Rights & Brands now handle over 800 Moomin licensees globally, ranging from publishers to theme parks, from apps to animations and any and all moominous products you might imagine.
Dear partner, client, licensee and Moomin fan - welcome to the second issue of the Moomin Magazine!
What a strange year this has been! At Rights & Brands we started off 2020 with a fantastic Moomin licensee meeting and the Tove Festival in Stockholm. Just days later, the pandemic was a fact and the future seemed terribly uncertain for many of us. Despite covid, challenging distribution, freight and retail situations, home offices and lock downs, both the Moomins, Rights & Brands and most of our licensees managed not only to survive but to grow the Moomin business to new, double-digit levels. New clients have added to the plethora of categories, new and competent sub-agents have joined, new networks, channels and partnerships have emerged and extended the business and brand recognition far beyond what we could have ever imagined during a global crisis.
In our eco-system it is clear that the effects of covid have hit markets very differently. Brands that are digital-first have succeeded better than those heavily dependent on traditional retail. At Rights & Brands and Moomin Characters we have increased our focus to drive the digital agenda and in this issue you can read about the Moomin initiative to drive reach through online and physical Moomin shops combined, working as one.
Looking at expanding markets, we see a steep rise in awareness and sales in both the UK, Germany and in China. In this issue of the magazine, you will meet Ivan Chan who leads the Moomin sub-agency PPW and brand initiative from Hong Kong.
Over 1,1 million euro donated to #OURSEA
Last year we celebrated 75 years since the first Moomin novel The Moomins and the Great Flood was published, with the CSR initiative #OURSEA, supporting the John Nurminen Foundation to protect the Baltic Sea. The goal was to generate over 1 million euro and with support from our fans, licensees and partners the donation ended up at an astonishing number: over 1,1 million euro contributed - a fantastic achievement! We are so grateful for your efforts and support in this important matter. Our commitment to sustainability is firm, and we will continue to give back to society and work with our partners to make our footprint as small as possible.
Being able to express yourself is one of the most important things in the world and we are very proud to introduce Reading, Writing and the Moomins – a long-term literacy and learning program.
Assets include the ABC styleguides based on Toves hand-drawn alphabets and original illustrations but also retail and school exhibitions, teacher materials and an inspirational brand book for partners and licensees to create beautiful products. The ABC publishing program has been launched and we are constantly adding more languages and publishers to this poetic and inspiring initiative.
New collaborations
Don’t miss the feature pages to catch a glimpse of new collaborations and products from some of our Moomin 800 licensees; Skultuna, Cath Kidston, Fiskars, Martinex and Muurla. In this issue, we showcase some of the new releases from the over 14 000 products available today.
Moominvalley animation sold to over 50 territories
The Moominvalley tv-series has been sold to over 50 territories and aired recently in Germany and Japan and instantly receiving top rankings. Rights & Brands and Moomin Characters Ltd have invested in Gutsy Animation, the production company behind the success, to secure continuous growth and development of the animation. We have more animation news – there’s a new Christmas show coming up this year, with contributors from all over the Nordics, to replace the “Disney Hour” on Christmas Eve in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland.
At Rights & Brands offices in Stockholm, Helsinki, Oslo and Tokyo we are now over 30 people, and hiring! We believe that working and collaborating with us should be fun and challenging and about growing together. We will continue to do. Our best in supporting our clients and sticking to the fast and agile work mode that we have been practicing from the start. To get the latest and greatest updates from R&B and the Moomins, follow us online and in social media.
Stay curious, read, write and make yourself heard. Strive to create the opportunities and changes to make this world a little more fun, inspiring, richer. To quote Sophia Jansson, Creative Director at Moomin Characters: “How much poorer the world would be without the Moomin books”. Very true. Happy reading!
Patrick Ullman CEO, Rights & Brands
Rights & Brands is the worldwide master agent of the Moomins. The ties between Moomin Characters and Rights & Brands go as far back as the fifties, through owners, previous partnerships and family relationships.
“We turn out the lights in the studio and sit in front of the fire and she says: Once upon a time there was a little girl who was terribly pretty and her mother was terribly fond of her… Each story must begin the same way, but after that it doesn’t really matter. A slow, gentle voice in the warm darkness, one gazes into the fire and there are no dangers at all… Everything else is outside and can’t come in. Not now and not ever.”
– Tove Jansson in Sculptor’s Daughter (1969)The world famous writer and artist Tove Jansson read non-stop from a very young age. As she grew up, books were always being exchanged and discussed both in the Jansson family home and within Tove’s circle of friends. So it’s little wonder that Tove became a storyteller, writing and illustrating the Moomin books that are still loved by millions of readers around the world today.
It all started with a pen and paper
At Moomin Characters Ltd, we want to help spark that same Tovelike curiosity in the next generation, and to spread the joy of reading and writing, because these things help us live better and more fulfilling lives – and make us happier people!
The Power of words
Being able to express yourself is one of the most important things in the world: it allows you to communicate your hopes and dreams, relate to others, engage with the big issues of our times, and create change. To express yourself, you first need to learn to read and write.
That’s why we at Moomin Characters Ltd are on a mission to spread the love of reading and writing. The theme of reading and writing as a roadmap to happiness will be at the heart of everything we do the following years – and we would love for you to join us.
We’re delighted that several prominent charities and organizations including Unicef, the Red Cross, Oxfam and The Children and Youth Foundation’s Read Hour have all already agreed to join us in our mission. We will be supporting their ongoing work towards our shared goal in various ways, including fundraising through product sales of our Moomin ABC Collection.
Tove Jansson’s unique hand-drawn alphabets form the key visuals for the Moomin ABC products – read more about those and our inspiring projects and partners in this Moomin Magazine. Please indulge and help us spread moominous joy of reading and writing! Go to moom.in/abc for inspiration, news and free downloadable resources.
A few years ago while talking to a friend about books we got on to the theme of literacy, and she told me that her father, an immigrant from Jamaica to the UK, had never learnt to read. I was shocked because I just took it for granted that everyone, not living in a remote jungle, would have reading and writing as standard skills to help them get by in life. I tried to fathom how I myself would have managed even a day without recognising letters, knowing words or the meaning of a sentence. The answer came to me quickly: very poorly indeed! Being illiterate certainly hampered this father’s life; he would never hold anything but a low salaried manual job and as a consequence would have to work day and night to feed his family.
I was lucky, as in my family everyone believed in the power of reading and my grandmother taught me my first ABCs before I started school. Learning in school was made available and mandatory for each child from 1921 in a newly independent Finland, only a few years after Tove Jansson was born. She was among the first generation of girls in her country who all learned to read and write, and thus had more freedom, a shot at a better life, perhaps a higher education, a job with better pay, even the skills to partake in the shaping of society.
Tove loved to read, each story fed her fantasy and opened up an amazing new world. Already as a very young girl she started to write and illustrate her own little imaginary adventures. She went on to write about her thoughts, feelings, events both real and made up in letters, diaries and other texts from then on. In 1945 she escaped into fantasy, away from the tragedies of the Second World War, and wrote and illustrated the first Moomin story, and as the cliché goes: the rest is history. How much poorer the world would be without the Moomin books! In every possible sense.
So going back to the basics of ABC with the help of the Moomins seems to fit very well with what we are about at Moomin Characters. By focusing on Tove’s lovely letters in the newly designed complete alphabets, our new assets made for our licensees to use, we want to take you right to the core of the fun in language. Kobra Agency has designed several different styles of alphabets and letters all based on Toves writing and illustrations, for our Media Bank. Moomin Characters would love to take you along on this quest to further the love of reading and writing with us.
Sophia Jansson Creative Director, Moomin Characters Ltd
In 2017, the Moomins and Oxfam joined forces in a special campaign to empower women and girls around the world. The partnership had Tove’s short story The Invisible Child at its heart. The tales sees Ninny, a little girl who has turned invisible after being badly treated, gradually reappear and regain her voice in the world – a right millions of women and girls around the world are still denied.
Published as a standalone title for the first time by Sort of Books, the special edition of The Invisible Child has now sold over 60,000 copies through Waterstones, Moomin and Oxfam shops in the UK. It was also published in Finnish and Swedish by Förlaget. In total, the partnership between Moomin and Oxfam has helped to raise over £1 million to women and girls around the world - a fantastic sum that we are very proud of.
As well as raising vital funds to help empower women and girls living in poverty, the partnership used the power of storytelling to reinforce the values of equality, compassion, and kindness. Oxfam is delighted to be working with the Moomins again this year through the new Moomin ABC initiative to inspire a love of reading and writing. As an organisation that works around the world to tackle poverty and inequality, we know how important literacy is in helping people to build brighter futures, connect with others and create positive change in the world. We are really excited to be involved in the project.
Imagine not being able to express your feelings for lack of words. Imagine not being able to apply for a job because you cannot write or because you wouldn’t know how to.
According to studies, a young person who reads regularly has about 70,000 words in their vocabulary. A young person who does not read knows about 15,000 words. We need words to show empathy, to imagine a better future, and to cope well in life.
Finland is one of the most educated countries, with high PISA ranking but even so, students’ literacy results are dropping and causing much concern for the future. That is why the Finnish Children and Youth Foundation for the third time now organises a Read Hour campaign that challenges everyone to read for an hour on UN’s International Literacy Day, September 8th.
The campaign celebrates reading because that is the discourse that will help us to get not just youngsters, but everyone, on board with reading again. The campaign has been extremely well received among young people and all over Finland.
Moomin Characters has been a great supporter of the campaign from the beginning. With the help and love from the Moomins, we will start broadening the campaign outside of Finnish borders already in 2021.
Our campaign slogan is very simple: Read more. Will you?
Olli Alanen Executive Director, The Children and Youth Foundation
Using Tove’s hand drawn alphabets and characteristic Moomin illustrations, the ABC Collection artwork has been created to encourage reading and writing and expressing yourself in all aspects of daily life and for use on all types of products.
The alphabets created for the collection are all based on Tove Jansson’s original lettering.
To further reading and writing as a tool for understanding ourselves and the world around us, Moomin Characters Ltd launched the initiative Reading, Writing and the Moomins in the beginning of 2021. Within this initiative, Moomin Characters Ltd joined forces with PEN International, the Finnish Red Cross and the Finnish Commission for UNICEF in various ways.
PEN International
PEN International, which celebrates its centenary in September 2021, promotes the freedom of speech and works for the human rights of writers worldwide. Collaborating with Moomin Characters within the Reading, Writing and the Moomins initiative felt like a natural fit.
”The values of the Reading, Writing and the Moomins initiative align in a very special way with our values, because PEN International defends not only the freedom of speech but also the power of expression and storytelling to transform lives and societies”, Jennifer Clement President of PEN International, explains.
To advance this goal of using storytelling to empower children, PEN International will translate Tove Jansson´s short story The Invisible Child into several native languages in Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Nigeria and Mexico and distribute the story in these countries. A range of Moomin x PEN limited edition products are also available for purchase on moomin.com. The proceeds are directed to PEN’s work to enhance literacy.
Red Cross
Tove Jansson worked together with the Finnish Red Cross already back in the 1960s, drawing images for them to use in their work. These original images have now been brought back as part of the collaboration between the Finnish Red Cross and Moomin Characters Ltd as a part of Reading, Writing and the Moomins. The Finnish Red Cross will launch products with these images together with different Moomin licensees in the coming years, with part of the revenue going to the work of bringing people together and advancing humanity that the Red Cross does all over the world.
”Reading and writing skills and education are the keys to equal and peaceful societies”, says Nina Vähäpassi, Corporate Alliance Manager at Finnish Commission for UNICEF, so working with Moomin Characters within the initiative felt like a perfect match.
