Moomin
Encyclopedia
The Moomins are the central characters in a series of book
s and a comic strip
by Swedish-Finn illustrator and writer Tove Jansson
, originally published in Swedish
by Schildts in Finland. They are a family of troll
s who are white and roundish, with large snouts that make them resemble hippopotamus
es. The carefree and adventurous family live in their house in Moominvalley
, in the forests of Finland, though in the past their temporary residences have included a lighthouse
and a theatre
. They have many adventures along with their various friends.
In all, nine books were released in the series, with five picture books and a comic strip
being released between 1945 and 1993.
The Moomins have since been the basis for numerous television series, films and even a theme park called Moomin World
in Naantali
, Finland
.
, Moominmamma
and Moomintroll
.
Other characters, such as Hemulen, Sniff
, The Snork maiden
, Snufkin
and Little My
are accepted into or attach themselves into the family group from time to time, generally living separate lives in the surrounding Moominvalley
, where the series is set. It is in this fictional valley that the Moomin family have decided to live, at the end of The Moomins and the Great Flood.
The life partner of Tove Jansson was the graphic artist Tuulikki Pietilä
, whose personality inspired the character Too-Ticky in Moominland Midwinter. Moomintroll and Little My
have been seen as psychological self-portrait
s of the artist. The Moomins, generally speaking, relate strongly to Jansson's own family — they were bohemian
, lived close to nature and were very tolerant towards diversity
. Moominpappa and Moominmamma are often seen as portraits of Jansson's parents Viktor Jansson
and Signe Hammarsten-Jansson
. Most of Jansson's characters are on the verge of melancholy, such as the always formal Hemulen, or the strange Hattifattener
s who travel in concerted, ominous groups. Jansson uses the differences between the characters' philosophies to provide a venue for her satirical impulses. The novelist Alison Lurie
has described the Groke
, a black, hill-shaped creation with glowing eyes, as a walking manifestation of Nordic
gloominess – everyone she touches dies, and the ground freezes everywhere she sits.
The Moomin stories have a very humane message. The books have caprices and utterances which ponder life and ways of the world. Snufkin comments on freedom: "One can never be entirely free, if one admires someone else too much." Little My expresses possession: "Possession means worries and luggage bags one has to drag along."
The first book, known in English as The Moomins and the Great Flood (Originally: Småtrollen och den stora översvämningen) was finally published in English in 2005 (though only in Finland).
There are also five Moomin picture books by Tove Jansson:
The books and comic strips have been translated from their original Swedish and English respectively into many languages.
s; their first appearance to a big audience was in the popular London
newspaper The Evening News
in 1954, in English. Tove Jansson
drew and wrote all the strips until 1959. She shared the work load with her brother Lars Jansson until 1961; after that he took over the job until 1975 when the last strip was released.
Drawn and Quarterly
, a Canadian graphic novel
publisher, is currently releasing a new reprint series of all The Evening News strips created by both Tove and Lars Jansson beginning in October 2006. The first five volumes, Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip have been published, whilst the 6th volume, published in May 2011, began Moomin: The Complete Lars Jansson Comic Strip.
In the 1990s, a comic book version of Moomin was produced in Scandinavia after Dennis Livson and Lars Jansson's animated series was shown on television. Neither Tove nor Lars Jansson had any involvement in these comic books; however, in the wake of the series, two new Moomin comic strips were launched under the artistic and content oversight of Lars and his daughter, Sophia Jansson-Zambra
. Sophia now provides sole oversight for the strips.
ese-Dutch
collaboration that has also produced a feature-length film. However, there are also two Soviet serials, puppet animation
Mumi-troll
(Moomintroll) and cutout animation
Shlyapa Volshebnika
(Magician's Hat) of three parts each , and the Polish
-Austria
n puppet animation TV series
, The Moomins
which was broadcast and became popular in an edited form in the United Kingdom
in the 1980s.
The two newest feature film re-use the footage of the Polish-Austrian series: Moomin and Midsummer Madness had its release in 2008, and in 2010 the Moomins appear in the first Nordic 3-D film
production, with the title song by Björk
, in Moomins and the Comet Chase
.
with "trills" and "twiddles." All Moomin characters sing songs, often about their thoughts and themselves. The songs often serve as core statements of the characters' personalities.
This music was heard outside Moominvalley after they went live on theater stage in Stockholm
. Director Vivica Bandler told Jansson in 1959: "Listen, here the people want songs". The earlier version of the play was cast in Helsinki
with no music.
Helsinki based pianist and composer, Erna Tauro
was commissioned to write the songs to lyrics by Jansson. The first collection consisted of six Moomin Songs (Sex muminvisor): Moomintroll’s Song (Mumintrollets visa), Little My’s Song (Lilla Mys visa), Mrs. Fillyjonk’s Song (Fru Filifjonks sång), Theater Rat Emma’s Words of Wisdom (Teaterråttan Emmas visdomsord), Misabel’s Lament (Misans klagolåt) and Final Song (Slutsång).
More songs were published in the 1960s and 70s when Jansson and Lars Jansson produced a series of Moomin dramas for Swedish Television. The simple, yet effective melodies by Tauro were well received by the theater and TV audiences. The first songs were either sung unaccompanied or accompanied by a pianist. While the most famous Moomin songs in Scandinavia are undoubtedly Moomintroll’s Song and Little My’s Song, they appear in no context in the novels.
