff happening at work (the Comics Association). More on that later, unless it gets resolved.
Also some conflicts at my freelance work, after Sydsvenskan bought Helsingborgs Dagblad. More on that also later unless it gets resolved…

Also coming later: sample art, etc.

Exciting times…

There’s a review of Me & my Daddy & Zlatan at Litteraturmagazinet (in Swedich).

Maskerna är ett effektivt sätt att skildra den sortens “assimilering” som i själva verket består av annorlundaskap och uteslutning. De kan tyckas frånta berättelsen en del av den realism som Elftorp annars eftersträvar, men samtidigt är det också en slags överrealism som belyser de inslag i vår verklighet som vi inte kan få syn på om de inte understryks och överdrivs. Ett konkret sätt att skildra något som är abstrakt för dem som slipper drabbas, men farligt påtagligt för alla drabbade.

And another one, at Goodreads (in English).

This story is told in a sketchy, artistic style, and the allegorical possibilities of comics are used extensively as all immigrants in this version of reality are required to wear a mask with the Swedish flag over their faces at all times. This works brilliantly as a visual metaphor for the pressure asserted on immigrants in Sweden and in many other countries to fit in and “go native” so to speak”.

The focus on the girl and her experience means that the story never gets stuck in a political placard mode, though. And the ending of this graphic novel is very strong and emotional, and if you haven’t read the shorter earlier version, unexpected and rather unsettling.

And here are some sample pages from the very beginning of the story (click images for bigger pictures) (Swedish version here):