How Tove Jansson used her Moomins comic strip to humorously critique the financial and creative pressures of being an artist

By Elina Druker, Professor in Department of Culture and Aesthetics, Stockholm University

In 1954, the Finnish artist Tove Jansson was commissioned by the Evening News in London to draw comic strips about the Moomintrolls. The strip was syndicated by hundreds of newspapers, introducing the Moomins to an international audience and marking a dramatic turning point in her career.

Between 1954 and 1959, Tove Jansson drew 21 comics, some in collaboration with her brother Lars Jansson, who continued to draw…

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