The original songs by Jansson and Tauro remained scattered after their initial release. The first recording of the complete collection was made in 2003 by composer and arranger Mika Pohjola
on the Moomin Voices CD (Muminröster in Swedish), as a tribute to the late Tove Jansson. Tauro had died in June 1993 and some of Jansson's last lyrics were composed by Pohjola in cooperation with Jansson's heirs. Pohjola was also the arranger of all songs for a vocal ensemble and chamber orchestra. The same recording has been released in a Finnish version in 2005, Muumilauluja. The Finnish lyrics were translated by Kirsi Kunnas
and Vexi Salmi
.
The Swedish and Finnish recordings of Moomin Voices, and their respective musical scores, have been used as course material at Berklee College of Music
in Boston
, Massachusetts
.
The Moomin Voices Live Band (aka. Muumilauluja-bändi) is dedicated to exclusively performing the original lyrics and unaltered stories by Ms. Jansson. This band is led by Pohjola on piano, with vocalists Mirja Mäkelä and Eeppi Ursin.
.
A Moomin opera was written in 1974 by the Finnish composer Ilkka Kuusisto
.
Musicscapes from Moominvalley is a four-part work based on the Moomin compositions of composer and producer Heikki Mäenpää. It was created on the basis of the original Moomin works for the Tampere Art Museum.
Twenty new Moomin songs were produced in Finland by Timo Poijärvi and Ari Vainio in 2006. This Finnish
album contains no original lyrics by Jansson. However, it is based on the novel, Comet in Moominland
, and adheres to the original stories. These songs are "easily adoptable" and aimed at children, but they are also claimed to appeal to a more mature Finnish Moomin audience. The songs are performed by Samuli Edelmann
, Sani, Tommi Läntinen, Susanna Haavisto
and Jore Marjaranta and other established Finnish vocalists in the pop/entertainment genre. The same twenty compositions are also available as standalone multimedia CD postcards.
The Icelandic singer Björk
has composed and performed the title song (Comet Song) for the film Moomins and the Comet Chase (2010). The lyrics were written by the Icelandic writer Sjón
.
Hattifatteners is an art project created by Russian composer Lex Plotnikoff
and photographer Tisha Razumovsky. The project consists of 31 music tracks and many photos of moomin characters models.
(Muumimaailma in Finnish, Muminvärlden in Swedish) is the Moomin Theme Park especially for children. Moomin World is located on the island of Kailo beside the old town of Naantali
, near the city of Turku
in Western Finland
.
The blueberry-coloured Moomin House is the main attraction; tourists are allowed to freely visit all five stories. It is also possible to see the Hemulen's yellow house, Moominmama's kitchen, the Fire Station, Snufkin's Camp, Moominpappa's boat, etc. Visitors may also meet Moomin characters there.
Art Museum is a museum devoted to the original works of Tove Jansson. It contains around 2,000 works. The museum is based on the Moomin books and has many original Moomin illustrations by Tove Jansson. The gem of the collection is a blue five-storey model of the Moominhouse, which has Tove Jansson as one of its builders. As a birthday present, the 20-year-old museum received a soundscape
work based on the works of Tove Jansson, called Musicscapes from Moominvalley.
, from November 11, 2006 till March 31, 2007.
The Moomin Boom (muumibuumi in Finnish) started in the '90s, when Dennis Livson and Lars Jansson produced a 104-part animation series in Japan named Tales From Moominvalley, which was followed by a full length movie Comet in Moominland. Moomin books had always been steady bestsellers in Finland, Sweden
and Latvia
, but the animation started a new Moomin madness both in Finland and abroad, especially in Japan, where they are the official mascots of the Daiei
chain of shopping centers. A large merchandising industry was built around the Moomin characters, covering everything from coffee cups and t-shirts to plastic models. New Moomin comic books and comic strips were published. Moomins were used to advertise Finland abroad: the Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport was decorated with Moomin images and Finnair
painted big Moomin figures on its Japan-line airplanes. The peak of the Moomin Boom was the opening of the Moomin World
theme park in Naantali
, Finland, which has become one of Finland's international tourist destinations.
The Moomin Boom has been criticized for commercializing the Moomins. Friends of Tove Jansson and many old Moomin enthusiasts have stressed that the animations banalize the original and philosophical Moomin world to harmless family entertainment. An antithesis for the Disneyland
-like Moomin World theme park is the Moomin Museum of Tampere, which exhibits the original illustrations and hand-made Moomin models by Tove Jansson.
The Jansson family has kept the rights of Moomins and controlled the Moomin Boom. The artistic control is now in the hands of Lars Jansson's daughter, Sophia Jansson-Zambra
. Wanting to keep the control over Moomins, the family has turned down offers from the Walt Disney Company.
The name of the Russia
n rock group Mumiy Troll
is a variant of the Russian name for the Moomins (Mumi Troll). Swedish progressive rock
band Ritual have used the idea of Moomins in various songs, including: "Seasong for the Moominpappa", "Moomin took my Head" and, recently, a whole concept album
dedicated to the furry 'trolls', The Hemulic Voluntary Band.
The Moomins were selected as the main motif in a recent Finnish commemorative coin, the €10 Tove Jansson and Finnish Children's Culture commemorative coin, minted in 2004. The obverse depicts a combination of Tove Jansson portrait with several objects: the skyline, an artist's palette, a crescent, and a sailboat. The reverse design features three Moomin characters.
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
s and a comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
by Swedish-Finn illustrator and writer Tove Jansson
Tove Jansson
Tove Marika Jansson was a Swedish-Finnish novelist, painter, illustrator and comic strip author. She is best known as the author of the Moomin books.- Biography :...
