From Wonderland with Love: Danish Comics in the Third Millennium

by Steffen P. Maarup

Edgy comics from the country of Lars von Trier and The Raveonettes. In all the excitement over manga from Japan and bandes dessinées from France, it’s easy to forget that other countries have a thriving comics culture all their own. This eye-popping anthology, assembled by Danish publisher/editor/ translator Steffen P. Maarup, introduces adventurous readers to 19 exciting talents, most of whom are taking their first bow on the English-speaking stage.

One centerpiece of the book is Nikoline Werdelin’s stunning “Because I Love You So Much,” a Doonesbury -style slice-of-life daily strip about a suburban Danish couple who discover their daughter is being molested―is it happening at her daycare center, or, horrifyingly, closer to home? Other major revelations include Julie Nord’s elegantly drawn “From Wonderland With Love” (which gives the collection its title), a modernistic riff on Alice in Wonderland, and Ib Kjeldsmark’s “Sloth,” a riotously punk-inflected day-glo duo-toned road trip.

The book also spotlights the snarky and surreal single-panel work and gags by HuskMitNavn, Christoffer Zieler, and Johan F. Krarup; the visually explosive silent comics of Mardon Smet and Peter Kielland; cover artist T. Thorhauge’s spectacular philosophical piece “M”; and many other stories in a wide variety of styles from the sinister black and white Lynchian surrealism of Simon Bukhave’s wooden robot story “All that I Hold in My Hand” to the watercolored animal-fable extravaganza “Tomb of the Rabbit King” by Allan Haverholm, from Soren Mosdal and Jacob Orsted’s meticulously delineated and colored nightmare yarn “Dog God” to Zven Balslev’s slashing, black and white, Panter-esque “Cadarul Zombie.” And more!

Nominated for a 2010 Will Eisner Comic Industry Award (Best Story: "Because I Love You So Much," by Nikoline Werdelin). 66 pages full-color and 110 pages black-and-white

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels Comics, Fiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2009

Reviews

[StrictlySequential · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are too many bad/dumb entries to buoy those that are good/excellent in terms of both story and art. I believe that, at this length, the editors should've used a pan-Scandinavian spread of creators to achieve a ⁴-⁵* read.

[Rob McMonigal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just didn't grab me the way I'd hoped.

[August · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is some of the worst, most un-inspired and amateurish drivel I have long read in the comic book-format. Or, rather, would that it WERE in that format! Instead, these navel-gazing children's drawings and "surreal" stories only accomplish one thing: They expose their artists' (doodlers') inane wish to show off their would-be mysticism and quirkyness - by being utterly unreadable and, in some places, downright stupid.

[Xisix · Rating 4 out of 5]

A diverse collection of somber, surreal, slapstick strips that proved entertaining. Able ta appreciate for illustration, story and emotions conveyed. Picked out of a library bookshelf at whim and glad that took chance.

[niels munk · Rating 4 out of 5]

really inspiring :)

[Chris Witt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aside from the title comic and the deservedly award-winning "Because I Love You So Much", this book is best read only while under the influence of a massive amount of hallucinogenics.

[Michael Krarup · Rating 2 out of 5]

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