Joakim has a brain full of ideas

When Socker-Conny first appeared in the mid-1980s, this coarse yet sarcastic and humorous figure was largely novel to those who had only heard of Kalle Anka, the 91st. or Tin-Tin and Lucky Luke.

However, Socker-Conny has surprisingly hit the world of Swedish series with the help of a sharp iron pipe. Since then, he is the constant companion of Joakim Pirin.

The character is featured in five albums, including three in the '80s and two in the' 90s. The actual main album comes from Socker-Conny and was released in 1985. This will be a new edition of next year, which will be completed by newly created drawings.

Joakim, who is in Skövde tonight with Lina Ekdahl for a writer's thesis at the library, notes that he is now feeling panicked in his puzzle.

"I'm proud and happy to have won a name with Socker-Conny and to have been able to touch as much with him, it's difficult and few creations are overcome," said Joakim.

"At the same time, he will always overshadow everything I do and I can not go beyond it because he came in such a unique situation, at that time, the career of adults was a novelty in Sweden and you can not repeat, which is frustrating.

Joakim adds that he only read Sugar Conny's album once after its release. He did it in the 90s and was shocked to find out how much his figure was racist.

"It's given to the Chinese and the Indians.Today, it was not possible to do it as I did when I drew it." was a completely different time when I did, "said Joakim.

What is your relationship with Sugar-Conny today?

"When I wanted to draw it again, I came out a lot of old drawings, but it was hard to do.It was hard at the time and now is." Among other things , his pants are made of small dots, which is very difficult to draw in a purely technical way.Then the face was full of small dots and it was all sad when I tried it now.

"I sat down and made sketches in one of my sketchbooks, but I did not contact him when I tried again." I just filled in, but I have no idea of ​​that, admits Joakim.

After Socker-Conny, Joakim Pirinen still has the cartoon character and has released several albums with new characters in the lead roles. In addition, he worked in the publishing industry, wrote plays and also published several fiction books in order to sum up a very multifaceted career with a few words of humor.

The last fiction book was named Reply to suggestions and came out recently. He describes this as many satirical suggestions for solutions, on problems that exist in our society.

The book derives its origins from an unprecedented radio report that it did on P1 about Europe and nationalism. This work prompted him to start wondering if there was anything else about which he had opinions and that was obviously.

– The ideas just pushed me on. There were 30, 40 suggestions I had in the brain and I wrote. Then I got the idea for the book and then I did it, "Joakim said, as if it was the simplest and most obvious thing in the world.

As an example of one of the proposals, it mentions the world's largest roller coaster, which could be built in Norrland.

– I saw a program on the problems they encountered there and I found that, because of the available space, you could build a roller coaster that would last several hours . I think it's a very good idea, said Joakim with a smile.

And adds for security reasons;

"Most of the ideas are pretty absurd, but would like to shed light on the state of things.

Joakim Pirin's drawings are usually extremely detailed and rarely give a slight impression of chaos. When we see them, it is not surprising to see how such a brain feels behind all these creations.

Joakim admits that he always has many ideas in mind and that he also has a lot of images, which makes it difficult to work normally from time to time.

"Then I still have vocabulary, which is tiring," says Joakim.

How do you remember all the ideas that have come up?

– I always have a block with me. In this I write everything that comes to me. Usually it is a single sentence that I note.

– Regarding the drawings, I always start with some details, then I build the image around. I often have a script as the reason, but it's the details, a little thing that becomes the starter of the painting and that makes you want to draw, "says Joakim Pirinen.