2016

Oulu Comics Festival 3.-6.11.2016

 

The fifth Oulu Comics Festival offered almost a hundred different happenings to audience. Festivals main venues were at Cultural Centre Valve and comics library Sarjasto at Oulu City Library.

First taste of festivals were served at 27.10.2016, when Kalle Hakkolas and Mari Ahokoivus exhibition Sanni & Joonas – Cousin-Hugo were opened at Gallery Oskari Jauhiainen, Kiiminki.

Librarybus Onneli turned to Comicsbus and rounded over Oulu region schools for whole week 31.10-6.11. Most known of  her “Cursing Hedgehog”-comics, cartoonist Milla Paloniemi travelled with Comicsbus, and visited 14 schools at Oulu region.

Grand opening of  Finlands first comic library, Sarjasto were celebrated at thursday 03.11.2016. Opening ceremony containt exhibition opening, comics quiz and music performance. Oulu City library organisized an Library Club-event, which collected participants very well, and created all new vibe to improve Oulu Comics Festivals program in Oulu City Library for upcoming years.

Program in Sarjasto continued at friday 04.11.2016 for  Arctic Comics Seminar, where were discussions of  science and comics. Seminars special guests were researcher PhD Katja Kontturi, who defended her doctoral dissertation at Don Rosa’s Disney Comics, and Norwegian Kristian Hellesund, who had an special lecture about history of Norwegian comics.

The winners of Nordic Comics Competition 2016, and Spiral-anthology were announced at Festival gala 04.11. 2016. In touch of Festival Gala opened also a exhibitions of comics counselor Ilpo Koskela and Oulu Nordic Comics Competition 2016. The eight Skrew You-acknowledgement were granted post mortem to Heikki Porkola.

On saturday 05.11.2016, the mainday of Oulu Comics Festival, whole Cultural Centre Valve filled up with comics. Publishers and zine-makers sold their artworks in Comic Oasis, which this year expanded also in Valvesali. Enlargen the festival venue in Cultural Centre Valve transformed the atmosphere on festival even more cosy and pleasant. Lectures, interviews and other programs in festivals collected record amount of visitors.

Oulu Comics Festival 2016 afforded visitors a full review of foreigner, Finnish and Nordic comics. Also several guest took part at festivals: https://www.oulucomics.com/festival/16/people/

Earlier years, Oulu Comics Festival has had several foreigner festival guests from Nordic countries. At 2016, festivals received first time guests also outside of Scandinavia, at Spain and Japan.

In spirit of Oulu Comics Festival 2016 theme Seventh Art, Oulu Film Centre presented Donald Duck- filmseries and other movies at Valve Studio Cinema. Open comicsworkshops were organized saturday at Cultural Centre Valve and sunday at Sarjasto. Oulu Comics Festivals were also part of  Oulu – a city for childrens culture program.

At sunday 6.11. Sarjasto introduced Karoliina Korhonen, author of a very famous Finnish Nightmares -comics. Discussions about comicsblogs, e-books, becoming of proffesional cartoonist and crisscross making took place at Sarjastos stage. At the closing of  a 2016 festivals in Oulu Comics Center were released 2017 festivals.

Over the Oulu Comics Festival 2016 were shown 15 comics exhibitions in various places at Oulu. Inter alia, Icelandic comics artist Lóa Hjalmtysdottirs exhibition was shown at festival restaurant Konst O. Del’s walls, festival artist Emmi Nieminens exhibition at Oulu City Librarys exhibition space and collaboration with Swedish Tusen series accomplished Dubbelmoral-exhibition introducing swedish comics were shown at Bingo-Gallery.

Oulu Comics Festival 2016 festival artist was Emmi Nieminen.