The Finnish Commission for UNICEF also has a history of collaborating with Tove Jansson, as she in 1981 illustrated a peace march for them, so using this image as the basis of the collaboration with Moomin Characters Ltd was a given. During the coming two years, the Finnish Commission for UNICEF will collaborate with Moomin licensees to make different products featuring elements of that original illustration. Part of the revenue will support UNICEF´s global work for quality education for every child, a work that, in Vähäpassi´s words,”is especially important in these days when the pandemic has disrupted the education for millions of children all around the world”.
Otava Publishing Company Ltd is a major Finnish publishing house with a history that stretches back over 130 years. It is part of Otava Group, a family company that has shaped the Finnish media and learning landscape in step with Finnish culture. A key influencer in the learning field, Otava has helped build Finland’s celebrated school system with textbooks familiar to all Finns.
In 2021 Otava joined the Moomin publishing and licensing family to support Moomin Characters’ new initiative, Reading, Writing and the Moomins, and launched a vast and expansive collection of books and products anchored around the beacon product, the ABC book Onnelliset aakkoset, meaning Happy Alphabet
“This is the largest single commercial concept and investment made within this theme in Finland – and the speed Otava has built it in is staggering. Many different organisations within the Otava group have been involved, and yet, they have in a brief period of time together pulled out an extensive publishing program. Over 60 shop-in-shops, meaningful collaborations with global charity organisations and an exceptional marketing roadmap”, says Roleff Kråkström, the Managing Director of Moomin Characters Oy Ltd.
“Otava has shown us what can come out of openness and boldness – and what it means to take ownership”, Kråkström adds.
An extensive product range
As a part of the collaboration, Otava will publish more than 80 Moomin titles this year, from children’s books to activity books, diaries and notebooks to emotion cards, both in Finland and soon also in Sweden, with tens of Moomin products to be launched in the upcoming years.
The collection of books and other paper products has been built upon Otava’s new ABC book as the anchor product. Thus, it follows a coherent narrative based on the Moomin stories and the joint goal of spreading the joy of reading and writing.
The range of products will grow as new, wonderful products will be launched during the fall.
A new ABC book
Otava released the new Moomin-themed ABC book in January 2021, and already in March, Onnelliset aakkoset was the most sold children’s book in Finland – which marks the first top 1 position for the Moomin books after Tove Jansson’s active years.
The ABC book, written in Finnish by Paula Nivukoski, aims to help children find the joy of reading and writing. The creative texts written by Nivukoski play with letters and phonetics and make the learning of the alphabet fun, while the stunning original illustrations by Tove Jansson tie the storyline beautifully to the visual world of the Moomins.
It is of utmost importance to respect the original Moomin philosophy and Tove Jansson’s expressive and strong illustrations”, says Kaisu-Maria Toiskallio, Publishing Director Children and Young Readers at Otava. “The stories are based on themes such as friendship, courage and tolerance – so exactly those things that the original Moomin stories are built upon.”
Over 60 shop-in-shops
As a part of Otava’s investment in the “Reading, Writing and the Moomins” initiative, they have also armed their book vendor company “Suomalainen Kirjakauppa”, which is the largest bookshop chains in Finland, by opening more than 60 Moomin shop-inshops in its stores in Finland.
Kobra Agency has designed the ABC book and overall visual identity for the Readinng, Writing and the Moomins concept, as well as the store props.
Do you represent a library, a museum, or a culture house that wants to showcase beautifully designed material based on the Moomin characters and their emotions? Or a commercial space that has plans to highlight cultural content?
Reading, Writing, and the Moomins – the exhibitions is a concept consisting of three parts, a collection of posters that any exhibitor can print themselves, artwork in higher quality for more discerning exhibitors, and a touring exhibition of physical constructions.
In Tove Jansson’s stories about Moominvalley and its inhabitants, all emotions are allowed. Little My is often angry but she’s not the only one. There are many things to be happy about and some things that cause fear. There is anxiety and disappointment and an enormous desire for adventure and a sense of longing that drives the characters forward.
Common to all exhibition ensembles are Tove Jansson’s fantastic illustrations and stories and the new ABC books Mumindalens alfabet and Onnelliset aakkoset published in Swedish by Förlaget and Bonnier Carlsen and in Finnish by Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. The exhibitions are complemented by educational material that, based on the emotions evoked by the Moomin stories, invites visitors to explore their feelings through discussion, exercises, and play.
The exhibitions are created by All Things Content and Design Agency Kobra and funded by Moomin Characters and Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. Visit moom.in/abcexhibition for more information!
Mumindalens Alfabet is the Swedish Moomin ABC book, written by renowned author and poet Annika Sandelin and beautifully illustrated by Tove Jansson’s original artwork.
Annika Sandelin has successfully mimicked Tove Jansson’s poetic language in this completely new title, which aims to help children find the joy of reading and writing. The creative texts are a play on letters and phonetics and will make the learninng of the alphabet a fun experience - as well as beautifully guiding the reader into the wonderful world of the Moomins.
Tove Jansson’s original Moomin illustrations have been carefully coloured in a vivid colour scheme resembling the illustrations from the Moomin picture books. The playfulness of the book will without doubt make it fun for adults to read, too. The book is published by Förlaget in Finland and Bonnier Carlsen in Sweden, and is complemented with colouring books that teach writing in a fun way.
Plastic waste is one of the largest global environmental challenges. Paptic Gavia ® is a new bio-based, recyclable, reusable and biodegrading next generation packaging material made from reneable raw material.
Moomin chocolate drops by Fazer, released in December 2020, are the first sweets to be packed in the new Paptic Gavia® material.
Paptic Gavia® is a wood-based material with a minimum of 80% of raw materials from renewable sources –certified Nordic forests, for instance. Packages made from this state-of-the-art material can also be recycled again.
“Packaging protects the product and reduces unnecessary food waste. And reducing food waste is one of the key ways of minimising the adverse environmental impacts of food production,” says Sari Sarin, Head of Sustainability at Fazer.
“For the environment, sorting packages correctly is crucial. To make sorting easier, we have introduced clear recycling markings to our packaging this year.
Read more about Paptic on their website www.paptic.com. Moomin Characters Oy Ltd is actively looking for other licensees who could work with Paptic.
The prototype of the sold-out Moomin watch by Sarpaneva Watches was sold for the remarkable price of 33 000 euros in January 2021.
The auction was arranged by the well-renowned Phillips auction house, at the moment regarded as one of the world’s most significant auction houses of the finest collectors’ watches. The proceeds from the auction were donated directly to Moomin Characters’ and the John Nurminen Foundation’s joint #OURSEA campaign.
The design of the watch’s dial is inspired by Tove Jansson’s illustration from the novel Moominsummer Madness (1954). In the original illustration, Moomintroll is seen dreaming among reeds on a summer day.
”I’m humbled by this kind of dedication and kindness from a watch enthusiast: the watch will be in good hands. Taking care of our one and only planet, and here especially one of its beautiful and magical seas, is a deed of great importance and something we owe to the future generations”, says Stepan Sarpaneva, the designer of the watch.
The #OURSEA campaign, launched in January 2020, reached its goal of raising 1 million euros in early spring 2021. The campaign was set to mark the 75th anniversary of the Moomin stories and to help the John Nurminen Foundation to save the Baltic Sea and its unique heritage. By the end of the campaign, in July 2021, the campaign had raised 1168 000 euros – and this is all due to the campaign participants and fans of the beloved Moomin stories.
The #OURSEA campaign took our breath away with its beauty, clear message, channels – and great partners, both the licensees of Moomin Characters and our supporters who joined the campaign.
#OURSEA has been more than a celebration of the genuine art by Tove Jansson; it has been more than a fundraising campaign; it has touched and taught individuals to understand the ecosystem of the Baltic Sea, the needs of a sea area in danger. #OURSEA has also given hope that we humans hold the solution in our hands: we can do it, we can save a sea, and we can save parts of a nearly lost culture that was bound with ancient ways of living of the sea.
With the help of the #OURSEA campaign, we at John Nurminen Foundation were able to start four new projects last year: Fertilizer Shipping project, which tackles one of the largest point sources of nutrients to the Baltic Sea; Manure Recycling project, which aims at impacting one of the root causes of phosphorus loads from agricultural fields; Coastal Reed project, in which nutrients are recycled on land by creating sustainable commercial usages for reed biomass; and Sea of Memories, in which memories of the
Baltic Sea were collected and compiled into a visual exhibition and gave for cultural heritage research of Åbo Akademi. This year we will continue with the first three projects and are preparing new initiatives for stopping nutrient tons from reaching the Baltic Sea. This will reduce the most significant problem of the sea, eutrophication, which is also the main threat for the Baltic Sea species and biodiversity.
We will continue to make the impossible possible – we will continue to change the story of the humans at sea to a story where the humans saved the sea. And we hope you will continue to be a part of that story.
Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt Managing Director, John Nurminen Foundation
TV serieS Moominvalley SERIES broadcast in over 50 countries
PRODUCTS
800+ LICENSEES WORLDWIDE
900+ MILLION USD SOLD ANNUALLY
The first official Moomin Shop in Europe was opened in 1999. Since then, Moomin Characters Ltd’s dedicated retail company has grown to a multi-million euro business. Outlets around Europe welcome fans from all over the world to enjoy the unique Moomin atmosphere and product selection both in store and online.
In 2020, Moomin Characters set out to create a more immersive and intuitive experience for fans and customers, and has since reworked the shops by integrating new product management, loyalty and in-store sales systems. Moomin Shop and the online company All Things Commerce Helsinki, which runs moomin.com, merged in the beginning of 2021. Now the business runs as one, allowing users to have a shared experience regardless of where they shop.
“As a brand it’s important for us to drive our own retail, because it creates physical locations for fans to engage with. We want them to get a similar experience whether they shop online or in our official stores. We’re creating one entity that serves the fans and customers as well as we possibly can. This will help create a natural flow in the stores and create even better experiences for the Moomin fans, regardless of where they interact with Moomin”, says Jonas Forth, Managing Director of All Things Commerce.
Dynamic solutions
As the Moomin brand looks to move to a hybrid pop-up and online store model to support the existing physical locations, flexible solutions were needed.
“Previously we were working with heavy-duty systems that weren’t very dynamic. Now, we have solutions in place that are simple to set up, easy to use and empower the store managers and associates to walk around the stores and engage with the customers in a different way - rather than being locked down to a station at the register. The new setup will also allow us to scale internationally,
PUBLISHING
55+ LANGUAGES NEW TITLES ADDED ANNUALLY
E-COMMERCE
Moomin has a following of over 1 Million fans across all social channels
get better data and help our licensees get a foothold in new territories,” says Jonas Forth.
The international expansion is already well on its way. In 2020 Moomin Characters invested in the UK based retail company Funkis, headed by Magnus Englund. The site moomin.co.uk and the physical shop located in London have both grown substantially and attracted a loyal following since then and aims to double its turnover in 2021.
“Moomin has a long history in the UK, being amongst the first to publish the books and from the 1950s the cartoon strips in London Evening News, although what most people remember are the various TV series that were shown in the 1980s and 1990s. So there is an adult fan base here, which makes it different from a traditional children’s character, and Tove Jansson was of course also an adult novelist and fine artist”, Magnus Englund, Managing Director at Funkis, tells.
The new German company Nordic Brand Retail, founded in 2021 together with the entrepreneur Fritz Hochshild, will supply the growing Moomin audience in Germany with engaging curated content and new products previously not available in the area. The German shop presence is currently online only at moominshop.de.