, originally published in Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
by Schildts in Finland. They are a family of troll
Troll
A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
s who are white and roundish, with large snouts that make them resemble hippopotamus
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus , or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest...
es. The carefree and adventurous family live in their house in Moominvalley
Moominvalley
Moominvalley is a fictional place, where the Moomins live in the tales by Finnish author Tove Jansson.Especially in the early books Moominvally is depicted as a beautiful place with green slopes, rivers, fruit trees, flowers and a place for calm and peaceful life as in the tradition of pastoral...
, in the forests of Finland, though in the past their temporary residences have included a lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
and a theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
. They have many adventures along with their various friends.
In all, nine books were released in the series, with five picture books and a comic strip
Moomin comic strips
Moomin is a comic strip created by Tove Jansson, and followed up by Lars Jansson, featuring their Moomin family of characters....
being released between 1945 and 1993.
The Moomins have since been the basis for numerous television series, films and even a theme park called Moomin World
Moomin World
Moomin World is the Moomin Theme Park especially for children, based on the Moomin books by Tove Jansson. Moomin World is on the island of Kailo beside the old town of Naantali, near the city of Turku in Finland Proper region....
in Naantali
Naantali
Naantali is a city in south-western Finland, known as one of the most important tourist centres of the country. The municipality has a population of , and is located in the region of Finland Proper, west of Turku....
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
.
Synopsis and characters
The Moomin stories concern several eccentric and oddly-shaped characters, some of whom are related to each other. The central family consists of MoominpappaMoominpappa
Moominpappa - is a character in the Moomin series of books by Finnish author Tove Jansson.Orphaned in his youth, Moominpappa is a somewhat restless soul who left the orphanage to venture out into the world but has now settled down, determined to be a responsible father to his family: his wife...
, Moominmamma
Moominmamma
Moominmamma is a character in the Moomin series of books by Finnish author Tove Jansson.Moominmamma is married to Moominpappa and is the mother of Moomintroll. She very rarely gets cross and takes even the most distressing circumstances in her stride...
and Moomintroll
Moomintroll
Moomintroll is the main character in the Moomin books by Tove Jansson. He lives in the Moominhouse together with his father Moominpappa and his mother Moominmamma and has a keen spirit of adventure. Moomintroll is a 'moomin' - a little white troll with a hippopotamus-like big round nose.His best...
.
Other characters, such as Hemulen, Sniff
Sniff
Sniff is a character in the Moomin series of books by Finnish author Tove Jansson. Moomintroll's immature friend and later adopted brother. He is the son of the Muddler and the Fuzzy. He is one of the few characters in the Moomin series who is sincerely interested in money, and is always on the...
, The Snork maiden
Snork Maiden
The Snork Maiden is a character in the Moomin series of books by Finnish author Tove Jansson. She is a member of the species known as Snorks, and is the sister of the Snork and Moomintroll's beloved, although their relationship is very innocent...
, Snufkin
Snufkin
Snufkin is a character in the Moomin series of books authored by Swedish-speaking Finn Tove Jansson, appearing in six of the nine books...
and Little My
Little My
Little My is a character in the Moomin series of books by Tove Jansson. She first appears in the fourth book, The Exploits of Moominpappa . She is a small, determined and fiercely independent Mymble. When she wants something done, she does it straight away...
are accepted into or attach themselves into the family group from time to time, generally living separate lives in the surrounding Moominvalley
Moominvalley
Moominvalley is a fictional place, where the Moomins live in the tales by Finnish author Tove Jansson.Especially in the early books Moominvally is depicted as a beautiful place with green slopes, rivers, fruit trees, flowers and a place for calm and peaceful life as in the tradition of pastoral...
, where the series is set. It is in this fictional valley that the Moomin family have decided to live, at the end of The Moomins and the Great Flood.
Biographical interpretation
Critics have interpreted various Moomin characters as being inspired by real people, especially close family members of the author. In interviews, Tove Jansson has also spoken openly about the backgrounds of and possible models for her characters.The life partner of Tove Jansson was the graphic artist Tuulikki Pietilä
Tuulikki Pietilä
Tuulikki Pietilä was a Finnish graphic artist and professor, born in Seattle, Washington. Pietilä was one of the most influential people in Finnish graphic arts, and her work has been shown in numerous art exhibitions...
, whose personality inspired the character Too-Ticky in Moominland Midwinter. Moomintroll and Little My
Little My
Little My is a character in the Moomin series of books by Tove Jansson. She first appears in the fourth book, The Exploits of Moominpappa . She is a small, determined and fiercely independent Mymble. When she wants something done, she does it straight away...
have been seen as psychological self-portrait
Self-portrait
A self-portrait is a representation of an artist, drawn, painted, photographed, or sculpted by the artist. Although self-portraits have been made by artists since the earliest times, it is not until the Early Renaissance in the mid 15th century that artists can be frequently identified depicting...
s of the artist. The Moomins, generally speaking, relate strongly to Jansson's own family — they were bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
, lived close to nature and were very tolerant towards diversity
Diversity (politics)
In the political arena, the term diversity is used to describe political entities with members who have identifiable differences in their backgrounds or lifestyles....
. Moominpappa and Moominmamma are often seen as portraits of Jansson's parents Viktor Jansson
Viktor Jansson
Viktor Bernhard "Faffan" Jansson was a Finnish sculptor belonging to the Swedish-speaking minority of Finland...
and Signe Hammarsten-Jansson
Signe Hammarsten-Jansson
Signe "Ham" Hammarsten-Jansson was a Swedish graphic artist who designed, among other things, around 220 Finnish postage stamps during the course of three decades...
