Swedish Comics 1
Gunnar Lundkvist Gunnar Lundkvist’s (b. 1958) Kla
s Katt was one of the first Swedish comics for adults. It has enjoyed a faithful readership since 1979, when Klas Katt i Hell City (‘Klas Katt in Hell City’) was published. These comics are drawn in black ink, with an almost minimalist look. It almost looks as if the white areas are drawn on black rather than the other way round. At the centre of it all is Klas Katt, a cat who’s happiest when there’s a good supply of coffee. He’s not too bothered about having company, except his slightly more social friend Olle Ångest (whose surname means ‘angst’). The Klas Katt comics are about life — the way life usually is: frustrating, filled with suffering and worry, rarely in bright colours and facing a constant headwind. But still worth living. Throughout his career, Lundkvist has been praised as a perceptive chronicler of Sweden. In his latest volume, Klas Katt blir deprimerad (‘Klas Katt Gets Depressed’, Kartago, 2014) Klas Katt and Olle Ångest wander round in a milieu dominated by emptiness. Olle wants to work but cannot find a job. Klas wants to stay indoors. Drinking coffee. 18