“Scandinavian children’s literature is very popular in Germany. The Moomins by Tove Jansson nevertheless tend to be among the lesser-known works, but they enjoy an ever-growing fan base, which continues to expand thanks to the new animated series. The Moomins are in many ways positively different from other children’s books or series, as the teaching of values is the main focus here and they take both young and old readers into a completely new, magical and sometimes scary world”, Fritz Hochshild Managing Director at Nordic Brand Retail, summarizes.
THEME PARKS
There are 2 Moomin theme parks, one in Finland and one in Japan
WE CONNECT WITH OVER 65 MILLION FANS ANNUALLLY
SHOPS & CAFÉS
30+ GLOBALLY
New webshops opened in the UK and Germany Moomin produCTs are sold in over 80 countries every year
In Japan, Moomin’s brand awareness is 95%
There has been an active licensing program for the Moomins since the 50’s. The first products were designed and in some cases even hand-painted by Tove Jansson herself. Several licensees are still active today and have become invaluable contributors to the brand. 1. Arabia/Fiskars plates 2. Fazer sweets 3. Atelier Fauni figurines
The Moomin product categories have evolved over the years and have recently seen several high-end brand collaborations.
1. Moomin Shop tote bag, 2. Arabia Norway mug, 3. Bergstrands coffee , 4. Porsgrund figurine 5. Makia raincoat, 6. Martinex box, 7. Haupt Lakrits, 8. Yrjö Kukkapuro chair.
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The Moomin brand offers a wide array of visual material for licensing products. At the very heart lies the original illustrations made by Tove Jansson herself. Being a work of art before being used for licensing, these images resonate with fans who have a far more personal relationship to the characters than to many other licensing properties. The images are highly versatile – going from playful, multicolour pictures suitable for children, to more sophisticated, darker imagery in black and white, which tend to attract design -driven audiences. This gives the Moomin brand a unique position, which lends itself effortlessly to both mass market and high-end products. The Moomin mediabank currently offers licensees fifteen categories or patterns, which provide a wide palette for creative use.
This material features stand alone characters in black and white and in colour. These standard images are used on a wide range of products.
• Stand alone characters
• Automatically open for all licensees
The Novels styleguide features images from the original Moomin novels. The images in this category are all black and white. The images are well suited for high quality products.
Black and white images
Suitable for high quality products
Access given on a case by case basis
This material is based on new adaptations by Puffin, Penguin Random House children’s books.
• Colourful images
• Access given on a case by case basis
This material features images drawn by Riina and Sami Kaarla for Finnish master publisher Tammi, Werner Söderström Ltd.
• Colour images
• Access given on a case by case basis
Features all the images from the Moomin Comic strip. The material includes the original texts and is in black and white.
• Black and white images
• Access given on a case by case basis
Illustrations drawn by Cecilia Heikkilä and Filippa Widlund for Swedish publisher Bonnier Carlsen.
• Colourful images
• Access given on a case by case basis
This material features the ABC images and alphabets rom the Reading, Writing and the Moomins theme.
• ABC images in three collections; Bookshelf, Shapes of Dreams and Classics
• ABC Alphabets
Colourful and graphic illustrations by Tove Jansson, created for the original Moomin picture books.
• Colour images
• Access given on a case by case basis
Ready made patterns that are suitable for many purposes. Some of the patterns are originals made by Tove Jansson.
• Colour images
• Access given on a case by case basis
The Moominvalley styleguide contains images from the Moominvalley 3D animation series.
• Images created using new techniques in 3D CGI
• Features stand-alone characters
• Access given on a case by case basis
This material features sketches from the Moominvalley 3D animation series.
• Sketchlike feel to images
• Access given on a case by case basis
This material features images from the Animation film “Moomins on the Riviera” from 2014.
• Colour images
• Access given on a case by case basis
Jep! This material features 2D images from the animated series Moominvalley.
• Colour images
• Access given on a case by case basis
Today, over 800 licensees create Moomin products and events worldwide. Firmly rooted in Nordic values, Moomin is today a truly international brand with a global appeal, attracting audiences across cultural and generational boundaries. Moomin licensees range from global stock-listed companies to agile start-ups and publishing houses, theaters, fashion designers and many more. The visual and story telling elements are equally well suited for apparel, foods and interior design, and licensees have shown that Tove Jansson’s art lends itself to both exclusive high end products for an adult audience and easily approachable collections for children. Over the next spreads we’ll showcase some of the wonderful ways Moomin licensees have used the Moomin brand and artwork, which we hope can inspire old and new Moomin licensees and partners alike.
Diapers
The only Finnish diapers, Muumi Baby, are produced in Tammisaari, Finland. The Finnish family company Delipap Oy was established in 1978 and also manufactures other green and skin friendly hygiene products.
The diapers of Delipap Oy became Moomin diapers in 1991 and at that time they were one of the first Moomin products on the market. Permission to use Moomins on a diapers was asked from Tove Jansson herself.
Artwork category: Basic www.muumibaby.fi
Reima
Baby box
Reima is all about the joy of movement. For those moments that make a difference. For all those exciting challenges outdoors, indoors and in between. Reima stands for an active childhood that matters. For discovering that joy of movement that will stick for the rest of life. For every day, every weather, every experience, wherever adven- ture awaits. Reima inspires kids to grow up with that joy that will eventually change their lives, and ours. That’s the path we’ve been on since 1944, dedicated to all the kids in the world, inspired by them and by that pure joy of movement.
Artwork category: Basic & Picture books www.reima.com
Clothing sets
Cribstar is a London based independent clothing and accessories brand established in October 2015. Their mission is to create simple yet stylish apparel for babies and kids up to 10 years old, good quality comfortable clothes which make your little ones stand out from the crowd. Cribstar takes great pride in their ethical approach to the manufacturing of our items and go the extra mile to make sure that things are being done the right way and no corners being cut.
Artwork category: Basic www.cribstar.co.uk
T-shirts
Sqrtn Company was founded in 2013 in the Northern part of Sweden in a small inland city called Östersund located in Jämtland. Today they are still a small company based in Östersund, Jämtland although they are growing each year. Sqrtn Company’s mission is to create high quality products for people that love the way of life in the north.
Sqrtn Company is are proud of our heritage and where they come from. That’s what Sqrtn is all about and that is what they want to show the world.
Artwork category: Basic www.sqrtncompany.com
Clothing
People Tree, a pioneer in sustainable fashion, was founded in 1991 to create fashion made with the highest environmental and ethical standards. This means that some of the most important Moomin values, such as respect for nature and love are also at the core of People Tree. The new collection uses GOTS and Fairtrade certified Organic Cotton. This ensures transparency and traceability of the supply chain by making sure the whole process is organic certified, from harvesting of the raw materials, through to the environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing up to labelling.
Artwork category: Basic & Novels www.peopletree.co.uk
Wool clothing
Lillelam was established in 2004 by two young mothers who had been unable to find quality products made of pure merino wool for their new-borns. They took it upon themselves to develop a merino knitwear collection designed in the best possible way for babies’ comfort, movement and growth. Lillelam’s Moomin collection consists of our iconic baby suit and hat as well as wool tights, in two gender neutral colours: melange cinnamon and melange grey.
Artwork category: Basic www.lillelam.com/
Sneakers
Karhu is a sneaker company that isn’t just in it for the hype. The Finnish brand established in 1916 and named Karhu in 1920 (Karhu is Finnish for bear) is a classic running shoe company famous for world-class running trainers on tracks around the globe.
Artwork category: Patterns www.karhu.com
Accessories & Clothing
Cath Kidston is a joyful British brand with prints that spark memories and products made for real life. Gifts that pass the joy on. They were born in a small shop in Notting Hill in 1993 and today Cath Kidston is a global lifestyle brand with sales in over 40 countries. Cath Kidston’s Moomin collection celebrates showing kindness, being nurtured by nature and embracing the beauty in individuality.
Artwork category: Basic www.cathkidston.com
Hats, gloves, socks
Finnish Nordicbuddies was created out of the need for a Moomin collection for young stylish adults. The children that grew up with the 90s Moomin animation are now adults and fans of Moomin just as their children and parents.
Artwork category: Basic & ABC collection www.nordicbuddies.com
Necklace
Handmade in Finland of recycled sterling silver, the Moments necklace is Lingon Design’s tribute to the Moomin family and the Baltic Sea: two shell halves seeking one another the same way that toffles and other small creatures seek the comfort of the Moominvalley.
Artwork category: Picture books www.lingondesign.com
Bags/purses
House of Disaster is a fun and quirky accessories and lifestyle brand based in the UK. Designing and creating new collections and new products is a big part of the House of Disaster brand. They launch new collections at least twice a year and creates their own collections as well as working with some selected licensed properties, such as Moomin Characters.
Artwork category: Comics www.houseofdisaster.com
Bottles, thermos flasks
Niels Stellan Høm and Carton Madelaire were old friends who merged their first names in forming one of Denmark’s best-known design brands: Stelton. Their design philosophy is the key to Stelton’s success and includes four main categories: timelessness, simplicity, functionality and innovation. A simple drawing of a teapot on a napkin during a family dinner - that was the starting point of the Cylinda line launched in 1967. Today the series is recognized as a symbol of classic, timeless style. Since then Stelton has elaborated its collaboration with international designers and architects assuring that the form and function of their product families create a synthesis that embodies innovative ideas in relation to concept, design and materials.
Artwork category: Bonnier Carlsen www.stelton.com
Baby
Rätt Start was founded in 1988, when the founders realized that the selection of baby items was very limited in Sweden. The company’s first products were a baby carrier and cloth diapers, but the selection has grown together with the brand, and Rätt Start is now a successful baby and children’s brand available all over the world. Moomin and Rätt Start have a long history together, as the collaboration started already in the beginning of 2000s.
Artwork category: Basic www.rattstart.se
The Muurla factory opened its doors for the first time in the spring of 1974 - the basic idea was to let passing customers follow Finnish glass making. Their inspiration for design comes from pure nature, from different seasons, and from the desire to meet the demands of everyday use. Their products come from a combination of Finnish design and decades of production expertise. The carefully selected materials they use, such as Finnish wood, high quality glass and durable enamel, create timeless and eye-catching products for every home and interior.
Artwork category: Novels www.muurla.com
Figurines
Mitt & Ditt Underbara Liv is a Swedish wholesaler in the home interior industry.
Their office and showroom is located in Bjästa, the heart of the High Coast in North of Sweden. Mitt & Ditt’s collections are designed to a large extent by themselves and carefully chosen to create timeless interior design elements.
Artwork category: Basic www.mittditt.se
Bedding
Finlayson like to create beautiful things, outside and in. They believe that actions for a better future speak louder than empty words. For Finlayson these actions mean: quality, long lasting products, new and more ecological materials, recycling materials and ethical issues. Finlayson wants to continue to stay curious, courageous, and sustainable for a better tomorrow.
Artwork category: Novels www.finlayson.fi
Mugs, bottles, stationery
For 25 years, Half Moon Bay has supplied retailers of all sizes across the globe with their award-winning licensed and themed giftware. The family-owned business began in 1995 by distributing unusual giftware products from the USA, inspiring them to name the company Half Moon Bay (Half Moon Bay is in California). They then quickly moved into designing and sourcing their own products, becoming known for their love of retro classics and iconic licenses.