. Most of Jansson's characters are on the verge of melancholy, such as the always formal Hemulen, or the strange Hattifattener
Hattifattener
The Hattifatteners are creatures in the Moomin books and comic strips by Tove Jansson. They are particularly prominent in the books Finn Family Moomintroll....
s who travel in concerted, ominous groups. Jansson uses the differences between the characters' philosophies to provide a venue for her satirical impulses. The novelist Alison Lurie
Alison Lurie
Alison Lurie is an American novelist and academic. She won the Pulitzer Prize for her 1984 novel Foreign Affairs. Although better known as a novelist, she has also written numerous non-fiction books and articles, particularly on children's literature and the semiotics of dress.-Personal...
has described the Groke
The Groke
The Groke is a fictional character in the Moomin world created by Tove Jansson...
, a black, hill-shaped creation with glowing eyes, as a walking manifestation of Nordic
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
gloominess – everyone she touches dies, and the ground freezes everywhere she sits.
The Moomin stories have a very humane message. The books have caprices and utterances which ponder life and ways of the world. Snufkin comments on freedom: "One can never be entirely free, if one admires someone else too much." Little My expresses possession: "Possession means worries and luggage bags one has to drag along."
List of books
The books in the series, in order, are:- The Moomins and the Great FloodThe Moomins and the Great FloodThe Moomins and the Great Flood is a book written by Finnish author Tove Jansson in 1945...
(Originally: Småtrollen och den stora översvämningen) – 1945. - Comet in MoominlandComet in MoominlandComet In Moominland is the second in the series of Tove Jansson's Moomin books, published in 1946....
, Some editions: The Happy Moomins - (Originally: Kometjakten/Kometen kommer) – 1946. - Finn Family MoomintrollFinn Family MoomintrollFinn Family Moomintroll is the third in the series of Tove Jansson's Moomins books, published in 1948...
(Originally: Trollkarlens hatt) – 1948. - The Exploits of MoominpappaThe Exploits of MoominpappaThe Exploits of Moominpappa, first published in 1950 and then considerably revised in 1968 under the title Moominpappa's Memoirs, is the fourth book in the Moomin series by Tove Jansson. The story found in this book is mentioned in the previous Moomin books, as Moominpappa writes his memoirs in...
, Some editions: Moominpappa's Memoirs (Originally: Muminpappans bravader/Muminpappans memoarer) – 1950. - Moominsummer MadnessMoominsummer MadnessMoominsummer Madness is the fourth in the series of Tove Jansson's Moomins books, published in 1954.The novel forms the basis of episodes 28-30 in the 1990 TV series.-Plot summary:...
(Originally: Farlig midsommar) – 1954. - Moominland MidwinterMoominland MidwinterMoominland Midwinter is the fifth in the series of Tove Jansson's Moomins books, published in 1957.This book sees Jansson adopt a darker, more introspective tone compared to the earlier books that is continued in the remainder of the series.Often in the book Moomintroll is either lonely,...
(Originally: Trollvinter) – 1957. - Tales from MoominvalleyTales from MoominvalleyTales from Moominvalley is the sixth book in the Moomin series by Finnish author, Tove Jansson. Unlike all the other books, which were novels, it is a book of short stories, and is the longest book in the series...
(Originally: Det osynliga barnet) – 1962 (Short stories). - Moominpappa at SeaMoominpappa at SeaMoominpappa at Sea is the seventh book in the Moomin books by Finnish author Tove Jansson. It is based primarily around the character of Moominpappa. It was first published in 1965...
(Originally: Pappan och havet) – 1965. - Moominvalley in NovemberMoominvalley in NovemberMoominvalley in November is the ninth and final book in the Moomin series by Finnish author Tove Jansson, and was first published in both her native Swedish and English in 1971...
(Originally: Sent i november) – 1970 (In which the Moomin family is absent).
The first book, known in English as The Moomins and the Great Flood (Originally: Småtrollen och den stora översvämningen) was finally published in English in 2005 (though only in Finland).
There are also five Moomin picture books by Tove Jansson:
- The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little MyThe Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little MyThe Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My was the first Moomin picture book by Finnish author Tove Jansson. It was first published in 1952 in Swedish language.-Plot:...
(Originally: Hur gick det sen?) – 1952. - Who Will Comfort Toffle?Who Will Comfort Toffle?Who Will Comfort Toffle? is the second picture book in the Moomin series by Tove Jansson. It was first published in 1960. It was first translated into English by Kingsley Hart....
(Originally: Vem ska trösta knyttet?) – 1960. - The Dangerous JourneyThe Dangerous JourneyThe Dangerous Journey is a children's picture book in the Moomin series by Tove Jansson. It was published in 1977...
(Originally: Den farliga resan) – 1977. - An Unwanted GuestAn Unwanted GuestSkurken i muminhuset is a children's picture book in the Moomin series by Tove Jansson. It was published in 1980....
(Originally: Skurken i Muminhuset) – 1980 (No English translation published, although an unofficial translation is available online). - Songs from Moominvalley (Originally: Visor från Mumindalen) – 1993 (No English translation published).
The books and comic strips have been translated from their original Swedish and English respectively into many languages.
The comic strip
The Moomins also appeared in the form of comic stripComic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
s; their first appearance to a big audience was in the popular London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
newspaper The Evening News
Evening News (London)
Evening News, formerly known as The Evening News, was an evening newspaper published in London from 1881 to 1980, reappearing briefly in 1987. It became highly popular under the control of the Harmsworth brothers. For a long time it maintained the largest daily sale of any evening newspaper in London...
in 1954, in English. Tove Jansson
Tove Jansson
Tove Marika Jansson was a Swedish-Finnish novelist, painter, illustrator and comic strip author. She is best known as the author of the Moomin books.- Biography :...
drew and wrote all the strips until 1959. She shared the work load with her brother Lars Jansson until 1961; after that he took over the job until 1975 when the last strip was released.
