ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an interview with Finnish comics artist, publisher and translator Mika Lietzén, conducted by Ralf Kauranen. Lietzén is known for his clear, simple-looking line and his stories that often have a starting point in the ordinary but do not shy away from more fantastic or magical aspects. Outside Finland, Lietzén’s comics have also been published in, for example, France and Sweden. Discussing the frequent code-switchings between languages in Lietzén’s comics, Lietzén and Kauranen come to the conclusion that they often function as small mysteries in the stories while also thematizing language use, intercultural relations and a longing for being elsewhere. Multilingualism is also discussed in relation to Lietzén’s working practices. Although most of his comics have first been published in Finnish, Lietzén’s working language is usually English. All in all, the interview provides a broad picture of what multilingualism has come to mean in a contemporary comics artist’s life and work in the Nordic countries.