Artwork category: Basic www.halfmoonbay.co.uk
Finland
Chocolate bars
Karl Fazer, also known as Fazer Blue, is part of the Finnish cultural heritage. The iconic Fazer’s milk chocolate first appeared in 1922 in its famous blue wrapper symbolising the pure Finnish nature. It is the chocolate that many Finns have grown up with and has turned them into chocolate lovers. Fazer Blue is made from fresh milk and 100% of the cocoa we they comes from responsible sources.
Artwork category: Comic strip www.fazer.com
Ice cream
Apparel & Goods
Japan
Dadway creates various baby and kids products focused on safety and functionality with “kawaii” designs. The Moomin Baby Collection concept is to create adorable designs with the look and feel of Scandinavian textiles. Dadway hopes the Moomin Baby Collection inspires healthy and joyful parenting for families all over the world.
Artwork category: Novels www.dadway.com
Finland
Great products from a range of more than 400 brands give Unilever a unique place in the lives of people all over the world. When consumers reach for nutritionally balanced foods or indulgent ice creams, affordable soaps, luxurious shampoos, or everyday household care products, there’s a good chance the brand they pick is one of ours. Seven out of every ten households around the world contain at least one Unilever product. On any day, 2.5 billion people use Unilever products to look good, feel good and get more out of life. They recognize that growth at the expense of people or the environment is both unacceptable and commercially unsustainable.
Artwork category: Basic www.ingman.fi
Yukata
Founded in 1923, Kyoto based Ando has always designed traditional Japanese style apparel and accessories. Over the past century, Ando has continued to develop the traditional skillset and various techniques of dyeing fabrics in Japan, to work with everchanging materials and styles. Their collaboration with Moomin has produced a dreamy series of geta sandals and yukata, which is made of 100% cotton, and worn in the summer as a casual version of the kimono.
Artwork category: Novels www.ando-kyo.co.jp
Women’s clothing
Japan
Y’s for living creates interior and clothing for those seeking a simple and comfortable lifestyle. With simple living in mind, Y’s for living designs products that create new sensations whilst using basic tones and natural materials. Their minimalist yet bold designs with Moomin are a favorite amongst trend setters.
Artwork category: Novels www.ysforliving.jp
Jewelry
U-Treasure brings to life your favourite characters in the form of delicate jewellery and accessories. The craftspeople at U-Treasure are hugely skilled at creating playful, yet fine treasures with gold, silver and precious stones. Their Moomin range is truly exquisite and has become a Moomin fan’s dream.
Artwork category: Novels www.u-treasure.jp
Official Fan Book & Gift
Japan
Takarajimasha is a Japanese publishing company established in 1971 whose philosophy is to inject fun and energy into peoples’ lives and society. It is known for publishing sub-culture and general fashion magazines, guidebooks and their signature MOOKS (a cross between magazine and a book). Their “Fan Book” is a type of MOOK, with each edition focusing entirely on a specific brand, providing fans with in-depth knowledge of history, news and where to purchase the most sought after branded merchandize. It also includes an exclusive branded gift. Takarajimasha continues to publish new Moomin fan books owing to the huge popularity of the Moomins in Japan.
Kitchen appliances
Winner’s is a design and production company established in 1992 which responds to requests from a wide range of clients. Winner’s started the “récolte” collection in 2009. The range consists of compact, colorful, simple and stylish kitchen and home appliances that are easy to store and use in small Japanese kitchens. The collaboration with Moomin consists of an oven toaster, kettle, blender and food processer in colors and designs that will perfectly suit one’s home interior.
Artwork category: Novels http://www.winner-s.com/
Mille Feuille
Mille-Feuille Maison in Tokyo’s Matsuya Ginza department store specializes in the classic French pastry made up of layers and layers of exceptionally thin puff pastry and a cream filling. In their first ever foray into collaborations, Mille-Feuille Maison transformed their signature packaging into a beautiful Moomin novel-like design to set the mood for a cup of tea, a millefeuille or two and a Moomin story book to settle into.
Artwork category: Novels www.millefeuillemaison.jp
Watches
Korea
Regency Korea’s motto is “Our customer’s success is our success”, and seeks to create the ultimate timepiece through innovation and continuously looking for ways to improve their craft. The new Moomin themed wrist watch line for women also includes a selection of watch straps available in stainless steel mesh, leather and polymer.
Artwork category: Novels www.10x10.co.kr
Debit & Credit Card
Korea
The Industrial Bank of Korea’s (IBK) founded in 1961 is a strong supporter of small and medium sized enterprizes and is driven by strong ethics and a sense of responsibility. Moomin themed debit and credit cards not only provides banking benefits to their customers, but includes a health and saftey aspect and a sustainability angle with its anti-bacterial coating and eco-friendly design.
Artwork category: Novels www.global.ibk.co.kr
Heater
China
Airmate was founded in 1973 and focuses creating stylish and intelligent household appliances to improve the air quality at home. Each appliance is designed considering seasonal changes and evaluating the four dimensions of air - temperature, humidity, quality and circulation. Airmates high-quality air solutions ensure everyone can enjoy a comfortable, convenient, healthy and pleasant living environment.
Artwork category: Novels www.airmate-china.com
Womens clothing
China
The MSLAN women’s clothing brand was founded in 2010, exploring the balance between the new retro clothing culture and nature inspired lifestyle. The aesthetic principle of the brand is comfort and self-expression, helping every young woman dressed in the MSLAN to establish an independent attitude to their fashion choices.
Artwork category: Novels www.themslan.com
Super Lock Lunch Box Set
Thailand
Micronware is one of the leading manufacturers of plastic household products and high quality kitchenware in Thailand. With over 30 years experience, they are experts in designing and developing innovative global products such as “Micronware” and “Super Lock”. Guided by their Thai heritage, Micronware’s mission to provide a happy work place for their employees and to become one of the leading global lifestyle brands for home living.
Bedding
Zleep Sleep is the first manufacturer and distributor of artificial goose down pillows in Thailand. The synthetic down technology from Japan combined with Zleep Sleep`s customized service means they are the leaders in Thailand for unique and quality bedding items for homes to luxury resorts.
Artwork category: Novels www.zleepsleep.com
Japan
Upcycled Bag
Moominvalley Park collaborated with PLASTICITY, a Japanese company that recycles discarded vinyl umbrellas by dismantling the vinyl covers and compressing multiple layers to create a material called “Glass rain”. PLASTICITY uses “Glass rain” to produce hats, bags and pouches and runs an umbrella recycling program to tackle the vast numbers of umbrellas discarded annually in Japan.
Insulated Water Bottle
Japan
From the very beginning, klean kanteens have been built with love— the love of adventure, the love of conserving wild places, and the love of replacing single-use plastic. From water bottles to insulated tumblers, coffee mugs to food canisters and lunch boxes, steel straws to kid and baby bottles, we offer reusable stainless steel solutions for every day life and production methods safe for people and the planet.
Artwork category: Novels www.kleankanteen.com www.metsa-hanno.com
Japan
Portable Mobile Power Bank
A Hattifattener portable mobile power bank that stands upright and is easy to carry around.
Artwork category: Novels www.metsa-hanno.com
Asia
Japanese Style Tea Cup
Japan
A Japanese style ceramic tea cup adorned with illustrations of Moominvalley’s characters and their names in Japanese and Finnish
Moominvalley Park
A lightweight foldable compact eco-bag.
Artwork category: Novels www.metsa-hanno.com
Skultuna’s first Moomin collection, launched in April 2021, sold out in less than an hour. The gold-covered Moomin figurines stole the hearts of Moomin fans all over the world.
Skultuna launched its first Moomin collection, eight lovely Moomin figurines, in the spring of 2021. The series contained some of the most beloved figures from Tove Jansson’s Moomin stories: the entire Moomin family as well as Snorkmaiden, Sniff, Snufkin, Little My and Stinky. The timeless and long-lasting figurines, made of gold plated steel, were a beautiful continuation of the long history of Moomin figurines.
“We’ve been fans of Tove Jansson and Moomins for a long time here at Skultuna. It almost feels as if the brass foundry was a part of Moominvalley, as we’re located on the same latitude, in the middle of the forests of the Västmanland county”, Skultuna CEO Viktor Blomqvist comments. “We like how the Moomin stories are both harsh an clever at the same time – one always finds a parallel to oneself and one’s own choices in them.”
Boosted by great content & influencers
The Moomin figurines were an instant success, and the team at Skultuna could not have hoped for a better response from the customers. Selling out in less than one hour showed that the gold-coloured figurines filled a void in the category of Moomin
products. According to Blomqvist, what played a big part in the success of the launch was the beautiful marketing imagery:
“Great content pictures shot by the best stylist/photographer team in Stockholm, the Moomins look so great in their setting.”
In addition, journalist and author Mark Levengood posted the series on his Instagram prior to the launch and built anticipation for the figurines among Moomin fans.
The first eight figurines were only the beginning of the Skultuna x Moomin collaboration. Future plans include special editions as well as something special only for Japan. Blomqvist comments;
“We want to release a collection in a premium setting in the Matsuya store in Ginza. We have no clue how the response will be, but we hope and feel that it could go bananas!”
Accessories that add life to our wardrobes – that’s one way of describing the products by NVRLND Design Co. – Moomin licensee since 2018. Their Moomin socks and face masks are loved by people of all ages, thanks to the unique design and high quality of the products.
The colourful, stylish, and comfortable NVRLND products perfectly match the Moomin values of courage, joy, and individuality.
“For us, Moomin is just so fun. It’s at the core of what we feel our company was built around - being fun, creative, and making products that add some life to our wardrobes,” Brand Director of NVRLND Design Co., Michael Hice comments.
The characters are at the core of NVRLND’s Moomin designs.
“When creating new products, we always make sure to try to capture the true essence of the characters. There are so many personalities in the Moomin family, so we want to make sure that all of our designs showcase them in the way the creator of Moomin wanted and also in a way that resonates with the fans of each Moomin character,” Hice continues.
From Hafslo to the world
NVRLND Design Co. was founded in 2017 in the small town of Hafslo in Norway. Nowadays, the brand’s accessories are sold to customers all around the world.
The success behind NVRLND’s product launches lies in social media: through their social media channels, NVRLND has been able to reach the masses of Moomin fans around the globe.
“It’s been so cool to see customers from all over different parts of the world wearing our Moomin products”, Hice comments.
During the pandemic, NVRLND had to put more effort into reaching consumers directly via e-commerce, which proved to be an excellent choice and resulted in their best year for online sales ever.
In addition, they tested opening pop-up stores during the holiday season. “
The popup stores were great and convinced us that having our own retail store would be great for business, so we decided to sign a deal with CC Vest in Oslo to open our first true permanent retail space. We are very excited to have a place where customers can come in and see the people behind NVRLND and buy our products straight from us,” Hice ends.
in less than an hour
Martinex introduced its first Moomin product already in 1992.
Since then, the company has created toys, textiles, and household products loved by Moomin fans of all ages and is nowadays one of the biggest Moomin licensee in the world.
The mission of Martinex is to make their consumer’s everyday life more fun, happy and functioning.
“Our products are made with a dedication to functionality and durability as well as awareness of our responsibility to nature”, Martinex CEO Riia Sandström says.
The collaboration between Martinex and Moomin turns 30 years in 2021. Martinex’s first Moomin product, the Moominhouse toy, is still available and very popular among Moomin fans. In addition to toys, Martinex sells a wide variety of home products and textiles. In addition to respect for nature, Moomin and Martinex share many other values as well. Similar to Moomin Characters, Martinex is a family business, making friendship and love important aspects in building the company. Martinex was founded by Sandström’s grandfather Martti Muinonen in 1945, and the business was restarted by his son and Sandstöm’s father Risto Muinonen in 1986.