Drawn and Quarterly
Drawn and Quarterly
Drawn and Quarterly is a Canadian comic book publishing company, headed by Chris Oliveros, and based in Montreal, Quebec. Its focus is on graphic novels and underground or alternative comics. Drawn and Quarterly was also the title of the company's flagship quarterly anthology during the 1990s...
, a Canadian graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
publisher, is currently releasing a new reprint series of all The Evening News strips created by both Tove and Lars Jansson beginning in October 2006. The first five volumes, Moomin: The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip have been published, whilst the 6th volume, published in May 2011, began Moomin: The Complete Lars Jansson Comic Strip.
In the 1990s, a comic book version of Moomin was produced in Scandinavia after Dennis Livson and Lars Jansson's animated series was shown on television. Neither Tove nor Lars Jansson had any involvement in these comic books; however, in the wake of the series, two new Moomin comic strips were launched under the artistic and content oversight of Lars and his daughter, Sophia Jansson-Zambra
Sophia Jansson-Zambra
Sophia Jansson is the daughter of cartoonist Lars Jansson and the niece of the famous Finnish writer and painter Tove Jansson. Jansson has worked as a Spanish language teacher, creative/artistic director, chairman, and majority shareholder of Oy Moomin Characters, Ltd., and provided direct...
. Sophia now provides sole oversight for the strips.
TV series and films
The story of the Moomins has been made into television series on many occasions by various groups, the most recent of which is a JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese-Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
collaboration that has also produced a feature-length film. However, there are also two Soviet serials, puppet animation
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
Mumi-troll
Mumi-troll
Mumi-troll was a series of three short films made in the USSR in 1978, based on the book Comet in Moominland, which was a part of the Moomin series by Finnish illustrator and writer Tove Jansson.-The Films:Three films were made.* Mumi-troll i drugie Mumi-troll (Russian language: Муми-тролль,...
(Moomintroll) and cutout animation
Cutout animation
Cutout animation is a technique for producing animations using flat characters, props and backgrounds cut from materials such as paper, card, stiff fabric or even photographs...
Shlyapa Volshebnika
Shlyapa Volshebnika
Shlyapa Volshebnika was a series of three short films produced by Sverdlovsktelefilm in 1980, 1981 and 1983 in the USSR, based on the book Finn Family Moomintroll, which was one of the Moomin books by Finnish illustrator and writer Tove Jansson....
(Magician's Hat) of three parts each , and the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
-Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n puppet animation TV series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
, The Moomins
The Moomins (TV series)
The Moomins is a stop motion animated children's television series based on the Tove Jansson's Moomin series of books which was originally produced by Se-ma-for and Jupiter Film between the years 1977–1982, originally for Polish, Austrian and German television. The series was later on sold to...
which was broadcast and became popular in an edited form in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in the 1980s.
The two newest feature film re-use the footage of the Polish-Austrian series: Moomin and Midsummer Madness had its release in 2008, and in 2010 the Moomins appear in the first Nordic 3-D film
3-D film
A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
production, with the title song by Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, in Moomins and the Comet Chase
Moomins and the Comet Chase
Moomins and the Comet Chase is a 2010 stop motion film compiled from the Comet in Moominland-based episodes of the 1977–1982 Moomins TV series animated at Se-ma-for in Poland, restored and re-soundtracked with multiple voice actors replacing the single narrator...
.
- Die MuminfamilieDie MuminfamilieDie Muminfamilie was a West German television series, produced by Augsburger Puppenkiste and released from 1959 to 1960 that was based on the Moomin books by Tove Jansson. It was filmed in black and white. It was notably the first television series ever to be made based on the books...
(The Moomin Family) 1959 West German marionetteMarionetteA marionette is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by using a vertical or horizontal control bar in different forms...
TV series, and its 1960 sequel Sturm im Mumintal (Storm in Moominvalley) - Mūmin (Moomin), 1969–70 Japanese traditional animationTraditional animationTraditional animation, is an animation technique where each frame is drawn by hand...
TV series - MumintrolletMumintrolletMumintrollet was a Swedish language television series from Finland, released in 1969, based on the Moomin books by Tove Jansson. It was written by Tove and her brother Lars Jansson and was directed by Vivica Bandler. It had 13 episodes, each in colour lasting 25 minutes each....
(Moomintroll), 1969 Swedish-language Finnish suit actorSuit actorA is a member of a Japanese tokusatsu production who works similar to a stunt performer. However, the suit actor does all of his or her stunts while in a full costume that normally obscures their identity from the viewer and performs pantomime, as an actor's voice will generally be dubbed during...
TV series - Shin Mūmin (New Moomin), 1972 Japanese traditional animation TV series, remake of the 1969 series by the staff of its latter half
- Mūmin (Moomin), 1971 Japanese traditional animation film
- Mūmin (Moomin), 1972 Japanese traditional animation half-hour film
- Mumindalen (Moominvalley), 1973 Swedish suit actor TV series
- Mumi-trollMumi-trollMumi-troll was a series of three short films made in the USSR in 1978, based on the book Comet in Moominland, which was a part of the Moomin series by Finnish illustrator and writer Tove Jansson.-The Films:Three films were made.* Mumi-troll i drugie Mumi-troll (Russian language: Муми-тролль,...
