Oh, hey, by the way… it’s Hei muuten

Introducing a Unique Comic Book Series from Finland

Comic book page from *Happy Holiday* by Riina Noro

The Hei muuten Story

Greetings reader! Please safely board the Quickest Flip boat as we travel for this article across the Atlantic Ocean to Northern Europe and the country of Finland. It is a land of beautiful forests and lakes, where hockey is a part of life and the winters are long. It is here in 2022 that an idea for a collaborative comic book project began to grow.

The series, Hei muuten ('Hey, by the way'), showcases debut comic books from eight artists with disabilities at progressive studios across Finland. These artists were brought together by Miissa Rantanen, a comic artist and art educator who mentors at these studios.

In Finnish, the word "muuten" also sometimes implies doing things differently - or something new sprouting up on the side. The project describes itself as "an invitation to look to the edges of the art field, where comics can be much more than what we are used to." And this collection is certainly that.

The series features work from the following artists:

Joannis Clementides: God of Fire
Rosa Haikarainen: Wind
Anna-Stina Helander: Flowers and Hobby Horses
Olli Kanninen: Cowboy Galloping Death and Landfill at the bottom of the Pond
Maija Möttö: Love Tour
Riina Noro: Happy Holiday
Elias Pylvänäinen: Life of Pekka
Kenneth Wallenius: Space Thoughts

We interviewed Miissa for this issue of Quickest Flip to hear more about how this project came to be, and to take a look at what the future may hold. You can read that interview below, followed by a showcase of the striking work from each of the eight contributing artists, giving a glimpse into the Hei muuten comic book series.

Comic book page from *Flowers and Hobby Horses* by Anna-Stina Helander

Interview with Miissa Rantanen

Hello Miissa! Thanks for doing an interview with Quickest Flip and shining a light on this comic book series. To start, how did you get involved in mentoring at these supported studios, and how did the idea for Hei muuten first come about?

Hi! It’s a pleasure to do this interview, thank you for having me.

It all started when I worked briefly as a teaching assistant in a classroom for students on the autism spectrum. The way the students drew, wrote, and told stories was incredibly inspiring and captivating to watch.

I’m personally a fan of experimental comics, and I quickly realized that the storytelling of individuals requiring special support could translate beautifully into the comic book format. I felt it could result in some fascinating contemporary comics.

So, I reached out to three supported art studios. Together, we created an outsider-themed issue for the contemporary comics magazine Kuti (read online here). After that, I began dreaming of a more long-term comic project with artists who need special support, and that is how the idea for the Hei muuten book series started to take shape.

The underlying idea behind the series was to diversify the contemporary comics scene; artists needing special support often bring something completely unseen to the artistic conversation. On the other hand, I also wanted the book series to bridge the gap that often leaves artists requiring special support excluded from the mainstream comics community.

Comic book page from *God of Fire* by Joannis Clementides

What was the selection process for which artists would be included in the series? Were the artists already creating narrative artwork but just not in comic book form, or were they already creating comics in the studio?

I wanted to include artists from different parts of Finland and from diverse backgrounds. Some of the artists had made comics before, some had read them, and for others, comics were a completely new territory. I collaborated with four supported art studios, which is where the artists were selected from. It was difficult to choose just eight artists, but the selection was limited by resources such as time and budget.

Comic book page from *Life of Pekka* by Elias Pylvänäinen

What was the process of working with the artists to complete their books? Were there any memorable moments during the creation process?

Oh, there are so many wonderful memories! The process was truly different with each artist.

Joannis Clementides was already a veteran comic maker—for him, I just sharpened pencils and encouraged him to draw larger panels so the text and characters would stand out more clearly. Maija Möttö’s story-driven animal drawings transitioned into the book exactly as they were. I would have preferred Maija to make slightly smaller drawings so they could be scanned, but she wasn’t having it, so the large drawings had to be photographed instead.

Elias Pylvänäinen drew the same way he always had—we just divided his paper into panels using masking tape. For Anna-Stina Helander, we achieved a comic-like feel by using colored drawing paper to make the pages feel like panels.

I turned Riina Noro's drawing paper from landscape to portrait orientation so that the images would fit the book layout. I also asked Riina to write out descriptions for her complex and action-packed drawings. Similarly, with Olli Kanninen, we looked for the right way to combine rich visual storytelling with equally rich text.

Kenneth Wallenius drew space-themed pieces, which we then tried to piece together into a linear story. Rosa Haikarainen would sometimes draw panels and characters in a comic style, but she also drew more freely, creating abstract images. Her comics became like short graphic poems.

Comic book page from *Space Thoughts* by Kenneth Wallenius

We worked on the comics for two years. It was wonderful how well I got to know the artists during that time. Working with the Hei muuten comic artists was easy and fun. The atmosphere was always warm and sincere—even when Riina Noro wondered how I could have such poor general knowledge for not knowing the history of the Balkan region.

Comic book page from *Love Tour* by Maija Möttö

What has the public reception been for the Hei muuten comic series? Is it beloved in Finland, and was it well-received by the greater comic artist community?