The Martinex touch
How Martinex distinguishes itself in the market is through adding a special “Martinex touch” to their Moomin products, as Sandström puts it.
“We cannot and will not change Tove’s pictures, but we can create patterns and designs around them. This all takes a lot of time which we are willing to put into the process. I think this works to our advantage.”
What makes Moomin products popular among the consumers is, according to Sandström, the combination of a good story and a variety of characters. Martinex aims to create products for fans of different characters so that consumers can find products with their favourite characters combined with a Martinex twist. As a tip for other Moomin licensees, Sandström highlights the importance of the characters in the products:
“Do not hide the characters in the design. If you like the Moomins, they can show in the products.”
The Martinex touch has grown the company to be one of the biggest Moomin licensees in the world, and according to Sandström, the future looks bright: “Coming out of the pandemic in good shape gives us hope for the future. We have big goals to achieve in our 5-year plan. Moomin is a key part of our company and hopefully, Moomin plays a very important role with us in the future also.”
In the summer of 2021, Arabia published the news of two new special Moomin mugs. The Moomin’s day mug celebrates Tove Jansson’s birthday, and “In the Mountains” is a special treat for the Moomin fans in Norway.
The Moomin’s day mug was launched on Tove Jansson’s birthday, August 9th. In Finland, the day is celebrated as Tove Jansson’s day and the day of Finnish Art and is also known as Moomin’s day.
“Tove Jansson’s legacy for Finnish art and storytelling is multi-layered, and Moomin stories, illustrations and philosophy are some of Jansson’s most widespread and well-known works. They have an impact over generations and find new audiences over and over again. We are happy and proud that Arabia’s Moomin tableware and items can bring a piece of this to people’s everyday lives,” Ewa Ojanen, Category Manager, Moomin by Arabia comments.
The “In the Mountains” mug is a limited edition mug, only sold in Norway and on moomin.com. With the special mug, Arabia wants to treat the Moomin fans in Norway.
“For a long time, there has been a wish to create a special design for the Norwegian audience, featuring the beloved characters of Moomintroll and Snufkin, and reflecting the Moomin values of friendship and love for nature. The “In the Mountains” mug is available in Norway and a part of the sales of the mug support Save the Children’s work in Norway,” Ojanen tells.
In the illustration of the limited edition “Moomin’s day” mug, Moominmamma and Moomintroll are sitting on the bridge, waiting for Snufkin to return from his travels. The illustration is based on Tove Jansson’s book “Moominland Midwinter” (1957) and songbook “Visor från Mumindalen” (1993). The mug continues the style of the first Moomin’s day mug, launched in 2018, and is sold in a gift pack repeating the style of the mug.
With the “In the Mountains’’ mug, Arabia supports children’s rights and wellbeing. The mug illustrates a comforting scene: Moomintroll turning to his friend Snufkin for advice. The illustrations are based on Tove and Lars Jansson’s illustrations from the comic books “Moomin begins a new life” (1956) and “Conscientous Moomin” (1958).
Olvi brings natural freshness to your fingertips – now with a little moominous twist. Finland’s unique groundwater and spring water are the purest in the world. With Olvi’s new Moomin Water, you can carry the purity of nature with you wherever your adventure leads – and support clean water projects in communities around the world.
With the launch of Moomin Water, Olvi will donate 2 cents per litre for every sold bottle to Oxfam towards clean water projects. Oxfam is a global organisation working to end the injustice of poverty by helping people build better futures for themselves and save lives in disasters.
“The money raised through sales of Moomin Water will support Oxfam’s life-changing clean water projects, helping us to provide safe water to families and communities around the world who need it”, Edward Gillespie Head of New Partnerships at Oxfam, explains.
The Finnish multi-beverage company Olvi has been offering enjoyment to consumers in the form of beverages since 1878. Olvi is built around strong core values such as responsibility, positivity, local presence, and customer focus. An ethical way of operation, sustainable development and responsible practices have always been a natural part of Olvi’sdaily operations. A partnership with Oxfam could, therefore, not have been more natural.
Clean, accessible water for all is an essential part of the world we want to live in, Gillespie states.
“Thanks to the support from Olvi and Moomin Characters Ltd, Oxfam will be able to continue our work building wells using innovative, sustainable technology like solar-powered pumps and creating affordable and durable handwashing stations that can be set up easily in difficult settings like refugee camps. Together we hope to raise over €150,000 in the next few years, which will make a big difference to Oxfam’s work tackling poverty around the world.”
For more information please visit:
www.moominwater.com
www.oxfam.org/en
www.olvigroup.fi/en/company/ responsibility/responsibility-at-olvi
The collaboration between Moomin and Swedish Rätt Start started in the early 2000s, and the products have been loved by both children and adults ever since. The stylish and fun products are made with the environment and safety in mind, making sure the products serve the youngest users in the best way possible.
“Many of the Moomin values are important for us at Rätt Start as well. Our focus is on the little ones and their first years, making love and friendship meaningful values for us. We take care of the small, new and fragile ones as they grow and explore the world,” Anna Helgesson, Rätt Start’s Head of Design, comments.
“We’re continuously aiming to minimize our ecological footprint through making smart material choices and minimizing the amount of plastic used in our packaging,” Helgesson continues.
Rätt Start’s pram toys, pacifiers, and cuddle blankets are some of their must-have items for all families with babies. The charming products are designed to be both stylish and playful, honoring the company’s Scandinavian roots.
Rätt Start was founded in 1988 when the founders realized that the selection of baby items was very limited in Sweden. The company’s first products were a baby carrier and cloth diapers, but as the selection has grown, Rätt Start has become a successful baby and children’s brand available all over the world. Moomin and Rätt Start have a long history together, as the collaboration started already at the beginning of the 2000s.
The safe and fun products are valued both by adults and children.
“Something that has been very successful for us are the toys made of natural materials. Our Moomin teether with a natural rubber ring has been really popular! Also, our Moomin plates, mugs, and cutlery have been loved by many throughout the years,” Marcus Bjurenstedt, owner of Rätt Start, tells.
The development of new moominous baby products continues.
“In the future, we want to continue working with new materials and creating stylish and playful Moomin products with a twist – products that will be loved by both children and adults for years to come,” Bjurenstedt and Helgesson tell.
In February 2019, the Gutsy Animations produced Moominvalley tv-series took Finland by storm, quickly becoming the most-watched tv-series ever on YLE Areena’s platform. And its success hasn’t been limited to Finland. To date, the series has been sold to over 50 countries and has been widely praised by the industry. Luckily, it’s not over yet. The third and fourth seasons are in production, with season 3 to be aired in March 2022 and season 4 in 2023. And who says there couldn’t be more after that?
To build on the success that the tv-series has had and further strengthen the collaboration between the three companies, Moomin Characters and Rights & Brands have become shareholders of Gutsy Animations. The new ownership structure gives Gutsy the financial muscle it needs to pursue new opportunities and opens the door for tighter collaboration around licensing products based on tv-series artwork.
“Fans all around the world have been delighted by the tv-series. By working even closer together, we can make sure that they are so for years to come. For licensing partners, this will mean more artwork assets to work with and more opportunities to create beautiful products based on material that has a rapidly growing audience. “, says Roleff Kråkström, CEO of Moomin Characters Oy Ltd.
Good tv means good business. Since the tv-series first aired, Moomin has seen a tremendous uplift in interest. In Asia especially, the brand is experiencing double-digit growth in almost all markets. Patrick Ullman, the CEO at Rights & Brands, is bullish about what this partnership could mean.
“Moominvalley has been a massive success, and we can see that directly in how the brand has been booming ever since it first aired. For Rights & Brands, this is a fantastic opportunity to leverage both Moomin and the other brands we represent on a proven platform. We believe that having an inhouse studio within the eco-system will open new doors for our brands. For the Moomins, I’m sure that tv-series material will be an important part of our business for many years to come. We’re very excited about where we can scale this next!”
“Having Moomin Characters and Rights & Brands as owners is a real honor and a validation of the work that we’ve been doing here,” says Harri Roto, Managing Director of Gutsy Animations.
“With them on board, we will continue with our goal of creating amazing content based on Nordic values for a new generation of viewers globally.”
The new partnership between Rovio, Gutsy and Moomin Characters Ltd brings together iconic Finnish brands with a joint long-term commitment to create joyful content.
Gutsy Animations has secured €5 million investment from one of the most successful Finnish mobile gaming companies globally, Rovio Entertainment, creator of the Angry Birds franchise. Additionally, Rovio has secured exclusive rights from Moomin Characters Ltd and Rights & Brands, the global licensing agency for the Moomin brand, to
develop and publish Moomin IP-based games for any platform and exclusive rights for all mobile platforms. Rovio’s first Moomin game, based on the original story and world created by Tove Jansson and inspired by the Moominvalley visuals, is already being developed and is expected to reach soft launch later in 2021. Gutsy Animations’ impactful partnership with Rovio makes content creation history by strengthening Finnish expertise and Nordic values in a highly competitive industry. This collaboration underscores the strong trust in Finnish know-how and in the power of storytelling through common values.
All fans of the new Moominvalley animated series – soon the wait will be over: the third season of Gutsy Animations’ internationally celebrated, International Emmy® Kids -nominated series Moominvalley is in production and will be launched within this year or next spring 2022! In the third season, The Moomins return to Moominvalley. The new season revolves around themes of community which is mixed by anticipated new characters Stinky and Snork.
The new season sees a mix of new and returning high profile voice actors, including Rosamund Pike, Bel Powley, Warwick Davis, Matt Berry, Akiya Henry, Jennifer Saunders, Will Self, and Julian Barratt, as well as a new character - Snorkmaiden’s brother “Snork”. Based on Tove’s original character, Snork is played by Chance Perdomo (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina). Another new member of the cast is Jack Rowan (Noughts + Crosses, Peaky Blinders) in the role of Moomintroll this season.
Moominvalley has been sold to over 50 countries, and the new season three is recommissioned by anchor broadcasters Yle in Finland and Sky in the UK. On Yle in Finland, the popularity of the series is unprecedented: all in all, Moominvalley has gained 16 million starts on the streaming platform Yle Areena – that’s in a country with roughly 5,5 million inhabitants!
The show has been a great success also in Germany. On the children’s channel KiKA, the two first seasons of Moominvalley performed 83% above the channel’s average for kids – and 135% above the channel’s average for adults!
The series is also continuously gaining well-deserved recognition: Moominvalley was nominated for the internationally renowned Annecy animation film festival this year. Moominvalley has won the Best Children’s Series Award at the renowned British Animation Awards, in addition to taking prizes at both the TBI Content Innovation Awards 2019 and Golden Venla 2019. It has also recently been nominated for an International Emmy® Kids Award, shortlisted for the Broadcast Digital Awards 2020 and nominated for a Rockie Award by Banff World Media Festival.
“All nice things are good for you”, says Moominmamma in Exploits of Moominpappa, and this is especially true when it comes to the Finnish Moomin ice cream by Nordic Ice Cream. From March 2022, visitors of Moominvalley Park in Japan can enjoy this delicious, artisan high-quality ice cream. But how did this Finnish ice cream end up in the other end of the world? “We simply couldn’t say no to an adventure”, Sergio Adler, one of the owners of Nordic Ice Cream, explains. It all started with the Foodex fair in Tokyo in March 2021:
The core Moomin values of family, friendship, and harmony resonate well with Chinese consumers. Ivan Chan, CEO, and founder of Moomin sub-agent PPW, gives an insight into how they managed to take the Moomin stories and brand to the Chinese market – and make it a huge success.
Why did PPW want to work with the Moomin brand?
