You

 You have absolutely no idea of what kind of book it's going to be.

Curious

 Are u getting curious?

Magic

 It's like magic. I just thought of 4 panels that are absolutely needed. Just when the book was almost done. It'll take a lil bit longer.

4

 Or 4 and half, 5? Less than 10. Less than 6! Pages left. The first album almost done. Will it be 4 color, not sure, that was the plan. Will it come out 2024? That is the plan, but first I need to get it scanned. From Wsoy? Maybe. What is it about? You'll find out.

Proof reading

 Proof reading the collection of short stories. This book might be bit of a surprise for my readers. Stories are not funny at all, nor are they meant to be. Some of them have been with me many years. It is a direction that I could've taken already 10 years ago, but then Läskimooses happened. I will continue on this track one way or another. Maybe do a small book during the summer. 

Questions?

 Any questions?

Sort of

 I sort of have a plan to draw a small (one panel/page) book during next summer, 150 pgs or so. If it's possible. But to publish it I would need cash. Or a publisher.

More or less sure that Suomaan kansan muinaisusko will come out in the Fall. Exciting since this is the first time I'm with a major publisher (wsoy). We all remember how things went wrong with Otava, don't we?

Likely that Seitsemän vuotta tii petissä will also come out this year. This is a bit stressful, since I would've needed a grant to pay for the scanning and so far I haven't gotten one. Still, I think this will be solved eventually.

Kekkonen2 and Nakupelle would come out this year too BUT for these I absolutely need a grant. Both supposed to be self-published.

And then this 150 pgr. If I actually manage to draw it, it could come out also in the Fall, but haha need the money for it. I actually have a name for it and all BUT it's such a cool name that I will only reveal it later. 

For 2024 I would like to get Vajoava Ateneum first book out. This one will go to wsoy, if they take it AND if nothing bad happens. 

Maaseudun tulevaisuus could be published basically anytime, but I need a publisher. Same goes for B.E.M.böle.

In May this year I will start with book 2 of Vajoava Ateneum. I have plans that might be too crazy for wsoy, but we'll see. It should come out in 2025 anyways.

Suomaa book 2. Hard one. I have the synopsis and all, but for the moment Ateneum comes first. Maybe if some magazine wants to publish it in chapters?

2025 onwards I will try to finish the Ateneum series. Probably will probably.

Inshallah

To do

 1. Additional pgs 3, maybe 4

 2. Actual pgs undone 3 (Estlander, Finnish comicbooks 80s)

3. Check finalized pgs

4. Finalize the 9 pger not finalized

Should be done in a month.

Cover and such only later.

This is the spot I get a bit impatient to see the book finished.

Still here

 What I know

Läskimooses in French, set to 2025

Suomaan kansan muinaisusko, fall 2023, wsoy

7 vuotta tii petissä, waiting to be scanned...

Kekkonen 2 ...

B.E.M.böle ...

Maaseudun tulevaisuus ...

Nakupelle ...

All the above finished for over a year and waiting to be scanned and all that.

Haha

Vajoava Ateneum book 1 will be on the same list in a month

That makes 6 books in limbo

For

 Pretty much only way I can do this is to try to finish the book and then see how it turned out. Have a hunch that I need a change in style after that. For the moment I only can stand the pictureless stories. 

Progress

 

Coolest

 All my coolest projects were made possible by the lack of interest from the general audience. 

Next fall

 

All the

 All the main elements done for the SUOMAA-book. Prequel to Läskimooses comes out Fall 23. 

Looks

 Looks like two books coming out next year, maybe 3. No news on the Läskimooses translation(s). 

Reasons

I've started to hate teaching for reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with teaching.  Guess I have to deal with it,  and I will, but how exactly. 

In theory

 In theory I could continue the book I'm working on tomorrow,  but I can't think of any reason why.  

Pretty

 Pretty tired with pretty much everything

Cartoonist

 The present-day cartoonist refuses to die

VA

 The new book is proceeding. It's still a mess, but now I feel it will eventually make sense. Book one was supposed to be 48 pages, maybe it will, but 52 or 64 is more likely. Then onwards to book 2. 

Six

 The previous 6 or 5 months have been demanding. The so called "next book" has proceeded little by little, but has been a huge question mark all through the process. I have been wrestling it to any possible position, but nothing seems to work - faith remains low. Now at least some weeks away from the studio, maybe a change is gonna come. Meanwhile: quite excited of the short story collection coming out next year and wanting to add some very short stories/texts in there. Hoping to bring that one in production next fall. 

Tee

 The small collection 7 Years with Tee in Bed is once more just about done

Moti

 Low on moti

Slightly

 Slightly optimistic with the Ateneum book. Made some evil plan for the latter part of the book. We'll see how it turns out. STILL, won't publish this if I just can help it.

30

 It has been 30 years. My first professional comic came out in 1992. I could've published my 30th "book" this year (got enough material packed away) but some other year maybe then.

Pretty

 Pretty sure that all who liked Läskimooses liked it for the wrong reasons.

Upside: those who hated it probably also hated it for the wrong reasons.

So there

Urge

 Don't have the urge to publish anything of what I'm doing.

Never

 Never been closer to quitting teaching than today.

!

 Blasted pandemic! I have interviews to make and archives to visit! I want my 3rd shot!

If

 Going to finish the first page for my Sinking Ateneum book tomorrow. If I do and if I'm right and things go like I hope they will, I should be able to finish and half pages a week (well a page at least!). In this case book one of the series would be pretty much done December 22. Don't have a volunteer to publish it yet, though. Anyone?

