Monday, January 4th, 2010
My Tove Jansson Shrine
As a special New Year treat, in my longest post ever, I have put together scans from my collection of books by Tove Jansson, the Finnish writer and illustrator of the famed Moomin series. These include original Swedish-language first editions, translated editions in a variety of languages, and even a signed copy. Click on the images for larger versions! And Happy New Year everybody!
My relationship with Tove Jansson’s work has always been quite intense. When we were Very Small, my mom gave us Tove’s moomin books to read, and we literally devoured them, re-reading them over and over. (As a matter of fact, I have been doing it up to this day.) I have always been an ardent admirer of Tove’s stories and illustrations which even today, for me, rank among the greatest artwork ever created. Tove will always be dear to my heart.
Here are two links to Tove Jansson articles on my website:
- Moominmamma Forever! (English)
- Die Muminmutter (German)
In 1993, while spending two months in Rome sketching and drawing away, I stumbled across the Italian translation of a book by Tove’s which I wasn’t familiar with at the time, Magia d’inverno (Trollvinter). While I don’t speak much Italian, I was surprised to discover while reading along, or trying to, that even though I didn’t really understand what was being said, in some strange way I felt what the story was all about, simply because the world of Tove Jansson seemed so very familiar.
I was so surprised at this discovery that I decided to write to Tove through her Italian publisher, and to tell her about this, and let her know my general appreciation for her; I am afraid I also sent along some drawings I had made during my stay in Rome (mind I was rather young at the time).
Moomin stamps on a letter to me from Tove in 1993
Images (c) Tove Jansson
Below: close-up view
To make a long story short, I found a reply from Helsinki in my mailbox upon my return – Tove had written back! Her hand-written letter smelled of heavy chain smoking. The stamps on the envelope showed some of her Moomin characters, and she added an note with an arrow, stating, “Moomin stamps!” She also sent me a signed book of hers, which I thought was indescribably lovely a thing to do.
We later exchanged another letter when I inquired about doing an interview for a magazine for which I had written an article about her shortly before. She declined, quite understandibly, because she felt she was now at a stage in her life where she really didn’t want to give interviews any more (she was almost 80 back then).
Die ehrliche Betrügerin
Rowohlt (Germany 1993)
Signed for me by Tove Jansson in 1993
Tove belonged to the minority of Swedish-speaking people in Finland. I have here put together scans of Swedish-language original editions in my collection of Tove Jansson’s work.
Mumintrollet pa kometjakt
(Sweden 1956, 1st. ed.)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Hur gick det sen?
Gebers (Sweden 1981)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Vem ska trösta Knyttet?
Norstedts (Sweden 1991)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Farlig midsommar
Gebers (Sweden 1957)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Trollvinter
Gebers (Sweden 1957, 1st ed.)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Det osynliga barnet
Gebers (Sweden 1962, 1st ed.)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Tove’s books have seen a widespread international readership. These are some of foreign-language editions of her books, including the little Ravensburger Verlag editions of which I think it is fair enough to say that they had a profound influence on my childhood, and on that of my brother and sister.
Moominland Midwinter
Ernest Benn (UK 1958, 1st ed.)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Moominland Midwinter
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (USA 1992)
Paperback, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Moominpappa at Sea
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (USA 1993)
Paperback, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Moominpappa at Sea
Puffin (UK 1984)
Paperback, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Comet in Moominland
Henry Z. Walck (USA 1961)
Hardcover, front image (c) Tove Jansson
Moominsummer Madness
Henry Z. Walck (USA 1961)
Hardcover, front image (c) Tove Jansson
Comet in Moominland
Henry Z. Walck (USA 1967, 4th ed.)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Comet in Moominland
Ernest Benn (UK 1965, 3rd ed.)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Muminvaters wildbewegte Jugend
Benzinger (Germany 1963, 1st ed.)
Hardcover, front page (c) Tove Jansson
Papa Moumine et la mer
Live de poche (France 1987, 1st ed.)
Softcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Sturm im Mumintal
Benzinger (Germany 1955, 1st ed.)
