Hans Lindahl

The Fire of Life(Reimerthi)
Mystery of the Golden Rune, part 5 – Solomon’s mines (Worker)
The Beanstalk (Avenell)
The Devil’s Brotherhood (Kharelli)
Johnny Hotwire (Tony de Paul)

But let Hans speak for himself.

Hi, Hans. As one of the most popular Egmont artist, you have many fans in Norway and Sweden. Therefore, many people want to know more about you, and it is great that you take your time to do this interview.

Tell a bit about yourself, your career and your hobbies.

I was born in Stockholm half a century ago, and I have as far back as I can remember been interested in comics. But that I one day should get to work with comics full time, I never thought of at all. The comic production here in Sweden, at that time, was based on comics like 91:an, Kronblom and Lilla Fridolf (Swedish humour comics), and I was more interested in the realistic adventure comics.

When it comes to hobbies, I don’t think I have had anyone, since everything has circled around painting and drawing in all possible ways.

How did you get in touch with Semic?

In 1979, Semic started publishing a magazine for amateurs in Sweden called Svenska serier (Swedish comics). I read the advertisement of the magazine in a summer issue of the Phantom that year, and then I thought: Now I have my great chance to get a comic published.

Did you read the Phantom when you were young?

My first Phantom I read around 1962, but my intensive Phantom period started in 1965 and lasted until 1968. After 68, I got more interested in Tintin, Asterix and other French album comics.

What do you think of the Phantom as a literary figure?

The Phantom is a very interesting and complex figure, much because he has never been very popular in USA. You can only imagine how it would have developed if it had become a normal American magazine comic with the American moral codes which handicapped the series very much in the 50-s and 60-s.

Is the Phantom still relevant in our modern world?

Of course! Or does anyone think that the world has become calmer and better after the Cold War ended some 15 years ago? It is just as much war, disasters and injustice today as for 20, 30, 40 years ago. Meanwhile we also see in the news idealists in many countries giving their lives to change the world. In that connection, a hero as the Phantom fits perfect.

How is it to be both an author and artist at the same time?

It can be very stressful I can tell you. Especially if I write and draw several stories in a row. Then I must make a synopsis and preferably a script to the second story while I’m drawing the first story. Sometimes it feels like chasing my own tail, a rather frustrating thing to do I can reveal.

How do you think the Phantom should develop?

Since I’m a part of the editorial council, I present my ideas on our meetings. Some of them turns real, and therefore I can’t tell you anything, that would reveal the future – and that is not fun, is it?

When you write a story, what is the most important element for you? Suspense, humour or realism?

To me it is suspense mixed with humour – what had the world looked like without a smile. The realism is of course also important, but it must not be so dominating that it destroys the pleasure of telling the story. If you, as an author, not can give your figures an independent frame, but only stick to what has been documented, you can never make the people or the adventure come alive.

Which of your own stories is your favorite?

That is a very difficult question, as I like all of my own stories – even though some have more success than others. The Spy (Frew 1299) was very amusing to write, and so was the 22nd Phantom as well (Frew 1268-69). The story about Devil (Frew 1376) is also one of my absolute favorites, since the wolf is my all time favorite in the universe of the Phantom.

The reason for that is that while I was waiting for my first Phantom script in 1982, Buried Alive, editor Granberg asked to try to draw Devil as the wolf he was, not like a Schäfer dog as many other artists used to. So I walked down to our Royal Museum of Natural History in Stockholm, armed with pen and paper, and drew the wolves exhibited there. Since that day I have had a preference for Devil.

Do you prefer drawing historical or contemporary stories?

Those stories that I like best to draw are stories where I get to use my own imagination when it comes to the environments. Whether those are historical or contemporary is not equally important.

Can you tell us about a normal day at work?

I start around seven in the morning working on the layout on today’s page. Then I start the sketching. Or else I might spend those hours searching for references on the Internet, and this I keep doing to about two in the afternoon. Then I take out paintbrush and felt pen (I’m rather old fashioned when it comes to drawing equipment, and I stay clear out of felt-tip pens) and then I ink the page as long as it is needed. Sometimes it can be late, but when that has happened I have often taken a walk in the middle of the day. My day at work is rarely more than 8 hours long – no matter how many formula 1 competitions I try to get to see.

Can you tell a bit about the drawing process in special?

There’s nothing special about it. I first make small layout sketches until I’m satisfied with the placing of the individual pictures. Then I simply sketch it all on one drawing sheet which I then ink.

The King of Norway was published not long ago, but what are you working on now?

Before I started my vacation, I finished a story appearing in issue 21, and which is part two in the story about the saviour by Claes (part two of Healing Hands, Frew 1424). Now I have started on a story after my own script, which will be published in Scandinavia early next year, and which is a brand new concept of the Phantom.

Have you ever received offers from foreign comic syndicates?

No, I haven’t received any such offers, and since I now, for over 20 years have been busy drawing the Phantom, I have not had time to call up any foreign publishers. You can’t draw unlimited amounts of comics – at least I can’t.

What other comics have you been involved with?

In a period I left the Phantom and started working for the magazine X9 (Scandinavian magazine for suspense comics). The series in question were Chuck Riley and Team Murphy – together with Claes Reimeith. But soon I realised that the Phantom have greater variation to the artist, so I left that world to return to the deep woods and our masked hero. During the transition I also drew the comic Lilla Fridolf (Swedish humour comic) a couple of years, until the comic was dismantled.

Norman Worker passed away earlier this year. You have by numerous occasions cooperated with him, how will you describe him both as a person and an author?

The picture I have of Norman is that he was a very sympatric, elderly gentleman with the pipe in the corner of the mouth – something that resulted in scripts smelling tobacco. I suppose he is the author whose scripts have been easiest to work with. His picture instructions always gave the artist great liberty, which was very inspiring. I do not think he was directly a revolutionary author, but his stories were traditionally English in a very entertaining way. I think many with me miss Norman Worker.

Is there anything you will say to the Norwegian readers?

I do hope that Norwegian readers, as I am, are very proud of the Scandinavia Phantom which we Norwegian and Swedish authors and artists have developed during the over 30 years we have functioned. Before our time, the Phantom was an excellent adventure comic, but it was us who placed him in world history and gave him the depth which, and that I’m convinced of, will continue to fascinate coming generations. We have succeeded in making the Phantom something more than a masked hero in a far off country – we ought to be proud of that, I think.

Thank you for taking your time to do this interview, and have a nice day.

Steffen Hope

If there are any mistakes or unclear subjects – which there are, I’m sure, contact me and tell: steffen@fantomet.org