''Vangsgutane'' () is a Norwegian

comic strip A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics terminology#Captio ...

. It was started in 1940, after initiative from

Hans Aarnes Hans Aarnes (6 May 1886 – 25 October 1960) was a Norwegian entrepreneur, journalist, newspaper editor, magazine editor, publisher and proponent for the Nynorsk language. Early and personal life Aarnes was born in Vatne, Møre og Romsdal as t ...

, editor of the magazine ''

Nynorsk Vekeblad Hans Aarnes (6 May 1886 – 25 October 1960) was a Norwegians, Norwegian entrepreneur, journalist, newspaper editor, magazine editor, publisher and proponent for the Nynorsk language. Early and personal life Aarnes was born in Vatne, Møre og Rom ...

''. The strip first appeared in ''Nynorsk Vekeblad'' in October 1940, and from 1941 as a separate Christmas album. Text writer was

Leif Halse Leif Torvald Halse (7 July 1896 – 8 February 1984) was a Norwegian teacher, novelist, short story writer, children's writer, comics writer and local historian, particularly known for the comics series '' Vangsgutane''. Biography He was bo ...

, and the first illustrator of the strip was Jens R. Nilssen, who made the drawings from 1940 to 1957. Later illustrators were Atle Steinsfjord, Bjarne Kristoffersen, Ivar Pettersen and John Thoresen. The last original strip was made in 1981, and Halse, the creator of the series, died in 1984. From 1982 there have been published annual reissues of albums from the series.

Setting

The plot is set in the rural society of Todalen in

Halsa Municipality Halsa is a former municipality in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The municipality existed from 1838 until 2020 when it became part of Heim Municipality in Trondelag county. It was part of the Nordmøre region. The administrative centre of Hal ...

Nordmøre Nordmøre () is a Districts of Norway, traditional district in the Norway, Norwegian county of Møre og Romsdal. The area comprises the northern third of the county including the List of municipalities of Norway, municipalities of Kristiansund Mu ...

. Among the central characters are the young brothers Steinar and Kåre Vangen, their mother Sigrid (widow and farmer), Sterk-Ola Bakken, Breiset-gubben and Larris Skjorhagen. A statue of ''Vangsgutane'', sculptured by

Annasif Døhlen Annasif Døhlen (23 June 1930 – 5 January 2021) was a Norwegian sculptor. Biography Born in Stavanger on 23 June 1930, Døhlen was a daughter of sculptor Aimée Døhlen and Herman Døhlen. Among her works are portraits of Johan Scharffenbe ...

, was raised in Todalen in 1997.

References

Norwegian comic strips 1940 comics debuts 1981 comics endings Comics characters introduced in 1940 1940 establishments in Norway Comics set in Norway Fictional Norwegian people Fictional farmers Child characters in comics Male characters in comics Comics about children Comics set on farms Adventure comics Norwegian comics characters {{comic-strip-stub