(Moomintroll), 1978 Soviet Union stop motionStop motionStop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
serial film of Comet in MoominlandComet in MoominlandComet In Moominland is the second in the series of Tove Jansson's Moomin books, published in 1946.... - Opowiadania MuminkówThe Moomins (TV series)The Moomins is a stop motion animated children's television series based on the Tove Jansson's Moomin series of books which was originally produced by Se-ma-for and Jupiter Film between the years 1977–1982, originally for Polish, Austrian and German television. The series was later on sold to...
(The Moomins), 1977–82 Austrian, German and Polish-produced "Fuzzy FeltFuzzy feltFuzzy Felt is a simple fabric toy intended for very young children, but enjoyable by people of any age. It was created in 1950 by Lois Allan of the United Kingdom. The toys consist of a flocked backing board onto which a number of felt shapes are placed to create different pictures. Felt pieces...
" stop motion TV series made in Poland. The series has been re-compiled a number of times in other formats:- Moomin and Midsummer Madness, 2008 Finnish-produced compilation movieCompilation movieFilm historian Jay Leyda discussed the origins of the compilation film in his work Films Beget Films.-Anime:A compilation movie, or compilation film, a term used by reviewers of Japanese anime, is a feature film that is mostly composed of footage from a television serial...
of the TV series - Moomins and the Comet ChaseMoomins and the Comet ChaseMoomins and the Comet Chase is a 2010 stop motion film compiled from the Comet in Moominland-based episodes of the 1977–1982 Moomins TV series animated at Se-ma-for in Poland, restored and re-soundtracked with multiple voice actors replacing the single narrator...
, 2010 Finnish-produced 3-D film3-D filmA 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...
compiled and converted from the 1977–82 series - The Moomins, 2010 Finnish-produced high-definition videoHigh-definition videoHigh-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
version of the 1977–82 series
- Moomin and Midsummer Madness, 2008 Finnish-produced compilation movie
- Vem ska trösta knyttet?Who Will Comfort Toffle?Who Will Comfort Toffle? is the second picture book in the Moomin series by Tove Jansson. It was first published in 1960. It was first translated into English by Kingsley Hart....
, 1980 Swedish traditional animation half-hour film of Who Will Comfort Toffle? - Shlyapa VolshebnikaShlyapa VolshebnikaShlyapa Volshebnika was a series of three short films produced by Sverdlovsktelefilm in 1980, 1981 and 1983 in the USSR, based on the book Finn Family Moomintroll, which was one of the Moomin books by Finnish illustrator and writer Tove Jansson....
(Magician's Hat), 1980–83 Soviet Union cutout animationCutout animationCutout animation is a technique for producing animations using flat characters, props and backgrounds cut from materials such as paper, card, stiff fabric or even photographs...
serial film of Finn Family MoomintrollFinn Family MoomintrollFinn Family Moomintroll is the third in the series of Tove Jansson's Moomins books, published in 1948...
, different staff and aesthetic to the 1978 serial - Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka (Moomin), 1990–91 Dutch, Finnish and Japanese-produced traditional animation TV series made in Japan
- Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka: Bōken Nikki (Delightful Moomin Family: Adventure Diary), 1991–92 Dutch and Japanese-produced traditional animation TV series made in Japan, a continuation of the 1990–91 series
- Tanoshii Mūmin Ikka: Mūmindani no Suisei (Comet in Moominland), 1992 Dutch and Japanese-produced traditional animation feature film made in Japan, a prequelPrequelA prequel is a work that supplements a previously completed one, and has an earlier time setting.The widely recognized term was a 20th-century neologism, and a portmanteau from pre- and sequel...
to the 1990–91 series
- Hur gick det sen?The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little MyThe Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My was the first Moomin picture book by Finnish author Tove Jansson. It was first published in 1952 in Swedish language.-Plot:...
(What Happened Next?), 1993 Swedish short film of The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My
Moomin music
The Moomin novels describe the musical activities of the Moomins, particularly those of Snufkin, his harmonicaHarmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
with "trills" and "twiddles." All Moomin characters sing songs, often about their thoughts and themselves. The songs often serve as core statements of the characters' personalities.
The original songs
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. Director Vivica Bandler told Jansson in 1959: "Listen, here the people want songs". The earlier version of the play was cast in Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
with no music.
Helsinki based pianist and composer, Erna Tauro
Erna Tauro
Erna Tauro, née Pergament, was a Finnish-Swedish pianist and composer.-Biography:Erna Tauro was born in Viborg, daughter of Isak Pergament and Rifka née Rosenthal, and niece of Moses Pergament and Simon Parmet. The family moved to Berlin in 1921 and later to Helsinki...
was commissioned to write the songs to lyrics by Jansson. The first collection consisted of six Moomin Songs (Sex muminvisor): Moomintroll’s Song (Mumintrollets visa), Little My’s Song (Lilla Mys visa), Mrs. Fillyjonk’s Song (Fru Filifjonks sång), Theater Rat Emma’s Words of Wisdom (Teaterråttan Emmas visdomsord), Misabel’s Lament (Misans klagolåt) and Final Song (Slutsång).
More songs were published in the 1960s and 70s when Jansson and Lars Jansson produced a series of Moomin dramas for Swedish Television. The simple, yet effective melodies by Tauro were well received by the theater and TV audiences. The first songs were either sung unaccompanied or accompanied by a pianist. While the most famous Moomin songs in Scandinavia are undoubtedly Moomintroll’s Song and Little My’s Song, they appear in no context in the novels.