Tove Jansson’s creation and storytelling are genuinely timeless – there are only a handful of brands that can make that claim, and her remarkable fanbase proves it.
Concepts of family, friendship, and harmony are just a few of Moomin’s enduring hallmarks to create powerful connections with Chinese consumers.
Bringing a franchise program to life in a new market has many moving parts but, if appropriately curated, can be rewarding to the creator, trade, and fans alike.
What is your background?
My entry into the brand management industry began through our family’s premium and toy manufacturing business. At that time, we worked with a powerful portfolio of multi-national brands such as Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola International, Disney and more. However, many brands were unable to replicate success outside of the US or Europe and vice versa. I founded Promotional Partners Worldwide (PPW) over 30 years ago to realize the full potential of each brand and have served as its CEO since then. I’ve always admired the power and creativity of consumer brands, so it’s been a privilege to make it my life’s work.
Can you describe the Moomin business in China?
We currently manage 50 Moomin licensees for China generating more than 16 million USD in retail volume in 2020. The platform range is broad and includes everything from apparel to personal care, toys, and cafés. Due to the market shift from the covid pandemic, some standout categories (i.e., personal care) saw double-digital growth from last year. We also nurtured innovation, such as partnering closely with Japanese licensees to bring their products to China to fill consumer demand with exceptional, unexpected Moomin products.
Last year you doubled the business in China – how did that come about?
Strategy and planning are foundational elements for our results. As mentioned, we were already seeing how covid was changing behaviour, so we adapted our plans and executed them accordingly. I know it sounds straightforward, but delivering growth double the market rate is something we are immensely proud of and is only the result of achieving countless smaller objectives. I like to think of it as an example of “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Further, this is not to downplay the true power of the brand itself with consumers.
Why do you think Moomin has become increasingly popular in China?
Universally, enduring brand DNA and storytelling is a key enabler for growth and sits at the core of any successful international brand franchise. With Moomin, we’ve worked hard to achieve this. Firstly, through our approach to “localization” (i.e., adapting the Nordic brand and materials to “fit” and be understood in China). Secondly, by amplifying the brand voice to reach China’s unique, mobile-first consumers. This requires significant investment and infrastructure as China boasts 855 million internet users - more than the US and India combined.
What does Moominvalley sound like?
The internationally renowned composer Lauri Porra is currently creating an audio identity for the Moomin brand. The aim is to create music reflecting the beautiful, mystical and magical fairytale ambience of Moominvalley.
“Ever since I was a small child and read Tove Jansson´s beautiful books I have been captivated by the world of Moomin. The world Tove created in her books is beautiful and mysterious, unique with very distinctive characteristics. I am delighted for the opportunity to return to the world of Moomin and work along the creative people at Moomin Characters in creating sound to this world.
For me everything in Moomin starts and ends with Tove Jansson´s vision, all the information is in the books and pictures. My work as audio supervisor and composer for the brand is to try to support that vision to the best of my abilities”, says Porra.
Lauri Porra comes from a family of professional musicians stretching back four generations, the most famous of which is the iconic composer Jean Sibelius. His music has been performed by the Finnish Radio Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, the Lahti Symphony Orchestra and the New Bedford Symphony among many others. Porra is also bass guitarist in the metal band Stratovarius.
“We got in contact with Moomin Characters Ltd to explore possibilities to do ice cream for Japan. Always when this type of adventure appears, we are keen to jump in. We honestly believe in the Moomin way to do things there are Big Moomin fans working in our team. “
The idea was to use the stand in Business Finland’s pavilion space as a food lab, where Japanese clients could taste the different ice cream flavours. Based on their feedback, Nordic Ice Cream could then develop the final products destined to go to Moominvalley Park and Moomin Cafés. With Covid-19, however, it all got just a little more complicated...
“Now, with the rigorous travelling conditions, we had to pull through a remote fair, the first of its kind to Nordic Ice Cream. Everything from logistics to ice cream samples and online support for the Japanese stand workers and prepping them for possible tough questions from the consumers, Adler lists.”
With a lot of help from the importer, the fair was a success.
“It has been our first experience in Japan, and we have learned a lot about the Japanese culture. Our first thought was to send liquorice flavoured ice cream to the fair, as it is the most Finnish thing there is. But we immediately were told that black ice cream simply would not succeed at all in Japan’s market due to the colour“, Sergio Adler tells.
Thus, they chose Finnish forest berries instead and it turned out to be the success flavour category of the fair.
With online services such as Tiktok and Instagram gaining ever more popularity, the demand for unique and original content has grown tremendously. The new app Frever lets anyone create vibrant 3D animated videos using nothing more than your mobile phone, content that can then be shared on any online platform.
Moomin, Rights & Brands and Frever have joined forces to develop in-app Moomin content in a new app, giving fans the opportunity to style their avatar in Moomin apparel and items and brand owners an opportunity to showcase their designs before launch. Erik Wahlberg, managing director at Frever, describes the vision behind the app.
We are passionate about giving everyone the freedom to express themselves and become storytellers. By simplifying tools that the animation industry has used for a long time and using the latest mobile technology we can provide that freedom through a simple app. It’s all about channelling and increasing creativity!
Spreading the love of reading and writing
With the Moomin ABC initiative, Frever saw an opportunity to test the app with themed clothes and objects.
We have a generation of young people who love making videos and sharing them with their followers. We can tap into that huge creativity by just giving them the right tools, and letting them develop their creativity. The fantastic legacy of Tove Jansson is the result of a great artist who had the tools of her time to express herself and we hope to spur a new generation of artists and storytellers by providing the tools relevant for the young creative community of today.
Together with Moomin Characters Ltd and Rights & Brands, Frever created five digital looks based on the new Moomin ABC designs, resulting in virtual clothes and objects that you can dress your own avatar with. The looks include sportswear, streetwear and a rain collection and fans were given the chance to vote for their favourite style. Together with Skandibrand.com, the styles have been recreated as physical print on demand apparel that fans are able to purchase. This model gives brands a way of showcasing early designs and bridging the online and physical space in licensing.
Frever aims to release the first version of the app in the fall of 2021 and Moomin fans may register for early access on Frever.com. The Moomin collection created in collaboration with Frever is available at Skandibrand.com and features worldwide distribution.
This Christmas should be spent in the front of the tv – at least partly. A new animated tv show with famous fairytale characters from the Nordics will replace “Disney hour” this year. And can you guess which beloved characters will be featured?
Norwegian Qvisten Animation is the mastermind behind the initiative.
It started as a bold “norwegian” ambition: let´s start a new tradition for the generations to come around the tv during Christmas! We grew up with “the Disney hour” - and have good memories related to this show aired in the Nordics during the afternoon of Christmas Eve. But still: there are so many authors - and stories that have been written in our part of the world! So we pitched the idea to NRK (Norwegian state broadcaster): let’s bring in the best from the Nordics and crate an animated cavalcade based on our most beloved authors, characters and stories!, Fredrik Kiøsterud, General Manager at Qvisten Animation, tells.
And look at the line up: From Denmark (DR) Jakob Martin Strid with his success “The Little Frog”, animated by Happy Flyfish – and H.C.Andersen with “The Swineheard”. From Sweden Astrid Lindgren’s short story “The Tomten and the Fox”, animated by Qvisten Animation and Happy Flyfish. Norway is represented by Aukrust, and his two beloved characters Solan & Ludvig. Qvisten has written and produced the short film “The Record ‘’ based upon some of the stories Aukrust wrote. And last but not least, from Finland ‘’Christmas comes to Moominvalley” together with Gigglebug and Yle. Santa Claus by Mauri Kunnas will also be part of the Finnish contribution to make the Christmas magic happen in the Nordics. Stay tuned on the 24th of December!
TOVE, directed by Zaida Bergroth, is a captivating drama about the creative energy of an iconic talent and her turbulent search for identity, desire and freedom. The film focuses on the decade after the second world war when Tove Jansson struggled to make it as a painter, fell in love with the theatre director Vivica Bandler and found success in the creation of the beloved Moomintrolls.
Starring Alma Pöysti as Tove Jansson, produced by Helsinki-filmi and co-produced by Anagram Sweden, the feature debuted in the Toronto Film Festival´s Industry Selects section i’n September 2020 to rave reviews. In its native country Finland, it became the most seen and talked about Finnish film during the fall of 2020, gathering more than 160.000 viewers in the theatres before the theatres had to close due to the pandemic. It was then chosen as
Finland´s pic for the Oscars and has received 10 Jussi nominations (the Finnish national film award), the most nominations of any film this year, amongst them Best Film, Best Actress for Alma Pöysti, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
Tove started 2021 with being the opening film at the prestigious Göteborg Film Festival, where it won the Sven Nykvist Cinematography Award for cinematographer Linda Wassberg´s work, and will continue being distributed all over the world. It has so far been sold to more than 50 countries, amongst them the UK, the US, Germany, Japan and South Korea. For more information on local premieres, keep an eye on the Moomin official social media channels.
If you want to get in contact with the local distributors of the film, you can contact the sales company LevelK at admin@levelk.dk and visit the website www.levelk.dk.
The unprecedented Moomin comic strip exhibition introduces the world of Moomins through 280 items.
Moomin Comic Strips Exhibition – the Art of Tove and Lars Jansson, is an exhibition of Moomin material that has never been shown in Japan before. Approximately 280 original comic drawings and sketches are being exhibited at once in a touring exhibition.
Initially to celebrate the Moomin 75th Anniversary, Moomin Comic Strips Exhibition – the Art of Tove and Lars Jansson exhibition in Japan focuses on Moomin comics and introduces stories that have not been translated into Japanese. The exhibition
Where did the ancestors of the Moomins live? What was Moominpappa’s stormy youth like? What do Hattifatteners do during a thunderstorm? These and many other secrets are revealed in the world’s only Moomin Museum, located in Tampere, Finland.
The Moomin Museum’s first permanent exhibition What Happens Next? retells the entire story of the Moomins, starting from the Great Flood and the mad midsummer’s floating theatre to the puzzle of the lighthouse and the mysterious disappearance of the Moomins one grey November day.
Tove Jansson and her partner, the graphic artist Tuulikki Pietilä, donated a sizeable collection of art to Tampere Art Museum in 1986. The collection comprised of 1009 drawings and paintings and 38 three-dimensional tableaux. The collection was first displayed in The Moomins exhibition at Tampere Art Museum along with other original sketches and book illustrations by Jansson. The tableaux are miniature Moomin-themed dioramas crafted by Jansson, Tuulikki Pietilä and their friend, the physician Pentti Eistola.
The Moominvalley Park opened in March 2019. Located in Hanno, Japan, around 50 km from the Tokyo city center, it is the first Moomin theme park outside of Tove Jansson’s native Finland.
Moominvalley Park includes the Moominhouse, several attractions based on the original books, live shows and greeting events with the characters, replicas of the bathing house and the lighthouse and an exhibition facility where one can learn about the thoughts of the Moomin creator Tove Jansson.
Moominvalley Park is filled with the charm of the original stories and art where Moomin fans can make new experiences and discoveries. With one of the largest selections of Moomin related merchandise, the Moomin gift shop has a lot of original goods that cannot be purchased anywhere else.
Moominworld, the first Moomin theme park in the world, is located on a beautiful Island called Kailo, just outside of Naantali’s old convent. Since starting operations in 1993, it has welcomed millions of visitors who come here to see Moomin magic come alive.