Hardcover, cover (c) Li Rommel
Sturm im Mumintal
Otto Maier Verlag (Germany 1969)
Softcover, cover (c) Lilo Fromm
Eine drollige Gesellschaft
Deutscher Bücherbund
(Germany, 1954, 1st ed.)
Hardcover, cover (c) Lilo Rommel
Eine drollige Gesellschaft
Otto Maier Verlag (Germany 1968)
Softcover, cover (c) Lilo Fromm
Finn Family Moomintroll
Penguin (Great Britain 1964, 2nd ed.)
Softcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Komet im Mumintal
Otto Maier Verlag (Germany 1970)
Softcover, cover (c) Lilo Fromm
Magia d’inverno
Salani gl’istrici (Italy 1992)
Softcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
(I bought this one in Rome.)
Les mémoires de papa Moumine
Live de poche (France 1987)
Softcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
(Bought in Abidjan – yes, Ivory Coast!)
Les mémoires de papa Moumine
Live de poche (France 1986, 4th ed.)
Softcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Tove Jansson was not only a wonderful writer but also a one-of-a-kind artist. In the 1950’s she was approached by an English newspaper to transcribe some of her stories from the books into comic strip form so as to make them accessible to an even greater audience. While she jumped at the idea and seemed to enjoy working in this format at first, after a few years she felt it was too much limiting her artistic impulses. This was when her younger brother Lars decided to take over the strips, a venture he continued to pursue for decades to come, syndicating them around the world trough Bulls syndicate.
Tove’s and Lars’ Moomin strips are unique in the world of comics – their humor is strange, to say the least, sometimes dark, often mysterious, and usually quite off-centered. Quite surprising by this token, I find, that they actually managed to find an audience at all.
Artistically, they rank among the very best that the world of comics has ever known, single-handedly employing two illustration styles – limited line strokes where too many details seemed unnecessary; and impressionist depictions of landscapes and weather phenomena to support the action, and also, I think, to please the artistic eye always in search of contemplation. In particular, the way that the two Janssons are able to visualize forces driven by nature, such as stormy skies, ocean waves and grottos, I find unparalleled in the world of comics, with the exception perhaps of the likes of Carl Barks who created many of Donald Duck’s most captivating stories in the 1050’s and 1960’s.
Mumintrollet 5
Gebers (Sweden, 1960)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove & Lars Jansson
Mumintrollet 21
Almqvist & Wiksell (Sweden, 1974)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove & Lars Jansson
Mumintrollet 13
Gebers (Sweden, 1970)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove & Lars Jansson
Mumintrollet 4
Gebers (Sweden, 1958)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove & Lars Jansson
Mumintrollet 11
Gebers (Sweden, 1968)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove & Lars Jansson
Mumintrollet 12
Gebers (Sweden, 1969)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove & Lars Jansson
Mumin 5
Jensen & Palmgrens (Sweden, 1979)
Softcover, cover (c) Tove & Lars Jansson
Mumin 3
Jensen & Palmgrens (Sweden, 1978)
Softcover, cover (c) Tove & Lars Jansson
Mumin 7
Alvglans (Sweden, 1980)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove & Lars Jansson
Moomin Book One:
The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip: Drawn and Quarterly (Canada, 2006)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Moomin Book Two:
The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip: Drawn and Quarterly (Canada, 2008)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Moomin Book Three:
The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip: Drawn and Quarterly (Canada, 2008)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Moomin Book Four:
The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip: Drawn and Quarterly (Canada, 2009)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Jorden gar under
Tigertext (Finland 2007)
Softcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Tove’s first comic strip from 1947
Die Mumins erben ein Schloß
Otto Maier Verlag (Germany 1974)
Softcover, cover (c) Lars Jansson
Mumintal wird ein Dschungel
Otto Maier Verlag (Germany 1973)
Softcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
These are a few books and conference materials on the life and works of Tove Jansson which I have collected over the years. I am still kicking myself that I didn’t go to that Tove Jansson conference in Tampere in 1994 where the goddess herself was actually present…
Conference on Tove Jansson
Tampere, Finland (1994)
Excerpt from conference brochure
Illustration (c) Tove Jansson
Juhani Tolvanen:
Vid min svans!
