Lao Sanmao.2

Author: Jacobson (Sweden)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-10-01
Features: A bald head with three strands of hair, unremarkable in appearance but physically robust; aged but not worldly-wise; often wearing a top hat and smoking a cigar, wandering the streets alone, experiencing various adventures; sometimes even at home, he encounters trouble, but he always has his own solutions—though, of course, there are also times when he is helpless against misfortune. This is the glorious image of the comic character Adamson, created by the cartoonist Oscar Jacobson.
Among the famous comic characters abroad, there are a few old "Samos." Oscar Jacobson, a renowned Swedish cartoonist, created the bald old man with only three strands of hair—Andersson—which is one of the most beloved. Andersson is a mistranslation of Adamson (both names being surnames in Sweden), and it was used in China for over half a century. To align the translation with the original name given by the artist, some cartoonists called for a correction. This Andersson is the protagonist of the world-renowned comic strip "Andersson." He is "unremarkable in appearance but physically robust; aged but not worldly-wise; often wearing a top hat and smoking a cigar, wandering the streets alone, experiencing various adventures—even at home, he often encounters trouble. He is a hero who is out of touch with the times but always victorious."
As early as the 1940s, Chinese cartoonist Wang Zimei introduced Andersson in an article titled "Five Comic Strips" as follows: "The hero is like Don Quixote, and the spiritual victory is like that of Ah Q. In magazines and pictorials, he is active, stealing the spotlight from the popular characters. His humor, which is extraordinary yet ordinary, is hilarious. On one hand, it is due to the typical charm of the protagonist, and on the other, the simplicity and economy of the illustrations, as well as the witty and enduring humor." Another cartoonist remarked, "What sets him apart is his tenacious and hardworking character. Many old-world comic strip protagonists are small figures, failures in life. In this regard, Andersson has its own unique charm, worth pondering."
As a cartoonist, Jacobson only turned to art after the age of 30. Born in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1889, he lost both parents at a young age and could only attend school three days a week. At 13, he dropped out of school to work as a long-term laborer and later became a logger, blacksmith, and train stoker. After graduating from the Valand Art School, he worked as a night teacher and contributed to the famous newspaper "Dagbladet" and other publications. On October 17, 1920, he began serializing the long comic strip "Andersson" in the humorous weekly "S?ndag-Nisse," and starting the following year, he published an annual standalone volume. This had a worldwide impact, becoming a classic in the treasure trove of European comics. Selections of his work were published in Germany, England, France, the United States, and other countries. During his travels in Greece and Italy from 1925 to 1926, he created "Andersson's Wanderings." In 1934, the elder Chinese cartoonist Zhang Guangyu compiled and published 100 of his works in a standalone volume, which Japan's cartoonist community still regards as a model.
"Andersson" was published by the United News Syndicate in the United States in 1922 and renamed "Sam the Silent." However, after 1936, local cartoonists took over the drawing, even adding backgrounds and dialogue. In 1930, Jacobson held a solo exhibition at the Gullmanson Art Hall in Stockholm. In 1944, he published "A Selection of Andersson's Best Works from 25 Years." In his later years, despite suffering from a terminal illness, he created another comic character, the magician "Abu Al-Khaier," which was serialized in the newspaper "Vi." The following year, it was published as a standalone volume. He passed away at the end of that year. In 1946, his hometown of Gothenburg held a retrospective exhibition for him, with his works displayed at the Gothenburg Art Museum and other venues. The Danish cartoonist Viggo Rode (Viggo Ludvigsen) continued drawing Andersson without signing his name until 1965. Two Danish annual awards for domestic and international comic strips were designed as small statues of Andersson.
Jacobson's artistic techniques were superb. The character of Andersson is highly individualized and typical, rarely seen in the world of comic strips. His works are full of rich ingenuity without vulgar or lowbrow depictions.