The original songs by Jansson and Tauro remained scattered after their initial release. The first recording of the complete collection was made in 2003 by composer and arranger Mika Pohjola
Mika Pohjola
Mika Pohjola is a Finnish-born jazz pianist and composer, who resides in New York City. He is one of the most prolific Scandinavian jazz musicians in his generation.-Childhood in Helsinki, Finland 1971-87:...
on the Moomin Voices CD (Muminröster in Swedish), as a tribute to the late Tove Jansson. Tauro had died in June 1993 and some of Jansson's last lyrics were composed by Pohjola in cooperation with Jansson's heirs. Pohjola was also the arranger of all songs for a vocal ensemble and chamber orchestra. The same recording has been released in a Finnish version in 2005, Muumilauluja. The Finnish lyrics were translated by Kirsi Kunnas
Kirsi Kunnas
Kirsi Marjatta Kunnas is a Finnish poet, children's literature author and translator into Finnish. Her extensive oeuvre consists of poems, fairy tale books, drama, translations and non-fiction. Her books have been translated into Swedish, English, German, French, Hungarian, and Estonian...
and Vexi Salmi
Vexi Salmi
Veikko Olavi "Vexi" Salmi is a Finnish lyricist. He has written the lyrics to numerous popular songs for several prominent artists, including Irwin Goodman, Jari Sillanpää, and Katri Helena. His career as a lyricist began in the 1960s, and continues to the present day...
.
The Swedish and Finnish recordings of Moomin Voices, and their respective musical scores, have been used as course material at Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
.
The Moomin Voices Live Band (aka. Muumilauluja-bändi) is dedicated to exclusively performing the original lyrics and unaltered stories by Ms. Jansson. This band is led by Pohjola on piano, with vocalists Mirja Mäkelä and Eeppi Ursin.
Other adaptations
Independent musical interpretations of the Moomin stories have been made for the screen versions in Poland, Great Britain and Japan. These lyrics, however, often contain simple slogans, and the music is written in a children's pop music style and with no lyrics by Jansson. These songs contrast sharply with the original Moomin novels and Jansson's pictorial, descriptive and witty lyrical rhyming, as well as Erna Tauro's Scandinavian-style songs (visor) which are occasionally influenced by Kurt WeillKurt Weill
Kurt Julian Weill was a German-Jewish composer, active from the 1920s, and in his later years in the United States. He was a leading composer for the stage who was best known for his fruitful collaborations with Bertolt Brecht...
.
A Moomin opera was written in 1974 by the Finnish composer Ilkka Kuusisto
Ilkka Kuusisto
Ilkka Taneli Kuusisto is a Finnish composer of popular opera and father of Jaakko Kuusisto and Pekka Kuusisto. He was the general manager of the Finnish National Opera 1984-1992.-Operas:* Muumiooppera 1974* Miehen kylkiluu 1977...
.
Musicscapes from Moominvalley is a four-part work based on the Moomin compositions of composer and producer Heikki Mäenpää. It was created on the basis of the original Moomin works for the Tampere Art Museum.
Twenty new Moomin songs were produced in Finland by Timo Poijärvi and Ari Vainio in 2006. This Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
album contains no original lyrics by Jansson. However, it is based on the novel, Comet in Moominland
Comet in Moominland
Comet In Moominland is the second in the series of Tove Jansson's Moomin books, published in 1946....
, and adheres to the original stories. These songs are "easily adoptable" and aimed at children, but they are also claimed to appeal to a more mature Finnish Moomin audience. The songs are performed by Samuli Edelmann
Samuli Edelmann
Samuli Casimir Edelmann is a Finnish actor and singer.-Family and career:Samuli Edelmann is the son of actress Marja-Leena Kouki and composer Toni Edelmann. Edelmann has two children, Venla and Ilmari, with his wife Laura Tuomarila...
, Sani, Tommi Läntinen, Susanna Haavisto
Susanna Haavisto
Susanna Haavisto is a Finnish actress and singer.She has taken part in several movies and TV programs. She was UNICEF National Ambassador in 1980.- Filmography :*Kymmenen riivinrautaa *Ripa ruostuu...
and Jore Marjaranta and other established Finnish vocalists in the pop/entertainment genre. The same twenty compositions are also available as standalone multimedia CD postcards.
The Icelandic singer Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
has composed and performed the title song (Comet Song) for the film Moomins and the Comet Chase (2010). The lyrics were written by the Icelandic writer Sjón
Sjón
Sigurjón Birgir Sigurðsson , known as Sjón , is an internationally known Icelandic author and poet. His pen name is formed from his given name , and means 'Sight'....
.
Hattifatteners is an art project created by Russian composer Lex Plotnikoff
Lex Plotnikoff
Lex Plotnikoff , is the Russian composer and guitar player, founder of progressive metal band Mechanical Poet. He is also known as music composer of game soundtracks and painter/graphic designer whose original style and dazzling technique became one of the most noted Mechanical Poet trademarks...
and photographer Tisha Razumovsky. The project consists of 31 music tracks and many photos of moomin characters models.
Moomin World
Moomin WorldMoomin World
Moomin World is the Moomin Theme Park especially for children, based on the Moomin books by Tove Jansson. Moomin World is on the island of Kailo beside the old town of Naantali, near the city of Turku in Finland Proper region....
(Muumimaailma in Finnish, Muminvärlden in Swedish) is the Moomin Theme Park especially for children. Moomin World is located on the island of Kailo beside the old town of Naantali
Naantali
Naantali is a city in south-western Finland, known as one of the most important tourist centres of the country. The municipality has a population of , and is located in the region of Finland Proper, west of Turku....
, near the city of Turku
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
in Western Finland
Western Finland
Western Finland was a province of Finland from 1997 to 2010. It bordered the provinces of Oulu, Eastern Finland and Southern Finland. It also bordered the Gulf of Bothnia towards Åland.- History :...
