Uncle at last

A couple weeks ago I became an uncle, thus fulfilling the prophecy of countless elementary school yard wisecracks.

Welcome, Orson. You have been expected.

Love,
Your Uncle Sam

LakiWoman comic strip 2009 – 2013

1: "This comic is exactly like my life!"
2: "Do you really still read magazines? That's so 2000's..." "Their webpages are much ahead of the print version. I'll prove it."
3: "It's not about speed." "What?" "How do you know what I'm about to say?"
4: "Stop it!" "Stop it right now!" "That does it…"
5: "'…no Playstation for a week and dish washin–' But mom!" "You said it."
6: "Well, you were right, this is better."

I had a comic strip in Akavalainen magazine, that started in 2009. It was about a trade union lawyer and the strange problems she had to face at work and at home.

Right before it ended last year I was presented with a very fun opportunity. The magazine made a transformation from print to web and somehow this had to be reflected in the comic. So, I made two strips that communicate with each other. This was the first time I broke the fourth wall in the strip.

The top strip is the first webcomic, which actually came out slightly before the bottom strip, which is the last print version.

1: "Have you noticed?! You are online!" "What? Let me see…"
2: "But that doesn't look at all like me! Just look at the hair." "That's just a digital representation. In reality, your hair is much more three-dimensional." "And look at that. What's that supposed to be?"
3: "That's your son… He is just not fully loaded." "Oh, I guess that's his normal state."
4: "But wait, if I am online, does everyone see everything I do? The whole world?!" "Um… have you actually never looked that way?"
5: "That w-"

I will post highlights from the four years of strips in the near future.

Illustrating disputes

Kuluttaja magazine commissioned me to illustrate a continuing section of the magazine called "Ratkaisuja riitoihin" (Resolutions to disputes). The section lists the most interesting and funny consumer disputes lately and their resolutions by the Consumer Disputes Board (Kuluttajariitalautakunta). It's very popular among the readers. I draw two illustrations for every spread and it has been a blast! I loved the section even before I was asked to take over the illustration.

Here are some of the illustrations so far:

"AGONY" – There is an annual heavy metal festival in Helsinki called Tuska ("Agony"). The main performer of one festival day was arrested, could not perform and was replaced with a Finnish band. A fan was so disappointed that he demanded a partial refund for his ticket.

An adult bought a season card to a riding school with the intention of joining an adult beginner class. Since there was none, she was put in an advanced children's class. Not a great solution.

The riders image was the first one and I actually got a nice email from a reader who had really liked it. It's not very often that happens and it definitely made my day.

A bathroom renovation took over a month and the tenant asked for a reduction in rent for the duration. The landlord did not think there was cause.

This one hit particularly close to home – we've had an upstairs neighbour who has had two cases of water damage within half a year. Buckets of water came down on both occasions and the illustration is fairly descriptive of the aftermath. 

Enterprising mechanics took it upon themselves to make extensive repairs to a car well into its twenties without consulting the customer (the word on the piece of paper is "Invoice").

This is from the latest issue, which is hitting the stores as I'm writing this.