Truls og Trine is both alpha and omega for me. My professional life began more than forty years ago through my friendship and collaboration with two founders of modern Norwegian comics, Terje Nordberg and Dag Kolstad. And even now, I still draw Fjøsnissen, Truls and Trine for new projects.

Rather than retell everything myself, I will gladly pass the word to the highly knowledgeable Haakon Isachsen: Dag Kolstad had developed an idea he believed deserved a fully Norwegian comic release. He presented a synopsis to Terje Nordberg, and they agreed they already had the right artist to visualize it in a reader-friendly European style: Arild Midthun.

The script was sent to Arild in Bergen. Where Sirkus had been his apprenticeship, Truls og Trine became his journeyman exam. He estimates he began first sketches already in autumn 1982. When Truls og Trine redder julen was released in 1983, critics and readers welcomed it enthusiastically.

It was published in Sweden, Denmark and Finland too, with total sales above 110,000 copies, and it also received the Norwegian Ministry of Education's prize for best Norwegian comic that year.

So yes, we can safely say Arild Midthun passed his exam. In deep gratitude to Haakon, Terje, Dag, and everyone who helped shape what I have drawn over the last forty-five years.

Arild MidthunSon, December 2024