Schildts (Sweden, 2000)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Mumin: Das Mumintal
Art Museum Tampere, catalog
Tampere, Finland (1991)
Softcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Boel Westin:
Tove Jansson – Ord, bild, liv.
Schildts (Sweden 2007)
Hardcover, cover (c) Tove Jansson
Erik Kruskopf:
Bildkonstnaren Tove Jansson
Bonniers (Sweden 1992)
Hardcover, images (c) Tove Jansson
Tampere Art Museum catalogue
Tampere (Finland 1992)
Cover (c) Tove Jansson
Otto Maier Verlag (Germany 1968)
Softcover, cover (c) Lilo Fromm
26 Comments so far
Leave a comment
wow, thanks for sharing. i never heard about her but like her covers very much.
By Til Mette on 01.05.10 3:38 pm
these are great Oliver! lucky you to have them !
By Katherine Streeter on 01.05.10 3:40 pm
Fantastic character, i really love it!
By Sam De Buysscher on 01.05.10 4:19 pm
I remember them vaguely from when I was kid, it’s great to see Mumin again.
By Christoph Hitz on 01.05.10 7:17 pm
Thank you so much! I just finished rereading Finn Family Moomintroll for the zillionth time and was browsing the web for more Tove Jansson – love your collection.
Your work is lovely too. I see a lot of parallels with Tove. I’m sure I will be revisiting your site.
Thanks!
By Deirdre M on 02.22.10 3:01 am
hi deidre, wow, what a lovely thing to say :-) thanks so much for your kind remark!!!
cheers,
oliver
By Oliver on 02.26.10 10:26 am
Mumin is my idol since I was eight. I grew up in St. Peterburg Russia an Tove Jansson is huge there.( We are next door to Finland). I collect Mumin books in Russian and English for my daughter.
By Yvetta Fedorova on 03.02.10 10:32 pm
great ’shrine’. Tove’s work inspires me too. Unique.
By topholewhat on 03.21.10 1:50 pm
Hello, fellow MOOMIN fans! What a treasure trove your site is, Oliver. I’m the Moomin editor here at Macmillan Kids in New York. We are the North American publisher of the magical Moomin novels and I’m pleased to let you know that we are reissuing the books in hardcover and paperback in honor of their 65th anniversary with dazzling new covers and redesigned, reset interiors. We’re publishing the first four this month, and the other four in the fall. We’re also launching a line of Moomin novelty books in Feburary. Stay tuned, and feel free to be in touch with me for more information.
By Wesley Adams on 04.19.10 3:11 pm
Beautiful!
By Jonas on 07.19.10 1:58 pm
Hi Oliver, What a lovely post! I found you googling images for Finn Family Moomintroll, the english edition of which I had as a child and I was wondering if it would be ok to copy your scan of the cover into a post with a credit and link to you here. It is a post about a Finnish bread I have made with piima yoghurt and while I was writing it I was thinking about the Moomins.. If not, no worries! Best Joanna
By Joanna on 08.04.10 11:19 am
Hi Joanna, By all means, please go ahead! You have a cute blog there, thanks for sharing out mutual love for the world of moomins :-)
By Oliver on 08.04.10 11:39 am
Thanks Oliver, I am now motivated to finish that post :)
By Joanna on 08.04.10 12:01 pm
I put the post up this morning. Thanks again, I smile every time I see that scan ;)
By Joanna on 08.05.10 9:21 am
Hello Oliver,
what an amazing Moomin collection! Thank you for sharing that! I would like to ask you about Mumintrollet 21 /the comic strip/. I have been trying for years to find ‘Moomin in Ancient Egypt’, which is in this book. Please let me know if you have any idea how I can find it! Thank you so much!