The reception has been warm. My goal was for the Hei muuten series to become an integral part of the comics scene without being labeled as "outsider art." Because of this, I've been glad to see the press reviews, which have welcomed the books as a breath of fresh air in comic art. The Hei muuten series was also awarded the Book Act of the Year prize, as it was considered a significant contribution to book art.

Comic book page from *Cowboy Galloping Death and Landfill at the bottom of the Pond* by Olli Kanninen

What does the future hold? Do the artists continue to make comics in the studio, or have they moved on to other projects? And perhaps most importantly - is there a part two of Hei Muuten in the works?

The artists continue to work in the field of visual arts at art studios. Some of them have kept drawing comics, and all of them have many other wonderful projects underway as well. Most of the Hei muuten artists are skilled in multiple mediums, including painting, ceramics, printmaking, and more. They participate in group exhibitions and also hold their own solo shows.

For me, working with the Hei muuten artists has been a truly cherished project. It has given me a lot of new perspective on making comics and what comic art can be. I would love to continue the project in some way in the future—especially since I know there are many artists requiring special support who would be ready to create comic books. Right now, however, there is nothing concrete in the works just yet. That said, I will be hosting an outsider comics table at the Helsinki Comics Festival in September, where artists who need special support can bring their comic publications to be sold.

Comic book page from *Wind* by Rosa Haikarainen

Thanks Miissa! Now let's take a look into the work from each of the eight contributing artists.

Hei muuten: The artists

Artist Name: Joannis Clementides
Studio: Art Studio of Autism Foundation Finland

Book Info:God of Fire follows main character Jonny and his pig (also named Jonny), as they run into different enemies and gods. In addition, the book tells how kung fu is practiced in a Buddhist monastery and shows what it’s like to struggle with a gambling addiction.

Short Bio: Joannis Clementides uses history, religion and mythologies as his inspiration when making his imaginative comics. Making art is not insignificant for Joannis: it gives life a purpose.

Artist Name: Rosa Haikaraisen
Studio: Aula Supported Art Studio

Book Info:Wind is a compilation of short, poetic and rhythmically calm comic stories. Rosa finds ideas for comics in her everyday surroundings: she draws and paints about the pandemic, war, Finnish history and the sun.

Short Bio: Rosa Haikarainen's comics are poetic and often non-representational.

Artist Name: Anna-Stina Helander
Studio: Studio Eivor

Book Info:Flowers and Hobby Horses is a comic book where dogs, butterflies and insects alternate between scenes of flowers and hobby horses. It also includes fishing and mushroom picking. The panel compositions vary, ranging from colorful pages packed with vivid floral illustrations to simpler layouts featuring a single hobby horse in the center.

Short Bio: Anna-Stina Helander draws flowers and mushrooms with markers and coloured pencils.

Artist Name: Olli Kanninen
Studio: Art Laundry

Book Info:Cowboy Galloping Death and Landfill at the bottom of the Pond is a comic book divided into two stories: Cowboy Galloping Death is a western comic full of shooting, stealing, gambling and drinking, while Landfill at the bottom of the Pond is an auto-fictional story about two ponds - both of which people are carelessly destroying.

Short Bio: Olli Kanninen's work blends western-style action with statements on environmental littering.

Artist Name: Maija Möttö
Studio: Art Laundry

Book Info:Love Tour is a comic book where animals from skunks to bonobos depict friendship, affection and closeness. Sometimes the animal characters like tobacco - sometimes they get dizzy after eating mushrooms. An entire chapter in the book is dedicated to portraying love for food.

Short Bio: Maija Möttö does large-scale animal drawings featuring playful wildlife that celebrate friendship.

Artist Name: Riina Noron
Studio: Art Studio of Autism Foundation Finland

Book Info:Happy Holiday is about a holiday that is not normal at all. The book takes readers to an amusement park, a spa, and an outsider art park - but death, piranhas and the devil sun are constantly lurking in the background. The essay-like comics mix crises in the Balkans, the Great War, the sinking of Estonia, and Finnish regional politics - all the while an android plays music and relatives fight at a summer wedding.

Short Bio: Riina Noro’s comics explore everyday chaos with dry humor, capturing off-the-wall and wild scenarios.

Artist Name: Elias Pylvänäinen
Studio: Art Laundry

Book Info:Life of Pekka is a silent comic book where you can find the Dudesons as well as Justin Bieber. Pylvänäinen observes the surrounding society by depicting traffic and infrastructure: trains on the tracks, moped riders in traffic jams, cars, and clock faces. Sometimes a logo of a hamburger chain appears in a comic panel, sometimes there is a thumb.

Short Bio: Elias Pylvänäinen draws expressively.

Artist Name: Kenneth Wallenius
Studio: Studio Eivor

Book Info: Space Thoughts is a comic book of silent space-themed scenes. Wallenius has drawn his thoughts on space observatories, astronauts, diamond discoveries, moonwalks, and space cats.

Short Bio: Kenneth Wallenius creates science fiction comics, often featuring astronauts and adventures in space.

Comic books are available for purchase on the Hei muuten website: heimuuten.fi
Hei muuten instagram: @heimuuten

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Article by Ross Shuber of the QF Crew. Ross works at Vibrant Palette Arts Center in Seattle. He enjoys going to the beach, walking in the forest, and rooting for the Portland Timbers.

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