Pyton
Encyclopedia
Pyton was a Norwegian comic book
series which was produced by the company Gevion, and afterwards Bladkompaniet, between the years 1986 until 1996. An anthology magazine with no major main character, its style of humor focused mostly on satiric
and toilet humour, including sexual, toilet, and farting jokes.
The name is Norwegian for python, a term which in Scandinavia also have gained a slang adjective meaning of "disgusting" or "sick". The magazine also adopted a python snake as mascot (after discarding their original polar bear), who occasionally featured in his own comics.
The comic reached its peak around 1990 when it sold around 35,000 copies per month.
The Essential Guide to World Comics by Tim Pilcher and Brad Brooks says that the anthology and its sister series MegaPyton had "short-lived but important MAD-style humour anthologies with an underground comix edge."
The magazine's editor was Dag Kolstad, who prior had been the editor for Norsk MAD, the Norwegian edition of MAD Magazine. Kolstad was also a writer for many of the series (under the pen name
Dick Kolby), and was also featured in the actual series as the sadistic and overweight character Redaktøren (The Editor).
Some of Pytons most prominent artists were Tommy Sydsæter, Bjørn Ousland
, Arild Midthun (pen name: Arnold Milten), Kristian B. Walters and Frode Øverli
who a few years later created the successful and popular comic strip Pondus
. Martin Kellerman
, who later went on to create Rocky, also made a few contributions to Pyton in the mid-1990s.
In 2009, the old magazine had gained a large nostalgic appeal, and it was decided to launch the massive collector box MegaPyton (not to be confused with the Swedish magazine Mega-Pyton, see below), featuring classics from the magazine collected in hardcover books.
, Mikael Grahn and Alf Woxnerud etc. This soon led to much international collaboration between the two editions with many cartoonists, both Norwegian and Swedish, producing work published in both magazines. The Swedish edition folded in 1998.
In 1992, the Swedish spinoff Mega-Pyton appeared, in the beginning it was mostly a thicker version of the original magazine, but after a while it evolved into a more alternative
/underground
-oriented magazine featuring artists such as Ivan Brunetti
, Mike Diana
and Sam Henderson
. This edition folded in 2001.
In 1994, after the success of the Swedish launch, there was an attempt to release a Danish edition under the same name. For some reason, this edition wasn't as successful as the other Scandinavian editions, and the magazine was cancelled after only seven issues in 1995.
The longest lasting of these editions was in Finland, where the magazine was launched in 1989, titled Myrkky
and the most popular character was Pera Pervo (Pervo-Kris). This edition didn't fold until 2008, with a special final summer special in 2009.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
series which was produced by the company Gevion, and afterwards Bladkompaniet, between the years 1986 until 1996. An anthology magazine with no major main character, its style of humor focused mostly on satiric
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
and toilet humour, including sexual, toilet, and farting jokes.
The name is Norwegian for python, a term which in Scandinavia also have gained a slang adjective meaning of "disgusting" or "sick". The magazine also adopted a python snake as mascot (after discarding their original polar bear), who occasionally featured in his own comics.
The comic reached its peak around 1990 when it sold around 35,000 copies per month.
The Essential Guide to World Comics by Tim Pilcher and Brad Brooks says that the anthology and its sister series MegaPyton had "short-lived but important MAD-style humour anthologies with an underground comix edge."
The magazine's editor was Dag Kolstad, who prior had been the editor for Norsk MAD, the Norwegian edition of MAD Magazine. Kolstad was also a writer for many of the series (under the pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
Dick Kolby), and was also featured in the actual series as the sadistic and overweight character Redaktøren (The Editor).
Some of Pytons most prominent artists were Tommy Sydsæter, Bjørn Ousland
Bjørn Ousland
Bjørn Ousland is a Norwegian illustrator, children's writer and comics writer. His breakthrough was the album series Solruns saga from 1988 to 1993. Among his later albums are Mumle Gåsegg from 1999, Soria Moria slott from 2000, and Grimsborken from 2002. He was awarded the Brage Prize in...
, Arild Midthun (pen name: Arnold Milten), Kristian B. Walters and Frode Øverli
Frode Øverli
Frode Øverli is a Norwegian comic strip cartoonist, considered one of the most successful in Scandinavia.- Biography :...
who a few years later created the successful and popular comic strip Pondus
Pondus
Pondus is a comic strip created by the Norwegian cartoonist Frode Øverli. Since its start in 1994, it has become one of the most successful comic strips in Scandinavia...
. Martin Kellerman
Martin Kellerman
Martin Kellerman is a Swedish cartoonist, known for the comic strip Rocky.-Biography:Kellerman was influenced by American and Swedish underground cartoonists such as Peter Bagge, Max Andersson, Robert Crumb, Harvey Pekar, Joe Matt and Mats Jonsson. Kellerman states that his work resembles "a...
