Grants

I've gotten my share of grants. And in Finland that is pretty much the only way to make it in comics. At least the kind of comics I'm doing. Läskimooses was supported by Kone foundation for three years and this year was the first that I didn't have any grants for. Until now. It's not enough for the whole year but I'm set until June. Taike gave me a grant of 4000€ for this silly book, thank you.

And...

The LDC-book requires something. Two panels for starters... Color for inside cover, two extra pages, if I feel like it AND a go through. Then only then can I turn my attention to that issue 30.

Internet

Internet is a scam.

Digital download now available in English

A PDF version with English subtitles is now available of the nine first issues: Läskimooses digital download

Also available international subscription with translations.

Class

One more class ends. I have been teaching at the University from 1998. That's almost 20 years. Haven't had any pedagogical studies, all i know I've learned from example. That and practise. But the example I had was the best possible to be had. The example from such brilliant people as Sakari Marila, Helga Reinikainen, Kaarina Kaikkonen, Raimo Puustinen. I was fortunate enough to study under all these people. And I learned a lot from them. And what I learned about teaching was:  be interested, pay attention, care. None of my teacher's knew much about comics, but without them I would never have gone to the direction I went. I got from them exactly what I needed at the exactly right moment. And because of them I think that teaching matters.

What I have

What I have left to do of the LDC- book is colors for front and backcovers, 4 panels on four pages... And that's it. More or less that's it. Some adjustments here and there, but looks like I'll get back to the actual Läskimooses soon after the winter holiday.

Aprés Ken Barr

Honest

To be honest....I would like some greater challenges. And yes, I know, plenty of challenge with this small book I'm working on, but... Like that opera that I wrote the libretto for. But but but
I do have this one plan. And I hope it'll work out BECAUSE it's so cooool...

Maybe

Name of the LDC book: Läskimooses Powerbook

Burn

Wonder how scraperboard burns...

Scraperboard

Bought 4 packages. That's enough for 320 pages. I have a couple of packages at the studio too so maybe I'm now all set. Estimate is that I'll still have to draw 500 pages to get the story finished.

Subscription

 

International subscription with ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS is now available at the publishers website. Check it out: Läskimooses subscription

Changing trains

TGV

On a train to the gates of the Magical Kingdom - EuroDisney. Changing trains there for CDG. Over all Angouleme was excellent. Got to spend a lot of time at the booth of my great French publisher L'association. Met some old friends and made some useful contacts. Now I keep my fingers crossed for the chance to see Mickey. Excelsior!

Time

After Läskimooses I still have time for 5 or 7 projects. A few more if I'm lucky, a few less if I'm not. I try to make at least one of them really good. Good in some lasting way. And I don't know yet how Läskimooses will be. It'll be finished perhaps. At the moment that's enough for me.

Angouleme

Been here now for 24 hours and it's as crazy as ever or I don't know. Lots of people you see quite seldom and then you try to say something that is not idiotic to at least one or two. Anyways... Could've done a few more signings, but maybe tomorrow.

29

While I struggle with the LDC book, issue 29 is getting ready for the press. It's one of my favorites as is issue 28 that will reach subscribers later this week. Direction. Finally I think I found it for the LDC book.

It varies

Sometimes I feel I have no patience for the so called Finnish comics scene. Sometimes I don't think about it at all. It varies.

Slowly

Everything proceeds slowly. I have a book coming out from LIKE by me and Riikka Ala-Harja and now finally all bits and pieces have come together. The LDC book proceeds equally slow and doesnt have much of a structure. Send me money and help me to get back to LÄSKIMOOSES.

Photoshopping

Try

Secret

Let's keep this a secret, but Läskimooses has now reached 700 pages. Meanwhile: some reviews here and there, mostly quiet. I am repeating myself, but: Läskimooses is meant to be a comic book not a graphic novel. IF there is going to be a book of 1200pgs someday, it won't be the thing as the thing is. Therefore all the press at that stage is totally unnecessary. When Läskimooses comes out as a book the show is already over.

So

So apparently things started to move with the LDC book. I have some pages finished now and I feel I have a direction.

Little Nellie

Talk

There has been some talk somewhere I don't know where and none of my business. But. The so called comics finlandia award. I myself have stated a wish to my publisher that none of my books should ever participate to this competition. Reasons are totally irrevelant. Luckily he agrees and this has been and will be the case with all my books. Also with the maybe someday forthcoming Läskimooses book. Nuff said

Talk

There has been some talk somewhere I don't know where and none of my business. But. The so called comics finlandia award. I myself have stated a wish to my publisher that none of my books should ever participate to this competition. Reasons are totally irrevelant. Luckily he agrees and this has been and will be the case with all my books. Also with the maybe someday forthcoming Läskimooses book. Nuff said

Backcover or something

Classes

Teaching suits me. It's for me a better source of income than illustration and I learn a lot doing it. Even if Läskimooses became a huge hit I would probably keep my classes.
This spring for the first time I teach comics expression 2 at aalto on wednesday mornings. Wednesday evenings I have comics expression one going and a new one starting soon. On tuesday evenings I have a freehand drawing class starting, probably in march. I would need one class at least one clasd more, either on monday evening or thursday.

