Reykjavík Grapevine - 20.04.2018, Side 50

“When I started to collect these comic
books around the year 2000, they were
not considered literature,” says comic
collector Magnús Kristinsson. “I could
get them for free or for a few krónur. But
as more and more people my age , who
grew up with these books, realized that
they wanted to read these books again
themselves or for their children, it be-
came some kind of ‘cult’ to have these
old books.”
Adapting to Icelandic
culture
Magnús is the founder of the Facebook
group “Teiknimyndasögur” (“comics,”
in English) which was created to buy or
sell comic books in Icelandic and to ex-
change any comic-related knowledge.
The period 1970-85 can be considered
a “golden age” of native and translated
comics in Iceland.
“According to my list, there are more
than 500 Icelandic comics books, not
counting all the monthly or weekly pa-
pers like Andrés Önd (aka Donald Duck),”
says Magnús. “Some of the translated
comics are very special, like Ástríkur
(aka Asterix), for example. I think that
in all other countries except Iceland they
retained the original names like Asterix
and Obelix which is a big trademark by
now. I appreciate how the translators
adapted the text and story to Icelandic
culture.”
In 2014 the Froskur publishing house
started to publish Ástríkur books again.
“I heard that the hardest thing was to
keep the Icelandic names ‘Ástríkur’,
‘Steinríkur’ and others,” says Magnús,
“but Froskur is doing a great job of pro-
moting the Icelandic comics culture to
people of all ages.”
The great hunt
Today, some of the rarest comic books
like “Tinni í Sovétríkjunum" (aka TIntin
in the Land of the Soviets), "Ástríkur"
and the comics by Kjartan Arnórsson
are sold for 30,000 ISK or more. “The
best way to start collecting is to join
the Facebook group and try to buy or
exchange comic books with other mem-
bers,” finishes Magnús. “Many of us also
scavenge the second hand markets like
Góði Hirðirinn.” Let the hunt begin!
POP CULTURE
CITY SHOT
by Art Bicnick
Comics In
Icelandic Sold For
Up To 30,000 ISK
Getting rich on Asterix & Obelix
Words:
Phil Uwe Widiger
Illustration:
Courtesy of
Magnús
50 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 06 — 2018
The proud comic collector
First day of Summer: Reykjavik is getting fit
WELL, YOU ASKED
The Learning-To-Speak-
Icelandic Edition
Words: John Rogers
Góðan daginn!
I wanted to ask you how one can learn
Icelandic? It seems just impossible.
Bestu kveðjur,
Someone that has been studying Ice-
landic for over a year.
The Icelandic language, whilst be-
ing an evocative, melodious, poetic
tongue, is truly an absolute mother-
fucker to learn. It sounds like you’ve
tried the classes, so we suggest the Bart
Simpson method (remember when he
was stuck in a French-speaking foster-
family?) of just completely immersing
yourself in an Icelandic-only environ-
ment—working on a farm, say—and
hoping it just soaks in until, one bright
day, you start to spontaneously under-
stand everything.

Dear Grapevine,
I have been learning Icelandic for six
months now, and I’m struggling. I am
fluent in Danish and sometimes it gets
confused in my mind. Generally speak-
ing, do Icelanders get annoyed when
people speak Danish with them, or do
they understand?
Sabrina Smith
Hey Sabrina,
Danish is taught in Icelandic schools—
although one Grapeviner said: “we
don't really know Danish if we don't
live in Denmark, we just hear some
choking sounds when the Danes try
to talk to us.” So although it’s a func-
tional bridge language in some cases,
it might be perceived as the assump-
tion that Icelandic is still a Danish
colony in others. Or they might just try
and perform the Heimlich manoeuvre
on you.
Good luck out there.
The Grapevinea solution of water, salt
and vinegar, and hang branches of
mint in hidden corners of the house.
Keep us posted!
Send your unsolvable (UNTIL NOW)
problems to editor@grapevine.is
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