Here, visitors can meet the Moomin family and their friends, enjoy theatre plays, adventure walks and visit central Moomin locations like the Moominhouse and the bathing house by the beautiful seas. For many children, hugging the well-known fairy tale characters is the highpoint of the summer, and during a well-visited magic week in February, the place comes alive with winter activities, as the Moomin family wake up from their customary hibernation.
also highlights unique characters appearing only in the comics. Moomin fans can also compare the different styles of Tove’s creations and those of Lars.
The exhibition will run until 24th October 2021 at Matsuya Ginza, one of the most luxurious and respected department stores in Japan. Mid-October the exhibition will be relocated to the Sagawa Art Museum and the third location will be The Museum of Modern Art, Ibaraki. The historical Moomin comic exhibition will visit a total of eleven locations until the end of September 2022.
Tampere Art Museum displayed the collection in a museum called Moominvalley from 1987 to 2016. Moominvalley closed in October 2016 and moved to its new permanent home at Tampere Hall in 2017, whereupon its name was officially changed to the Moomin Museum.
Walthamstow Wetlands and the William Morris Gallery to host year-long celebration of Moomin creator Tove Jansson.
The Woman Who Fell In Love With An Island is a unique collaboration between London Wildlife Trust’s Walthamstow Wetlands and The William Morris Gallery, bringing the magic of Tove Jansson’s island to the Walthamstow Wetlands in London, UK. Just 15 minutes from Central London, Walthamstow Wetlands is Europe’s largest urban wetland nature reserve.
This unique project will run at Walthamstow Wetlands from 18th June – 23rd September 2021 and is curated by ‘Acaill and Skye’. It will draw on the parallels between the island of Klovharun in the Finnish archipelago, where Tove Jansson spent her summers immersed in nature, and the scenery at Walthamstow Wetlands. It will be followed by a second exhibition which will open at the award-winning William Morris Gallery in summer 2022. This landmark exhibition will bring together personal objects, photographs and archival material to tell the story of Jansson’s life and development as an artist through the lens of her deep affinity with nature, which she shared with William Morris.
Junibacken is a children’s cultural centre with books at its heart, situated on the beautiful island of Djurgården in Stockholm. It’s a place where authors of children’s books and illustrators are showcased to awaken the desire to read, in the spirit of the famous Swedish children’s book author Astrid Lindgren. And this year, the Moomins have returned to Junibacken with a playful experience, inspired by four Moomin books.
“Astrid Lindren and Tove Jansson were leading the way when a war-torn Europe learned to put children first. We’re extremely proud of this possibility to highlight the importance of children’s literature. The same values are needed today in order for us to exit the crisis following the global pandemic”, says Roleff Kråkström, Managing Director at Moomin Characters Ltd.
Since October 2020, Moomin fans visiting Malmö in Sweden have been in for a real treat. Now you can meet Moomintroll and his friends at Funnys Äventyr in the Mobilia shopping center at the heart of the city, and shop for lovely moominous products in the store.
Funnys Äventyr (äventyr is Swedish for adventure) is a cultural center for children and a world filled with
fairy tales. The center also hosts a fairytale-themed store, available to the public without an admission fee, where the Tove Jansson’s Moomins play a prominent role in the shape of a shop-in-shop. In the fairy tale world you can also meet numerous other characters famous from children’s literature, such as Pettson and Findus, Alfie Atkins, Meia & Halvdan Viking, Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin as well as the Little Mermaid.
Read more at: funnysaventyr.se
What could be more inspiring than having a coffee in the magical surroundings of Moominvalley? At the moment, this unique moominous experience is available in Moomin cafés in Helsinki, Finland, Tokyo and Hakata in Japan, Seoul in Korea, Bangkok in Thailand, Taipei in Taiwan and Hong Kong. The Moomin cafés offer an opportunity to enjoy delicious food and café products in a relaxed and warm ambiance, together with plush toys versions of your favorite Moomin friends.
Found in venues from Helsinki to Honolulu and Tokyo to London, the Moomin shops are where Moomin fans from all over the world come to indulge in all things Moomin. In Tove Jansson’s home country Finland, there are already six Moomin Shops – many of which are visually inspired by Jansson’s Moomin books, such as the newest shop located in the city centre of Helsinki, lending its sheer mint green colours from the first Moomin story The Moomins and the Great Flood. The new Moomin shop at the Non-Shengen area of Helsinki Airport in contrast lends its bright red and yellow visuals and round-formed walls from Tove Jansson’s iconic picture book The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My
As a place for people sharing a love for the Moomin way of life, the Moomin Shops have also inspired long-lasting Moomin friendships that defy language barriers. Shop Manager Sanna Vento has been working in the Moomin Shops for 18 years, and some of her customers have become lifelong friends. She recently came back from a trip to Japan, where she met customers who have become dear friends.
“It’s funny because they don’t speak English and I don’t speak Japanese. But in Moominvalley you don’t need language. You can just be who you are. We are friends for life”, she says.
– The Moomins aaand the Great Flood, 1945
Tove Jansson, who wrote and illustrated the enchanting stories about the moomintrolls and their home, Moominvalley, has said that she got the name “moomintroll” from her uncle Einar Jansson. Tove was staying with Einar in Stockholm while studying art in the 1930’s. Tove had a habit of sneaking up at night to snack, and her uncle warned her of ‘moomintrolls’ – figures that lived behind the stove and could come out and touch her legs with their snouts or blow on her neck.
Sometime in the 1930s, something that resembled a moomintroll got its first visual representation on an outhouse wall in the Pellinge archipelago, where the Jansson’s rented a summerhouse at the time. Tove Jansson drew the character as a visual response to her brother Per Olov on an outhouse wall where they were having a debate about philosopher Kant in written form.
Later Tove started to draw a similar figure which she called Snork as part of her signature for the illustrations and caricatures she did for the satirical magazine Garm, where she often boldly criticized both Hitler and Stalin during Worl War II. In the early 1930s, the young Tove painted dark, slender troll figures in a series of watercolour paintings. One of them even had red eyes, all in all a much darker and anxious character than the later, rounder, friendly Moomins, which appeared in the first Moomin story, published in 1945. In this story, The Moomins and the Great Flood, Moomintroll was born as a literary figure in words and pictures. Tove Jansson went on to write eight novels, four picture books and hundreds of comic strips about the Moomins.
“What sort of thing are you? asked the little creature. I’m a moomintroll, answered Moomintroll, who had had the time to feel brave again, And this is my mother. I hope we didn’t disturb you.”
With The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My, Tove Jansson made her international breakthrough as a picture book author.
The bold and unconventional colours, holes in the pages, constant cliffhangers and scary landscapes – including massive vacuum cleaners and lost mothers – made the book unique, especially amongst children’s books, already when it was published in English in 1953, a year after the original version in Swedish.
In the book each spread was printed in only three colours, but Jansson turns this limitation in her favour. By cutting holes into the pages to make more colours visible, she instead turns the book into a celebration of colours.
Jansson’s handcrafted drafts and mini models of the book (stored at the Manuscript Collections at Åbo Akademi University) shed new light on how complicated it was to design “the crown jewel of Moomin books” without any of the modern technology we have today. She makes the drafts on enormous papers that are folded several times in order to calculate how the book should be printed –a complicated process, to say the least.
Tove Jansson also writes long and detailed letters to her editor in order to make everything right. “Any mistake in assembling the book could destroy the whole concept — I know it’s rather a bother with all those holes”, she told her editor Thure Svedlin at Schildts.
The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My is also regarded as Tove Jansson’s international breakthrough and made the Moomins known to the larger public in her home country Finland, as it was the first Moomin book to be published in Finnish (also in 1952). Tove Jansson belonged to the minority of Swedish-speaking Finns in Finland and thus wrote all her books in her mother tongue Swedish.
This prize winning book both shocked and fascinated the reviewers, but most of them thought it was an exquisite book, says Tove Jansson biographer Boel Westin.
According to publisher Natania Jansz at Sort of Books, it’s fair to say that the 2001 publication of a brand new English version of The Book of Moomin, Mymble and Little My helped launch a revival of Tove Jansson’s work in the UK and the US.
“Suddenly, there was a “new” Jansson title showing how stunning and incredibly innovative her artwork and ideas were and prompting high profile Moomin fans such as Philip Pullman to step forward. The progression of cut out pages and interactions with the reader seemed so ahead of its time – more in step with a future (even for 2001) age of smartphone books and apps than the 1950s!”
The book had a blaze of publicity boosted by older Moomin fans recalling the books they’d loved in their childhood and spreading their enthusiasm by word of mouth. It sold in excess of fifty thousand copies – a rare achievement for a decades-old children’s hardback and has continued to be a strong and perennial seller, she says.
“But the main thing is that – as in its illustrations – it swung open a window for new and old Moomin fans to discover new Moomin reprinted editions and all the newly translated Tove Jansson titles to come”.
The position of the stars must surely have been very favourable on August 9, 1914, when Tove Marika Jansson was born. She was the first of three children in a bohemian, Swedish-speaking, artist family, in Helsinki. Both her father, sculptor Viktor “Faffan” Jansson and mother Signe “Ham” Hammarsten, made a living from artistic work.
Tove expressed an artistic interest and talent early on. She was getting her first commissioned work as an illustrator by the age of 15, which is also when she signed her first book contract. As a young adult, her true passion was fine art painting. From an early stage she sought inspiration away from her native Finland, studying art in both Sweden and France. By the 1940’s, Jansson was already an established fine art painter with extensive experience as an illustrator, most notably from the satirical publication Garm, where she boldly criticised both Stalin and Hitler during World War II. But it was through the Moomin stories written and illustrated between 1945 and 1970, that she achieved worldwide fame.
Jansson’s first Moomin stories were not an immediate success in her home country Finland, but their universal appeal became evident when the first books were translated into English in the early 1950s. In 1954, the British newspaper the Evening News started publishing a Moomin comic strip, written and illustrated by the artist herself. Through the comic strip, Jansson’s enchanting characters were introduced to millions of readers all around the world, from Canada and South Africa to India and Bermuda. The Moomin comic strip was syndicated by Associated Newspapers in 40 countries and over 100 different newspapers, which meant a total of 20 million readers daily.
After the publication of the first Moomin story, The Moomins and the Great Flood in 1945, Tove Jansson went on to write eight novels, four picture books and hundreds of comic strips about the moomintrolls and the other inhabitants of Moominvalley. The Moomins were only a part of Jansson’s prodigious output – after leaving Moominvalley behind she went on to write a series of classic novels and short stories and also continuing her work as a fine art painter, always seeking new ways to express herself artistically. She remains one of Scandinavia’s most loved authors.
Tove Jansson’s work reflected the tenets of her life: her love of family, of nature and her insistence on freedom to pursue her art. “Work and love” was the motto she chose for herself and her approach to both was joyful and uncompromising.
“The position of the stars is a remarkable matter! Had I been born a couple of hours earlier, I would have become a keen poker player, and everyone born twenty minutes after me felt compelled to join the Hemulic Voluntary Brass Band (fathers and mothers cannot be careful enough when starting a family, and I recommend making minute calculations).”
– Moominpappa (The Memoirs of Moominpappa, 1950)
Visionary in both visual style and storytelling, Tove Jansson’s three picture books have become classics, continuously rediscovered by new generations.
The first Moomin story sheds light on how the Moomin family finds Moominvalley. The story introduces characters who don’t appear in the later Moomin books. The first Moomin story has often been separated from the later Moomin books, as it is quite different in style.
With these words, the Moomins were introduced to an international audience for the first time, accompanied by an image of Moomintroll seen from behind. At the time, few readers knew about the Moomins, but that changed with the comic strip, which introduced them to millions of readers around the world.