Le Dernier Cri

So I'm supposed to do a book for LDC and it's great. But I keep getting these half-great ideas that  keep me half-motivated. Now I really should start making progress, but instead I'm changing directions. And it would feel so much easier to start issue 30 and even easier to start issue 31. So... Again I have a completely new sort of an idea... Or two. Crap. I'll be wiser on monday.

Know

Don't know... Sometimes I feel I could just drop this. Let the secrets remain secret. The start has been hard after the holidays. What makes it even more difficult is that I should do this one special issue first. And although I know what I would like to have in it, it's still vague somehow. To make it even harder: the next actual issue is a Mars story for a change and those require an entirely different attitude to draw and write than what I've been doing in the last ten or fifteen issues or so. But I did a couple if panels that are not bad so that at least is good.

Issue special

Illustration

For years I haven't done illustrations. All this contract/rights nonsense came along and it started to feel it's not worth of the aggravation. And then I also lost interest. For the many years I was doing illustration I only once had a regular spot and that really made all the difference. Although it only paid 50€ for an illustration (300FiM that time ) it came every week and it was regular income. After that thing I never got a spot to work regularly and just before I more or less stopped doing illustrations I was doing maybe 2 or 3 in a year, which wasn't very much. And teaching just seemed to work better for me. It was steady and it wasn't draining energy from the same source as my own work. So teaching and the grants provided for me a better income than illustration.
Now I still wouldn't mind to have a steady spot to draw for. At this specific stage of time I would be quite eager  to do some portraits or reportage drawings for the press. But it seems illustration is not needed so much anymore. Maybe I should go out looking.
This anecdote from two years back  pretty nicely sums up my feelings towards illustration:
I was on a holiday in Rome when I get an e-mail from NY Times (web version) asking me to illustrate a text. Sketch was needed the same day and the illustration by the next. I imagined that they wanted my scraperboard work since that was what I was known for. I mulled it over: I didn't have any material with me and I didn't have access to a scanner. So I wrote back telling that this time it would be impossible for me to do this. They never answered my mail.
Yes, for sure someone would've interrupted the holiday and found a way to do something with whatever there's around. I however never felt sorry for not doing this. I still don't see it as an missed oppurtunity to a new career in US.

That was the second or third time I said NO to a job offer. This is probably something you're not allowed to do when you're a freelancer.

But now, if you have a spot where you need portraits of people or some more realistic sort of drawing of landscape or scenery, I might quite well be interested. Just contact me. mattihagelberg@gmail.com

Some people

Some people maybe are sure Läskimooses is coming out as a book.

Back cover of issue 30

Year

The year was ok. I kept the schedule and the story proceeded. Today I calculated that it's still going to be 48 issues all and all approximately. Maybe 49, probably not 51. Those are the figures. 19 issues remain if the calculations are right. Strangely I feel issue 29 was a new beginning, the actual beginning. Maybe it was, I don't care.

Perspective

My perspective to what I do is that it is not really mine. It's just something that comes through me. This causes sometimes problems. Earlier I wanted to leave my name out of my books and it always became too big an issue. Sometimes I used mister Matti Hagelberg in order to create this alternate persona, this creator to the work. I mainly just want to work.

Spin offs

I have very rough first ideas for several spin off series. Three of these only require funds to get them started. Already know who I want to ask to write & draw these. So: funds... And I have a thing I would like to try. We wait...

Mistakes

All of my books. The books I've done the book I'm working on. And am I getting any closer to..? Sometimes, occasionally. After Läskimooses maybe,
maybe something right..er.

Portraits

Portraits? I do portraits. It's not expensive. I need the practise and money doesn't hurt. Economy series portraits, marker on scraperboard 15x15cm 500€ a piece. Poster series portraits 15x22 1000€. Poster series portraits can also be printed into a giant size two color poster (500 copies) for added 700€.

Issue 30 just starting

Which means (or should mean) that less than 20 issues remain. Estimate is 7 issues in a year, but since I don't yet have a grant for next year, no promises, not yet. It might be a tough year ahead.

Yes

Yes well, it's finished. Issue 29 & in issue 30 I will get back to Mars after a longer break. Some trouble with my plans to do a book for LDC. Hope it'll all be solved.

Please

Please tomorrow. Issue 29 finished or close.

How many

How many spin offs would be good? I think I have ideas for 5 so I would have to say: ten. This will have to wait til we get the funding.

Lethal hands

Lethal hands, the first Läskimooses spin off, drawn and written by Leo Kuikka is at printers. Meanwhile I have a fairly decent idea of what will take place in parts 2&3 of this 4 part mini-series. Lots of fun making up stuff for this one.

Yeah

Yeah I thought up an extra page which means
I have 3 pages to go and
Some corrections and
Club page
One week or
So

Sketch

In issue 30

Coming along

There's this book coming along that I made with Riikka Ala-Harja and I've been working on the cover and title pages and such. Book should be out in the spring from LIKE.  Looks promising at this particular stage. Nuff said.