My “Lilla Fridolf” comic strip from 1986. Click picture to read in full size.
The summer is here and so is mowing the lawn! I did this comic strip in my teens starring Lilla Fridolf, and sent it to the comic magazine of the same name. To my delight it was published!
Lilla Fridolf is one of many comics in the Swedish slapstick tradition that was popular from the thirties until the eighties. The humor was pretty weak, but the the comics often had a nice and nostalgic feel. Lilla Fridolf started out as a radio serial in the fifties and developed into movies and comics. Lilla Fridolf's original cartoonist Torsten Bjarre had previously made comics of the characters Oskar and 113 Bom, but he is probably best known for Lilla Fridolf. In my teens I thought his drawing style was a bit stiff and the backgrounds could sometimes feel a little empty and sterile.
My own style at the time was inspired by classic French and Belgian cartoonists such as Franquin, Peyo, Derib, Macherot and Hergé of course. But the weak punch line of this comic strip was more in a Swedish tradition ;)
Over time started to relish Bjarre’s drawing style, and I use to wish that I have the talent to do an French/Belgian action story in Bjarre’s style myself one day!