.
The blueberry-coloured Moomin House is the main attraction; tourists are allowed to freely visit all five stories. It is also possible to see the Hemulen's yellow house, Moominmama's kitchen, the Fire Station, Snufkin's Camp, Moominpappa's boat, etc. Visitors may also meet Moomin characters there.
The Tampere Art Museum
The Moominvalley of the TampereTampere
Tampere is a city in southern Finland. It is the most populous inland city in any of the Nordic countries. The city has a population of , growing to approximately 300,000 people in the conurbation and over 340,000 in the metropolitan area. Tampere is the third most-populous municipality in...
Art Museum is a museum devoted to the original works of Tove Jansson. It contains around 2,000 works. The museum is based on the Moomin books and has many original Moomin illustrations by Tove Jansson. The gem of the collection is a blue five-storey model of the Moominhouse, which has Tove Jansson as one of its builders. As a birthday present, the 20-year-old museum received a soundscape
Soundscape
A soundscape is a sound or combination of sounds that forms or arises from an immersive environment. The study of soundscape is the subject of acoustic ecology...
work based on the works of Tove Jansson, called Musicscapes from Moominvalley.
Interactive playroom
An interactive playroom about the Moomins was located at Scandinavia House, New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, from November 11, 2006 till March 31, 2007.
The Moomin Boom
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, but the animation started a new Moomin madness both in Finland and abroad, especially in Japan, where they are the official mascots of the Daiei
Daiei
, based in Kobe, is one of the largest supermarket chains in Japan. In 1957, Isao Nakauchi founded the chain in Osaka near Sembayashi Station on the Keihan train line. Daiei is now under a restructuring process supported by Marubeni Corporation and ÆON Co., Ltd., another Japanese supermarket chain....
chain of shopping centers. A large merchandising industry was built around the Moomin characters, covering everything from coffee cups and t-shirts to plastic models. New Moomin comic books and comic strips were published. Moomins were used to advertise Finland abroad: the Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport was decorated with Moomin images and Finnair
Finnair
Finnair Plc is the flag carrier and largest airline of Finland, with its headquarters on the grounds of Helsinki Airport in Vantaa, Finland, and its main hub at Helsinki Airport. Finnair and its subsidiaries dominate both the domestic and international air travel markets in Finland. The largest...
painted big Moomin figures on its Japan-line airplanes. The peak of the Moomin Boom was the opening of the Moomin World
Moomin World
Moomin World is the Moomin Theme Park especially for children, based on the Moomin books by Tove Jansson. Moomin World is on the island of Kailo beside the old town of Naantali, near the city of Turku in Finland Proper region....
theme park in Naantali
Naantali
Naantali is a city in south-western Finland, known as one of the most important tourist centres of the country. The municipality has a population of , and is located in the region of Finland Proper, west of Turku....
, Finland, which has become one of Finland's international tourist destinations.
The Moomin Boom has been criticized for commercializing the Moomins. Friends of Tove Jansson and many old Moomin enthusiasts have stressed that the animations banalize the original and philosophical Moomin world to harmless family entertainment. An antithesis for the Disneyland
Disneyland Park (Anaheim)
Disneyland Park is a theme park located in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of the Walt Disney Company. Known as Disneyland when it opened on July 18, 1955, and still almost universally referred to by that name, it is the only theme park to be...
-like Moomin World theme park is the Moomin Museum of Tampere, which exhibits the original illustrations and hand-made Moomin models by Tove Jansson.
The Jansson family has kept the rights of Moomins and controlled the Moomin Boom. The artistic control is now in the hands of Lars Jansson's daughter, Sophia Jansson-Zambra
Sophia Jansson-Zambra
Sophia Jansson is the daughter of cartoonist Lars Jansson and the niece of the famous Finnish writer and painter Tove Jansson. Jansson has worked as a Spanish language teacher, creative/artistic director, chairman, and majority shareholder of Oy Moomin Characters, Ltd., and provided direct...
. Wanting to keep the control over Moomins, the family has turned down offers from the Walt Disney Company.
Other
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n rock group Mumiy Troll
Mumiy Troll
Mumiy Troll is a Russian rock group, founded in 1983 in Vladivostok by vocalist and songwriter Ilya Lagutenko . The literal name of the band, 'The mummies' troll', is a pun on Moomin Troll, the series of Finnish children's books by Tove Jansson.Mumiy Troll broke up when Lagutenko, who graduated in...
is a variant of the Russian name for the Moomins (Mumi Troll). Swedish progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Ritual have used the idea of Moomins in various songs, including: "Seasong for the Moominpappa", "Moomin took my Head" and, recently, a whole concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
dedicated to the furry 'trolls', The Hemulic Voluntary Band.
The Moomins were selected as the main motif in a recent Finnish commemorative coin, the €10 Tove Jansson and Finnish Children's Culture commemorative coin, minted in 2004. The obverse depicts a combination of Tove Jansson portrait with several objects: the skyline, an artist's palette, a crescent, and a sailboat. The reverse design features three Moomin characters.
External links
- Official Movie Website for Moomins and the Comet Chase (2010)
- Official Movie Website for Moomin and Midsummer Madness (2008)
- Official Finnish Website
- Official Japanese Website
- Moomin at Schildts
- Moomintrolls at MacmillanMacmillan Publishers (United States)Macmillan Publishers USA, also known as Macmillan Publishing, is a privately held American publishing company owned by the Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than 30 others....
, the US publisher - Official Website of Moomin Museum in Tampere, Finland
- Official Website of Moominworld in Naantali, Finland
- IMDb Mumindalen suit actor series (1973)