Moomin Book Six: The Complete Lars Jansson Comic Strip

Not by Tove Jansson, but by her brother. Only a true fan will probable notice the small differences, the tone is the same.

Love this bookbinding

This is the first all-Lars Jansson book of Moomin comic strips for the London Evening News, and it is a great passing of the baton. After his sister Tove's contract expired and she declined to continue, Lars took her place as creator of the Moomin comic strips. It's clear from the four stories featured within this volume that the siblings shared a lot of the whims of the Moomin world.The art is only distinguishable from Tove's in several nuances that long-term fans may pick up, but the art upholds the series' standard. It's a particularly astonishing feat in the light of the fact that, as the book's final passage entails, Lars did not have the artistic background his sister and parents had; he'd never drawn or painted prior to the project. He trained himself intensely to be able to recreate the Moomin world by the time Tove stepped down, taking artistic guidance from their mother Signe Hammarstein Jansson. In light of this, the art of this book really is an enormous, exhilarating feat, and Lars would go on to wheel the strips for a period of 15 years (twice as long as his sister, who was thrilled with the fruits of his labour).Lars's efforts paid off. Not only is the art beautiful (as we already saw in his first Moomin strip, "Moomin in the Wild West"); the stories are wonderful, funny and witty. My favourite is "Moominpappa and the Spies", where Moominpappa and his childhood friend Wimsy go out to relive some of their youth, an endeavour that eventually throws them into the midst of a mysterious spy ring. It's the first story where Moominpappa (my favourite character, incidentally) takes centre stage completely on his own (even if it's the third story really centering around him), and his friendship with Wimsy is a joy to behold (it even inspired a Moomin cartoon episode, if verrrrryyyy loosely).Another story centers on Moominpappa and is a charming and enjoyable thing as well, "Moomin and the Circus". Moominpappa unwittingly gets made chairman of SPCA (Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals), which prevents him from eating meat, to his huge chagrin. Ergo a cunning war he wages on his all-female SPCA fellow members to dissolve it. One thing leads to another until eventually he finds himself the manager of a circus. It's another wonderful story where we root for the misunderstood patriarch Moomin.The other two stories deal with Moomin and Snork Maiden discovering, to their regret, a genie in a lamp and Moomin attempting to stop three chaps from building a railway through Moomin Valley (made difficult by Sniff trying his best to keep them at it, for his lucrative ends).The first all-Lars Jansson Moomin comic strip volume is a witty and charming, beautiful read. Not at all the huge jump that usually happens when passing the baton between artists, but the ever so slight shift in focus is a joy. Highly recommended.

Tove is talented and I'm so glad they put her comics from long ago in book form FINALLY and made them available in English! High quality book too.

My 10 years old child enjoyed this charming series of books. Moomin world though created almost 80 years ago is still appealing to now days children. Recommended for all ages.

This is the first all-Lars Jansson book of Moomin comic strips for the London Evening News, and it is a great passing of the baton. After his sister Tove's contract expired and she declined to continue, Lars took her place as creator of the Moomin comic strips. It's clear from the four stories featured within this volume that the siblings shared a lot of the whims of the Moomin world.The art is only distinguishable from Tove's in several nuances that long-term fans may pick up, but the art upholds the series' standard. It's a particularly astonishing feat in the light of the fact that, as the book's final passage entails, Lars did not have the artistic background his sister and parents had; he'd never drawn or painted prior to the project. He trained himself intensely to be able to recreate the Moomin world by the time Tove stepped down, taking artistic guidance from their mother Signe Hammarstein Jansson. In light of this, the art of this book really is an enormous, exhilarating feat, and Lars would go on to wheel the strips for a period of 15 years (twice as long as his sister, who was thrilled with the fruits of his labour).Lars's efforts paid off. Not only is the art beautiful (as we already saw in his first Moomin strip, "Moomin in the Wild West"); the stories are wonderful, funny and witty. My favourite is "Moominpappa and the Spies", where Moominpappa and his childhood friend Wimsy go out to relive some of their youth, an endeavour that eventually throws them into the midst of a mysterious spy ring. It's the first story where Moominpappa (my favourite character, incidentally) takes centre stage completely on his own (even if it's the third story really centering around him), and his friendship with Wimsy is a joy to behold (it even inspired a Moomin cartoon episode, if verrrrryyyy loosely).Another story centers on Moominpappa and is a charming and enjoyable thing as well, "Moomin and the Circus". Moominpappa unwittingly gets made chairman of SPCA (Society to Prevent Cruelty to Animals), which prevents him from eating meat, to his huge chagrin. Ergo a cunning war he wages on his all-female SPCA fellow members to dissolve it. One thing leads to another until eventually he finds himself the manager of a circus. It's another wonderful story where we root for the misunderstood patriarch Moomin.The other two stories deal with Moomin and Snork Maiden discovering, to their regret, a genie in a lamp and Moomin attempting to stop three chaps from building a railway through Moomin Valley (made difficult by Sniff trying his best to keep them at it, for his lucrative ends).The first all-Lars Jansson Moomin comic strip volume is a witty and charming, beautiful read. Not at all the huge jump that usually happens when passing the baton between artists, but the ever so slight shift in focus is a joy. Highly recommended.

Lars Jansson has continued the excellent and delightful style of recording the adventures of the Moomin family and their friends.The Moomin stories appeal to all ages.