, who later went on to create Rocky, also made a few contributions to Pyton in the mid-1990s.
In 2009, the old magazine had gained a large nostalgic appeal, and it was decided to launch the massive collector box MegaPyton (not to be confused with the Swedish magazine Mega-Pyton, see below), featuring classics from the magazine collected in hardcover books.
Recurring features
The monthly publication had no constant features, nevertheless several new features were created almost monthly. some of the most popular features were:- Dølle Døck, created by Dick Kolby and Tommy Sydsæter
- Rhesus Minus og Tommy Tusj, created by Rolf Håndstad and Tommy Sydsæter
- "'Pervo-KrisPervo-KrisPervo-Kris is a British/Norwegian comic character that has been in constant production since early 1990.Pervo-Kris originally debuted in the Norwegian comic Pyton Spesial in 1990, and was one of the most popular characters in both Pyton Spesial and regular Pyton until 1995. The comic is written and...
"', created by Kristian B.Walters - Hellitern og Halvlitern, created by Bjørn OuslandBjørn OuslandBjørn Ousland is a Norwegian illustrator, children's writer and comics writer. His breakthrough was the album series Solruns saga from 1988 to 1993. Among his later albums are Mumle Gåsegg from 1999, Soria Moria slott from 2000, and Grimsborken from 2002. He was awarded the Brage Prize in...
- Lucky Duck, created by Bjørn OuslandBjørn OuslandBjørn Ousland is a Norwegian illustrator, children's writer and comics writer. His breakthrough was the album series Solruns saga from 1988 to 1993. Among his later albums are Mumle Gåsegg from 1999, Soria Moria slott from 2000, and Grimsborken from 2002. He was awarded the Brage Prize in...
- Bottolf Nerd, created by Arnold Milten
- Deep Shit Junkies, created by Frode ØverliFrode ØverliFrode Øverli is a Norwegian comic strip cartoonist, considered one of the most successful in Scandinavia.- Biography :...
- Wunder-Bjarne, created by Tom Ostad
- Førerhunden Adolf, created by Erik Nordgård
- Skateboard-Fantomet, created by Erik Nordgård
Foreign editions
In 1990, a foreign edition was launched in Sweden, also named Pyton. Apart from publishing older Norwegian material, this spinoff edition also showcased Swedish artists such as Joakim LindengrenJoakim Lindengren
Joakim Lindengren is a Swedish artist and comic creator. Joakim studied fine arts at Västerås Konstskola , and at Konstfack , Stockholm, Sweden...
, Mikael Grahn and Alf Woxnerud etc. This soon led to much international collaboration between the two editions with many cartoonists, both Norwegian and Swedish, producing work published in both magazines. The Swedish edition folded in 1998.
In 1992, the Swedish spinoff Mega-Pyton appeared, in the beginning it was mostly a thicker version of the original magazine, but after a while it evolved into a more alternative
Alternative comics
Alternative comics defines a range of American comics that have appeared since the 1980s, following the underground comix movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Alternative comics present an alternative to "mainstream" superhero comics which in the past have dominated the US comic book industry...
/underground
Underground comix
Underground comix are small press or self-published comic books which are often socially relevant or satirical in nature. They differ from mainstream comics in depicting content forbidden to mainstream publications by the Comics Code Authority, including explicit drug use, sexuality and violence...
-oriented magazine featuring artists such as Ivan Brunetti
Ivan Brunetti
Ivan Brunetti is an American cartoonist and comics scholar based in Chicago, Illinois.Noted for combining blackly humorous taboo-laden subject matter with simplified and exaggerated cartoon drawing styles, Brunetti's best known comic work is collected in his largely autobiographical series Schizo,...
, Mike Diana
Mike Diana
Michael Christopher "Mike" Diana is an underground cartoonist who became the first artist ever to receive a criminal conviction for obscenity for artwork in the United States.-Early life:...
and Sam Henderson
Sam Henderson
Sam Henderson is an American cartoonist, writer and expert on American comedy history.Henderson attended Boiceville, New York's Onteora High School, graduating in 1987, and the School of Visual Arts in New York City, where he graduated in 1991.Henderson has been self-publishing xeroxed minicomics...
. This edition folded in 2001.
In 1994, after the success of the Swedish launch, there was an attempt to release a Danish edition under the same name. For some reason, this edition wasn't as successful as the other Scandinavian editions, and the magazine was cancelled after only seven issues in 1995.
The longest lasting of these editions was in Finland, where the magazine was launched in 1989, titled Myrkky
Myrkky
Myrkky was a comic book published by the Finnish branch of the Nordic publisher Egmont. The comic dealt mainly with toilet humour, including sexual, toilet, and fart jokes...
and the most popular character was Pera Pervo (Pervo-Kris). This edition didn't fold until 2008, with a special final summer special in 2009.