Kind regards,
Lucie
By Lucie on 10.19.10 9:41 am
Hi Lucie, Thanks for writing- happy to hear you like my collection! I have just looked up my issue of Mumintrollet 21, and I can’t find the Egypt strip, unfortunately :-( Sorry I couldn’t be of any help in that regard.
All the best – Oliver
By Oliver on 10.19.10 1:43 pm
Hello Oliver,
thank you SO very much for your kind reply. Yes it is my mistake.. it is
N 21 but in Finnish. I got confused. But there is a very good news- June 2011 Drawn & Quarterly will publish ‘Moomin: The Complete Lars Jansson Comic Strip, Book Six’… it isn’t Tove Jannson but he keeps so much her style. And my ‘Egypt strip’ should be there. Very exciting. Also a friend of mine sent me a link to an amazing Moomin site where you can find lots of info and also comic strip in English. Hope you will enjoy it.
http://www.fuzzyfeltmoomins.co.uk/comics.html
Thank you again.
Blessings your way,
Lucie
By Lucie on 10.21.10 9:21 am
thanks very much for this lucie! let’s wait for the upcoming d&q book then. i have always liked lars’s renditions no less than his sister’s.
all the best
oliver
By Oliver on 10.22.10 10:57 am
Lovely to see all these Moomin books. I know all of the Swedish ones from my childhood!
By Anja on 11.22.10 4:39 pm
Hey Oliver,
I live in Israel and grow up on Tove’s Moomins…now I am also discovering her other books.
If you’ll send me a post address I’ll be happy to send you a Hebrew copy of a Moomin book for your collection :-)
Blessings,
Dafna
By Dafna on 10.26.11 9:22 am
Hi Oliver, Glad that someone found a resemblance between the eerie qualities of both Jansson and Barks. I am a collector of Jansson as well.
By Renze Koenes on 04.23.12 3:02 pm
Thank you for sharing your wonderful collection with us. I discovered Moomin and family at the age of 6. At 45, I am introducing my own children to Tove Jansson’s amazing creations. Her artwork and gentle humor are a wonderful antidote to the troubled times of today.
By Rohaiza Basir on 09.14.12 2:07 am
I also got some letters from Tove many years ago. I have heard, afterwards, that she didn´t really like writing letters back to all her admirers. I didn´t get that impression though, since she wrote several pages, patiently answering all my questions. Maybe she did that exclusively for us, artists-to-be…?:) She also sent me a signed copy of an exibition catalogue, and a pen that she used for, as she said, “thousands of Moomins”. But hey, you got Moomin stamps on the envelope! Am I jealous or what???
I´m still a huge Moomin fan. Last summer I took the family to Moomin World outside …bo in Finland, a rainy day with not so many people in the park. I went alone down to the seashore, to the little house with the pointy roof. When I looked through the coloured window glass, and suddenly the sun came out, I felt like I was inside one of the books…
//Annette
By Annette Dahlström on 12.17.12 11:19 am
Dear Annette,
Thanks so much for your comments. It’s amazing to meet another artist that has also been in contact with Tove! I truly envy that pen!!!
So nice to hear your description of the transcendent light experience. I can honestly say that Tove’s work (and world) have had a major influence on my life and my art – not so much, I think, in that they opened unprecendented doors for me, but in that I found a world spread out here that seemed already to be my very own in the first place, resonating with me from the start, and throughout all of her books. Very strange, that, and very beautiful.
Nice to meet! As Tove would say, let’s all have a fine winter.
Cheers,
Oliver
By Oliver on 12.17.12 1:06 pm
Greetings! I am a big fan of Tove Jansson’s Moomin books and love your Moomin Shrine. Thank you for sharing these beautiful scans. Like other commenters, I read the book in a Puffin edition that you have pictured above, May I use it on my (totally non-commercial) blog, Tell Me Another, with credit to you and your site? Many thanks, Josna
By Josna on 04.05.13 10:05 pm
thanks for writing, josna. by all means, please go ahead!
By Oliver on 04.08.13 12:57 pm
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