Viivi & Wagner
Encyclopedia
Viivi & Wagner is a somewhat absurdist Finnish
newspaper comic strip
drawn by Jussi "Juba" Tuomola
.
The titular main characters are Viivi, a Finnish woman in her twenties, and Wagner, a mature male pig
. Wagner is fully anthropomorphic and sentient, yet still considers himself a pig instead of a human
. Though often mistaken for married, the two are cohabitating
in an Odd Couple
-ish relationship and genuinely fond of each other when not bickering.
The comic originally appeared in Kultapossu, a promotional children's magazine by a Finnish bank
. In the original version of the comic, Viivi was a small girl and Wagner was her animate piggy bank
. When the Kultapossu magazine was discontinued, Tuomola adapted the characters to fit a newspaper comic strip style, also changing the characters to adults in the process.
Viivi & Wagner is extremely popular in Finland, above all because of its quirky humour. Most of the strips concern either arguments between Viivi and Wagner ("You ate the wrapper, too?!" "I always eat the wrapper."), or Wagner getting into totally absurd situations, either in everyday life or in a fantasy world ("I'm stuck in the moment before the Big Bang
"). Some strips break the fourth wall
("Hey, your outline is loose.") or the classic comic strip format by not having a definite punchline at the end.
Some readers, who have been unaware of the strip's history in a bank's promotional magazine for children, have taken Wagner's porcine appearance as a statement of feminism
, specifically implying that "men are pigs". Some have even thought Tuomola was a woman. It has been noticed that many medical inside jokes appear in the strips - many of them originate from an old friend of Juba, whose profession happens to be a doctor.
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...
newspaper 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....
drawn by Jussi "Juba" Tuomola
Jussi Tuomola
Jussi Tuomola, pen name Juba is a Finnish cartoonist.Tuomola is best known for his ongoing comic strip Viivi & Wagner, about the relationship of a woman and a pig. He has also worked on the Punaniska and Myrkky comics and the Finnish version of MAD Magazine...
.
The titular main characters are Viivi, a Finnish woman in her twenties, and Wagner, a mature male pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
. Wagner is fully anthropomorphic and sentient, yet still considers himself a pig instead of a human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
. Though often mistaken for married, the two are cohabitating
Cohabitation
Cohabitation usually refers to an arrangement whereby two people decide to live together on a long-term or permanent basis in an emotionally and/or sexually intimate relationship. The term is most frequently applied to couples who are not married...
in an Odd Couple
The Odd Couple
The Odd Couple is a 1965 Broadway play by Neil Simon, followed by a successful film and television series, as well as other derivative works and spin offs, many featuring one or more of the same actors. The plot concerns two mismatched roommates, one neat and uptight, the other more easygoing and...
-ish relationship and genuinely fond of each other when not bickering.
The comic originally appeared in Kultapossu, a promotional children's magazine by a Finnish bank
Bank
A bank is a financial institution that serves as a financial intermediary. The term "bank" may refer to one of several related types of entities:...
. In the original version of the comic, Viivi was a small girl and Wagner was her animate piggy bank
Piggy bank
Piggy bank is the traditional name of a coin accumulation and storage receptacle; it is most often, but not exclusively, used by children. The piggy bank is known to collectors as a "still bank" as opposed to the "mechanical banks" popular in the early 20th century. These items are also often used...
. When the Kultapossu magazine was discontinued, Tuomola adapted the characters to fit a newspaper comic strip style, also changing the characters to adults in the process.
Viivi & Wagner is extremely popular in Finland, above all because of its quirky humour. Most of the strips concern either arguments between Viivi and Wagner ("You ate the wrapper, too?!" "I always eat the wrapper."), or Wagner getting into totally absurd situations, either in everyday life or in a fantasy world ("I'm stuck in the moment before the Big Bang
Big Bang
The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model that explains the early development of the Universe. According to the Big Bang theory, the Universe was once in an extremely hot and dense state which expanded rapidly. This rapid expansion caused the young Universe to cool and resulted in...
"). Some strips break the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
("Hey, your outline is loose.") or the classic comic strip format by not having a definite punchline at the end.
Some readers, who have been unaware of the strip's history in a bank's promotional magazine for children, have taken Wagner's porcine appearance as a statement of feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, specifically implying that "men are pigs". Some have even thought Tuomola was a woman. It has been noticed that many medical inside jokes appear in the strips - many of them originate from an old friend of Juba, whose profession happens to be a doctor.
Albums
, there have been twelve Viivi & Wagner albums:- Sikspäkki ja salmiakkia ("A six packSix packA six pack is a type of multi-pack made of six canned or bottled drinks, typically a soft drink or beer, which are sold as a single unit. Cans are usually connected with plastic six pack rings, HDPE Can Carriers, shrink film, or paperboard....
and salmiakkiSalmiakkiSalty liquorice, also known as salmiak or salmiakki is a variety of liquorice flavoured with ammonium chloride, common in Netherlands, Nordic Countries, Baltic States and Northern Germany. Ammonium chloride gives salty liquorice an astringent, salty taste , which has been described as...
), 1998
Translated to SwedishSwedish languageSwedish 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...
as Sexpack och salmiak in 2005 - Apua, sängyssäni on sika! ("Help, there's a pig in my bed!"), 1999
Translated to Swedish as Hjälp, jag har en gris i sängen! in 2005 - Ei banaaninkuoria paperikoriin! ("No bananaBananaBanana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
peels in the paper bin!"), 2000 - Oi, mikä karju! ("Oh, what a hog!"), 2001
- Kuumaa hiekkaa ("Hot sand"), 2002
- Viriili vesipeto ("The virile water beast"), 2003
- Sohvaperunoiden kuningas ("The king of the couch potatoes"), 2004
- Ranskalainen liukumäki ("The French slide"), 2005
- Kaasua sohvalla ("Gas on the couch"), 2006
- Sian morsian? ("Bride of a pig?"), 2007
- Terassilla tarkenee ("Specifier on the terrace", 2008)
- Kuinka kasvissyöjä kesytetään ("Taming of the vegetarian", 2009)
External links
- Viivi & Wagner home page
- Viivi & Wagner Archive at Helsingin SanomatHelsingin SanomatHelsingin Sanomat is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland and the Nordic countries, owned by Sanoma. Except after certain holidays, it is published daily. In 2008, its daily circulation was 412,421 on weekdays and 468,505 on Sundays...