Overview of Turku Comics Society

A new wave of comics rose in Finland at the end of the 1970s. Several new artists and authors surfaced, underground comics publishing was on the rise, and comic-related events and societies came in to existence. During the 70s, Markku Haapio founded the Turku Comics Society. The society’s first event was a Tarzan seminar held at The University of Turku (1974). The society was officially registered the next year, and it is the second oldest comic association in Finland.

Several small magazines were founded in Finland in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The 1980s were largely a silent decade for Turku Comics Society, but in the 90s, several people who later became very important in the Finnish comic scene were active in the society. A comics-themed restaurant and a dedicated comics publishing house were opened in Turku. The Society published the Pehmeä pyramidi (Soft Pyramid) anthology (1990) and several Kyttyrä (Hump) magazines. The Kyttyrä Festival took place annually between 1990 and 1993, and featured artists like Benoît Sokal, Albert Pepermans, and Riho Unt.

Founded in 1996, Cosmic Comic Cafe created a new public meeting place for comics fans in Turku. “CCC” was a new energy boost to the comic scene in Turku, but it took until 2004 for Turku Comics Society to reactivate, with the help of the Kvaak Internet forum. The society started bi-weekly gatherings. In 2006, the Kyttyrä Festival’s successor Necrocomicon underground festival was born. Necrocomicon was held yearly until 2020, which was the first year of the Turku Comics Festival. The first festival was a virtual one due to Covid-19 restrictions, but since then, the festival has been held yearly at Turku City Main Library. The library is also the home of children’s drawing events, where well-known local comic authors host drawing lessons and showcase their work.

Since 2007, Turku Comic Society has been publishing the Saakelikirjat series, consisting mostly of yearly anthologies. The Saakelikirjat series presents comics and comic artists mostly from Turku, but also from other parts of Finland. Although some of the anthologies have featured works from prominent Finnish comics artists, the anthology is intended to ease the beginning artists’s path to the world of comics publishing.

Turku Comics Store

In 2007, Petteri Oja, a remarkable booster of comic culture in Turku, founded a comic shop called Underground Attic in Turku. The Underground Attic was a succeeded the Zum Teufel Internet shop, also founded by Oja. Later, in 2009, Underground Attic was incorporated and had its name changed; Turku Comic Store was founded by a group of nine comic professionals and fans. The store became an important partner of Turku Comic Society, as it was an important gathering place for comic fans, alongside the Cosmic Comic Cafe. Co-operation with the Store ensured a new kind of visibility for Turku Comic Society’s publications. The Store shares its space with with Zum Teufel Publications, Lempo Publications and comics wholesaler Sarjakuvan Toivo that makes it easier for small comics to reach the shelves of bookshops, store chains, and libraries.

Comics in the European Capital of Culture

In 2011, when Turku was European Capital of Culture, Turku Comic Society participated with a project called Kohtaa Sarja Kuvia (Meet a Series of Pictures). The most visible part of the project were 50 ”traffic signs” made by 11 famous Finnish comic artists. The project also included plastic statues placed in parks with comics of five comic artists from Turku, an exhibition by Kaisa Leka in the Turku City Main Library, and beloved Finnish comic strip artist Pertti Jarla’s ongoing comic strip being placed in the city ferry boat Föri. Mika Lietzén participated in the project with a four-part work titled ”University students”. It was displayed in the windows of the Åbo Academy University, presenting university students of different time periods.

Publications of Turku Comic Society

  • Minä Tarzan: collected from material of Tarzan seminar of Turku Comics Society (17.11.1974 in Turku). editor Markku Haapio. Turku Comics Society, 1974.
  • Kyttyrä: newsletter for members. 2/89. editor-in-chief: Sani Liljenbäck. Turku Comics Society, 1989.
  • Kyttyrä: comics magazine. 4/90. editor-in-chief: Sani Liljenbäck. Turku Comics Society, 1990.
  • Pehmeä pyramidi: Turku Comics anthology. editors: Sani Liljenbäck, Reijo Rouvinen. Turku Comic Society, 1990.
  • Åbotti huraa!: a comics anthology. editor: Sippo Mentunen. Turku Comic Society, 2007.
  • Kaupunkeja: a comics anthology. editor: Sippo Mentunen. Turku Comic Society, 2008.
  • Comix Aboensis: a comics anthology. Editors: Sippo Mentunen … et al. Turku Comic Society, 2009.
  • Scifi: a comics anthology editor: Sippo Mentunen. Turku Comic Society, 2010
  • Sorsittujen esitaistelija ja muita kertomuksia: Turku Comic Society, 2011.
  • Tois pual ruuttu: comics from Turku through the times. editor: Maijastiina Vilenius. Turku Comic Society, 2011.
  • Åbocalypse 2012: a comics anthology. editor: Maijastiina Vilenius. Turku Comic Society, 2012.
  • Leen van Hulst: Maitoa ja lunta: an autobiographical comic of a Dutch exchange student’s experiences in Finland. Turku Comic Society, 2012.
  • Dagen efter: a comics anthology. Editor: Topi Saavalainen. Turku Comics Society, 2013.
  • Vuonna -74: a comics anthology. Editor: Merja Lundén. Turku Comics Society, 2014.
  • Viimeinen hetero: a comics anthology. Editor: Merja Lundén. Turku Comics Society, 2015.
  • Tirri: a collection of comics of Toni Tirri (1980-2014). Turku Comics Society, 2015
  • Koti-ikävä: a comics anthology. Turku Comics Society, 2016.
  • Leijonan mieli: a comics anthology. Editor: Tiina Laine. Turku Comics Society, 2017.
  • Anomia: a comics anthology. Turku Comics Society, 2018
  • Mräy: a comics anthology. Editor: Johanna Jasmine. Turku Comics Society, 2019
  • Häiriö ja harmonia: a comics anthology. Editor: Katariina Lappi. Turku Comics Society, 2020
  • Moninaisuuksia: a comics anthology. Editor: Katariina Lappi. Turku Comics Society, 2021
  • PUNK!: a comics anthology. Editor: Katariina Lappi. Turku Comics Society, 2022
  • Linnunrata: a comics anthology. Editor: Katariina Lappi. Turku Comics Society, 2023