THE ANCIENT RELIGION OF THE SUOMAA PEOPLE. Part 1

1.From behind a pine tree peeks a hunter of Suomaa.

2.For a long time he’s been looking for his prey, made his offerings to the lord of the forest, roamed the lands and toured the backwoods.

3.Now he asks for a deer for himself, the meat for him to eat and the skins for him to sell.

4.Carefully he approaches his prey, careful not to reveal himself by stepping on a branch or a twig that the adversarial spirits might have placed on the hunter’s trail.

5.This hunter is experienced, he knows the signs, knows the omens, knows the ways of the forest and it’s magic.

6.Finally he makes sure that no air spirit castles are in the way of his arrow or no mannor of the Hiisi are where his prey would fall.

7.Pakka Pokka Plaka

Then he sets the arrow on the string and speaks the kill words.

8.One wonders whence came the woodsman here and what kind of world he lives in, what forces rule over his life?


Next: The birth of the world

Hard

Last 3 or 4 Suomaa strips have been somehow really hard, but now it seems to be getting easier. Couple of scripts ahead that I'm really looking forwards to do. In a story like this there are certain things you have to write in order to build up things towards something. Sometimes you have to do stuff that doesn't feel all that interesting. And you try to make it work. And then there is stuff that is rewarding in itself. Like these two episodes on pieninkäiset. Two or three, don't quite know yet. And soon I will get to one of my favorite parts of the story: first appearance of Lempinkäinen.

Sketching Suomaa

Simple

Although starting my next book is still at least three years ahead I'm well under way planning it. And what started as pretty simple story taking place in turn of the century Africa has now twisted into something much more complex. And it'll keep on evolving.

Been reading Tarzan books to my son. Pretty good entertainment. And ofcourse there's colonialism and racism but what I find intiguing is the sense of real. How is this created when the story is anything but? Well I have pretty good idea. Still it's somehow magical. Creating a world.

Newspaper comics

But not the way they are today. Really love the Flash Gordons and Prince Valiants and Gasoline Alleys. Bring them back! There is plenty of talent around it's just a question of money and not even that - a question of vision. Wouldn't it be great to have a real comics supplement once more!

...

Soon changing again to Läskimooses. Issue 47  is about to be started. 47... that's something. 

But still 2 or one and half pages of Suomaa strip before that. Soon though.

Goals

-to finish Läskimooses (2 yrs)
-to finish the notes of Läskimooses (1yr)
-to start and finish the book after Läskimooses (5 to 6 yrs)
-to finish the book started in 2011 and left unfinished (6 months)

-to make my publisher rich (might take a while)

Luck

With any luck I won't be seen at any comics/art/literature related function. For oh so many reasons.

Suomaa

Always tricky to move from Läskimooses to the strip. Although they are parts of the same story there are differences in the approach. For one I'm not sure who is the narrator in Suomaa strip. In Läskimooses the narrator was more or less the main thing in the story. Anyways, now I'm back to Suomaa and working on part 32 and it's going, let's say, as it should. Plan is to finish 5 and then get back to Läskimooses, which is beckoning for me. Issue 46 is going to be another turning point in the story and there's going to be ACTION. nuff said.

Plans

I have a plan for a book. I think it's a good plan. Real excited whenever I think of it. Meanwhile I have 2 years to go with Läskimooses, not counting the "notes" and editing. I have this nasty feeling that time is running out. And I still have things to do. Things I want to do real well, as good as I'm able.
But this plan... it combines several themes I have felt strongly about for years. I really really would like to do it. For real.

Case

Case you're interested: all pages drawn in 46. Texts missing here and there. Trouble with cover. 1095 pages drawn.

Been

Been working on issue 46 since January. Had to have some breaks in order to keep up with the Suomaa strip. Now a week more. More or less. 2 pages not done, Some adjustments with texts and pics, cover and backcover and that's it. Or almost. More on this later. In many ways issue 46 is a culmination. After this issue it really is downhill. Oh, there are twists and turns, but for instance issues 49 to 52 are Mars/Kalevala stories. Yes we'll get back to Kalevi and his friend in 53 and 54 and the final shock is in 54...shocks. You'll see when we get there. Less than 2 years now.