Expectations

 Expectations are low, but I'm pretty sure they are not low enough.

Fish

 Ok so this book is like trying to catch a big fish. The moment you think it got away suddenly the line again thightens. Go figure.

Time

 Already thought that the book would get going. Now the pandemic is ruining all my schedules. Don't know if I can start before 2023. Time to start thinking of some other project?

Unlikely

B.E.M. 24: 7 vuotta tii petissä

B.EM. 25: Kekkonen²

B.EM. 26: Maaseudun tulevaisuus

B.E.M. 27: Nakupelle

B.E.M 28: B.E.M.böle 

All of the above will remain unpublished if I can help it.

Now working on B.E.M. 29, might want to publish, but unlikely

Fill

 Had my fill of remote teaching. Time to end the pandemic, ok?

That

That probably was that

Slow

 Everything is slow. I have 2 translations of Läskimooses in a stage of uncertain certainty. Meanwhile I guess I could push my back catalogue to some direction, Silvia Regina even has a professional English translation. I know I won't. Several Finnish books I don't want to publish waiting to be published. No room for new books. Läskimooses at least is over. Festival will be a fiasco. 

Goal

 My so called "next book" is coming together really slow. I have a clue of the plot and many of the central scenes. Lately I have been preoccupied with the main character Riittamaari Malva, mainly on what she looks like. Today I made the first actual sketches and I might be somewhat closer to the goal. Can't show you anything yet, unfortunately, it's complicated.

Feel

 I have the 6 or 7 books/booklets waiting there in cardboard boxes, but I really don't have the urge to publish them. Same goes for the 2 books I'm working on. I'm totally fine to keep things as they are. I've just lost the urge, the feel. And it's ok. Maybe tomorrow will be different.   

Invent

 I have to re-invent myself for the next book.

Teaching

 I teach a lot. Well I do some teaching. This semester I have 5 classes going. Thing is I actually enjoy it and maybe I have some talent. Hard to tell. Anyways, would I do it if it wasn't for the money? I guess I would drop some of the classes, but which one? Open university classes might be the most rewarding. The group can be really heterogenetic, ages from 19 to 70. There also it seems people get a lot of enjoyment from learning, and it shows. These classes are in the evenings but the students arrive brimming with energy. 

Then there are the Comics Centre classes, many people there that I know from way back. These people are often extremely dedicated and serious about their work and I'm happy if I can help. This class is more about group, not so much about my opinions, I'm there to encourage people to share their thoughts. 

Recently I was told that the works of my students can somehow be recognized. I'm not sure if this is a good thing. It is true that I value certain things in a story and emphatise things like structure and maybe this shows in the works of my students. But I trust they will outgrow it 

Doing

 Classes classes classes! Feels there's nothing but. 

But meanwhile: I have lettered 5 new Suomaa strips and upon doing so, reached a point in the story where it takes an abrupt turn. Basically this could be the end of book one, if I'd decide to do a book (there are alternative plans). But who'd publish? 

The week also had this truly magical moment when I was GIVEN a vision of the true nature of comics. This will become a 2 page story for another book. There are however unresolved issues with this one and that's why I can't start for real, not yet.

And then: got an idea for a 24 page book, haha 

So it goes

Use

 But what's the use?

Thing

 This is the thing. I concluded three books during the 8 months of 2021. Now I probably should start to work towards their publication. I have little or no interest. Instead I'm getting started with 2 new books. And this is really the THING. Both need adjusting and writing before I can dream of drawing anything.  And I would like to draw. So should I start a book that I can like... Draw. Or what? 

Book launch

 Today at 14 I will start signing in Helsinki, Porthaninkatu 9. Launch at 17.

Looky looky

 

In a week

 Book will launch September 11th. I'm setting up to start on 2 new projects. One that I need to study for and one that I can start drawing almost immediately. I got an order for 6 portraits and should be able to finish those in two days. After that I will clean up the studio, look up the scripts for the other project, cut some pieces of scraper board to the right size and get going.

Unable

 Unable to look at the book. Think it turned out good, as good as possible. But I struggle with the urge to redraw everything. Need to move on, unable to move on. Book launch in a week, then the feedback. Much to take in. Started it 2011 October, do the math. Ha, it's over.

Out now

 

Filling in

 Filling in the gaps.

The year has been pretty much about finishing some unfinished stuff. Läskimooses for one ofcourse, but not only. After concluding the "final" additions to the big book, I moved along to a collection of short stories (7 vuotta tii petissä), after that one I finished a short story left out of Läskimooses (Avaruusvelho #1), after that a very short thing  started in 2004 (Kekkonen²), after that moved along to the thing I pushed aside when starting Läskimooses (Maaseudun tulevaisuus). And that's where I am at the moment. Maaseudun tulevaisuus wasn't missing anything else than some texts and those I have been doing. Should be done by tomorrow. As for B.E.M. series, this is how it looks like:

( if everything goes, you know, as planned, haha)

#23, Avaruusvelho #1

#24, 7 vuotta tii petissä

#25, Kekkonen²

#26, Maaseudun tulevaisuus

#27, B.E.M.böle

#28, Nakupelle

#29, Näkymätön

#30, Suomaan kansan muinaisusko

Stick around and you'll find out. #23 is already in production, #24 will be out in French at least, #25 I will publish myself, rest of these, who knows.

Excelsior!