Iisalmi artist Petteri Tikkanen releases pioneering pandemic comic book “Kova” in Finland

A new comic book has been published by Iisalmi-based artist Petteri Tikkanen, marking a pioneering release in Finland. The comic album titled “Kova” is based on Tikkanen’s diary created during the pandemic, which he illustrated on toilet paper. The main character, Black Peider, serves as Tikkanen’s superhero alter ego. Over two years, Tikkanen documented each day of his life through illustrations. When he started on March 16, 2020, he initially thought he could use just one roll of toilet paper for his art; unexpectedly, five rolls were consumed through the daily entries.

While others have explored the pandemic in comics, Tikkanen stands out for capturing the experience continuously over two years. Norwegian-Finnish artist Karstein Volle also kept a comic diary at the pandemic’s onset, which was later published, while another collaborative effort featured 15 artists documenting a single day in April 2020.

Early in the process, Tikkanen shared three-panel strips of Black Peider on his Facebook page but ceased publishing them when Finland’s state of emergency ended in June 2020. Afterward, he put the sketches aside, intent on compiling them into a book.

Despite the ongoing restrictions post-emergency, Tikkanen vividly recalls navigating life under these conditions. His book, filled with 90% genuine experiences and emotions, illustrates the profound fears associated with the pandemic. When his family contracted the virus, he used fictional elements to narrate the story, depicting a “corona creature” arriving in Black Peider’s living room.

Interestingly, while many artists in the cultural sector faced economic hardships during this period, Tikkanen continued his illustration endeavors and received grants to illustrate his diary, transforming it into a full-time job while navigating the uncertainties of the time.