Jansson’s first Moomin stories were not an immediate success in her home country Finland, but their universal appeal became evident when the first books were translated into English in the early 1950s. In 1954, the British newspaper the London Evening News started publishing the Moomin comic strip, written and illustrated by the artist herself. Through the comic strip, Jansson’s enchanting characters were introduced to millions of readers all around the Commonwealth and beyond, from Canada and South Africa to India and Bermuda. The Moomin comic strip was syndicated by Associated Newspapers in 40 countries and 100 different newspapers, which meant a total of 20 million readers daily.
By the 50’s, Jansson was already an established fine art painter and writer with extensive experience as an illustrator, most notably from the satirical publication Garm, where she boldly criticised both Stalin and Hitler during World War II. In the Moomin comic strip, Jansson could combine her diverse creative strengths – witty writing, an eye for amusing details, the confident line of an illustrator, and a deep humanism.
The launch of the comic strip was a huge marketing effort, with Moomin literally taking over the streets of London. Hundreds of Evening News delivery cars were draped in giant Moomin signs measuring two meters in height, and a well-known British composer, Robert Farnon, created a theme song which concurrently aired on BBC radio. The campaign also involved a photo shoot of Tove Jansson at London Zoo, where she posed with different exotic animals. The conglomerate also created Moomin ties and Moomin patterns to market the cartoon, and sent a reporter to Finland to capture Tove Jansson’s life in Helsinki and the archipelago.
During the week leading up to the launch of the comic strip in September 1954, the Evening News published several cartoon images with the question “What in the world is this?”, showing only the white, round behind of the main character Moomintroll. This way of introducing a story became a trademark for the strip, and Tove Jansson thereafter always introduced a new Moomin comic adventure with her main character’s rear in the first frame.
Tove Jansson excelled at satirically describing the absurdity of everyday life, fame, fortune, ambition and human folly. Though Associated Newspapers had commissioned a satirical cartoon strip for adults, the stories found their way into the hearts of readers of all ages. The timeless Moomin comic strip continues to attract new readers decade after decade, with new volumes being published regularly.
The Moomin comic strip originally appeared in newspapers from 1954 to 1975. When Tove Jansson wanted to focus on her other artistic work, her brother Lars Jansson, who already had helped her translate the scripts for the strips into English, gradually took over both drawing and writing the comic, taking sole command of the strip cartoon from January 1960.
1952
Tove Jansson is born on August 9th, the eldest child of an artistic family. 1935
Tove studies art both in Finland and abroad and she starts making Moomintroll paintings. Her first Moomin-like character is later seen in the magazine Garm in 1943. 1945
Söderström & Co publishes the first Moomin story – The Moomins and the Great Flood – in Swedish. It is the story about Moominmamma’s and Moomintroll’s search for the missing Moominpappa and how they found their way to Moominvalley.
1946
The second book, Comet in Moominland (Swedish title Kometjakten / Mumintrollet på kometjakt / Kometen kommer) is published. Comet in Moominland is often seen as the first novel in the series, as it introduces many of the main characters, like Snufkin and Snorkmaiden, and is set in Moominvalley. 1948
Finn Family Moomintroll (Swedish title: Trollkarlens hatt, “The Magician’s Hat”), the third in the series of Tove Jansson’s Moomin books, is published. It owes its title in translation to the fact that it was the first Moomin book to be published in English, and was actually marketed as the first in the series until the 1980s. The 1961 English publication features a foreword “by Moominmamma“, where she explains the nature of Moomins fearing that English children may not have heard of them; she also apologises for her “rottn” English. 1950
The Exploits of Moominpappa is published. It is the fourth book in the Moomin series. It was considerably revised in 1968 under the title Moominpappa’s Memoirs. The story found in this book is mentioned in the previous Moomin books, as Moominpappa writes his memoirs in those stories.
Unlike Comet in Moominland and Finn Family Moomintroll, both versions of the novel were translated into English.
1969
The Book about Moomin, Mymble and Little My was the first Moomin picture book by Tove Jansson, published in 1952 in Swedish. Moomintroll is taking milk back home to his mother, Moominmamma, when he meets Mymble who is searching for her missing sister Little My. Together the pair go looking for her.
Moominland Midwinter (Swedish title: Trollvinter), the sixth in the series of Tove Jansson’s Moomin books, is published. In this book, Jansson adopts a darker, more introspective tone compared to the earlier books that is continued in the remainder of the series. Often in the book Moomintroll is either lonely, miserable, angry or scared – the result of being forced to survive in a world to which he feels he does not belong. While preserving the charm of the previous novels, the story involves a more in-depth exploration of Moomintroll’s character than before.
1960
Who Will Comfort Toffle? is the second picture book in the Moomin series by Tove Jansson. It was first translated into English by Kingsley Hart. The lonely Toffle leaves his home to look for friends, eventually finding Miffle and rescuing her from Groke.
1954
The world’s largest newspaper – London Evening News – starts to publish the Moomin comic strip. The strip reaches up to 20 million readers daily in over 40 countries. The strip continues to run until 1974. From 1960, Tove’s brother Lars Jansson draws the strip.
The first Moomin products come onto the market.
Moominsummer Madness (Swedish title Farlig midsommar, ‘Dangerous Midsummer’), the fifth in the series of Tove Jansson’s Moomins books, is published. The major theme of the novel is that of theatre, described as an infuriating but ultimately rewarding process.
Fuji TV Zuiyo Enterprises produces an animated Moomin series in Japan and the Moomins become very popular in the territory.
The Swedish TV produces a series called Mumintrollet (Moomintroll).
1987
A unique collection of original Moomin art donated by Tove Jansson opens at the Tampere Art Museum.
1970
The last Moomin story – Moominvalley in November (Swedish title: Sent november) – is published. Tove decides to stop writing Moomin books, but continues to write fiction. She publishes The Summer Book.
1974
The Moomin Opera premieres in Helsinki.
1990
Telecable produces 104 half-hour long Moomin animations. The series is sold to over 60 countries.
Canadian publisher Drawn & Quarterly publishes the renewed Moomin comic strip in English.
2014
In 2014, a century had past since the birth of Tove Jansson. To celebrate the anniversary, special Tove 100 centenary events were arranged throughout the year.
2015
Moomin 70 years Jubilee. 70 years since the first Moomin story was published.
The new animated Moominvalley TV series premieres in the spring of 2019, featuring renowned actors and cutting edge 2D/3D blending animation techniques.
The new Moominvalley Park in Japan opens in March 2019 and is a part of the park facility called Metsä. Metsä Village, that opened in November 2018, allows visitors to experience the Nordic atmosphere and lifestyle whilst the Moominvalley Park highlights the world of the Moomins.
1962
Tales from Moominvalley (Swedish: Det osynliga barnet och andra berättelser) is published. It is the seventh book in the Moomin series and unlike the other books, it is a book of short stories, not a novel.
1965
Moominpappa at Sea (Swedish title: Pappan och havet) is published. It is the eighth book in the Moomin book series by Tove Jansson. In the novel the Moomin family is off to live in a lighthouse on a tiny island, because even the home-loving Moomins need a change of scenery sometimes.
1977
The Dangerous Journey (Swedish title: Den farliga resan) is published. It is a children’s picture book in the Moomin series by Tove Jansson. It follows the adventures of Susanna, the Hemulen, Sniff, Sorry-Oo and Thingummy & Bob through Moominvalley.
1979
Film Polski releases a Moomin-themed puppet animation in Poland. The Swedish Film Institute completes a half-hour animation of the book Who Will Comfort Toffle?
2016
Adventures in Moominland – the first major interactive exhibition on Moomins opens at UK’s largest art centre, the Southbank Centre, in London.
1993
The theme park Moominworld opens its doors in Naantali, Finland. Moomin licensing steps up and many new Moomin products hit the market.
2001
Tove Jansson passes away on June 27.
2020
To mark the 75th anniversary of the Moomins, Moomin Characters Ltd launches the #OURSEA campaign in collaboration with the John Nurminen Foundation to help raise funds to save the Baltic Sea and its heritage.
2017
The world’s only purpose built Moomin Museum with original artwork opens at Tampere Hall. The collection hosts more than 2000 original works donated by Tove Jansson.
2021
Launch of the initiative Reading, Writing and the Moomins, #MoominABC, aiming to spark a love of reading and writing.
Rights & Brands represents iconic Nordic brands, artists and authors and is the worldwide master agent on behalf of Moomin Characters. Other representation includes Tove Jansson, Stig Lindberg, Carl Larsson-gården Sundborn, Ilon Wikland and Astrid Lindgren, Mauri Kunnas and many more.
With its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden and local branches in Helsinki, Oslo and Tokyo, R&B was founded in 2016 by Moomin Characters and Bulls, combining over 70 years of licensing experience. Since January 1, 2020, Bulls Licensing has merged with Rights & Brands.
Rights & Brands AB
Rosenlundsgatan 31 118 63 Stockholm Sweden info@rightsandbrands.com
Rights & Brands OY
Otava building
Uudenmaankatu 8 00120 Helsinki Finland info@rightsandbrands.com
Patrick Ullman CEO patrick.ullman@rightsandbrands.com
Kristin Tjulander Commercial Director Nordic Kristin.tjulander@rightsandbrands.com
Gustav Melin Business Development gustav.melin@rightsandbrands.com
Ylva Palmbäck Head of Legal ylva.palmback@rightsandbrands.com
Magdalena Biernat-Heikkinen
Director, International Sales & Licensing magdalena.biernat-heikkinen@rightsandbrands.com
Fredrik Rahka General Manager, Rights & Brands Oy fredrik.rahka@rightsandbrands.com
Hanna Pajunen-Walsh
International Publishing Director - Children’s Books and YA hanna.pajunen-walsh@rightsandbrands.com
Jun Hirst
Regional Manager Asia jun.hirst@rightsandbrands.com
Our channels: www.rightsandbrands.com www.rightsandbrands.co.jp
Instagram @rightsandbrands @rightsandbrandslic
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rightsandbrands
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/rights-&-brands
Japan
Rights and Brands Japan Co.,Ltd
3-1-1 Kamiosaki Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 141-0021, Japan
Tel: +81 364 564 677
Contact: Kumiko Ito kumiko.ito@rightsandbrands.co.jp
Hong Kong, China and Taiwan
PPW Sports & Entertainment Limited
Hong Kong: Hong Kong: 21/F Cornell Center, 50 Wing Tai Road, Chai Wan, Hong Kong
China:
Room 2202-2203, Overseas Friendship Building, Ying Chun Road, Luohu, Shenzhen, China
Contact: Winter Yuen, Licensing Director winteryuen@ppgl.com
Korea
SMC, Seoul Merchandising Co, Ltd
5th Fl., Young Bldg. 19, Nambusunhwan-ro 351-gil
Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06266 KOREA
Contact: Jusung Lee jusunglee@smckorea.com
Eastern Europe & Russia
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine
Brand4Rent
Gorbunova street 2/3, office A826, Setun Plaza Moscow, Russia, 121596
Contact:
+7 (495) 269 00 07
Denis Kulakov: dk@brand4rent.ru and info@brand4rent.ru
Israel, Gaza and the West Bank
LDI LTD
2 Raoul Wallenberg St., Tel Aviv, 6971901, Israel
Keren Aloni-Carmeli Keren@ldi.co.il
South-East Asia & Australia
Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, The Philippines, Australia, New Zealand
Medialink Animation International Ltd.
Suite 1001B, Tower I, South Seas Centre 75 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui East Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2503 4980
Contact: Noletta Chiu noletta@medialink.com.hk
UK and Ireland
The Point 1888
Room 9, Bishop’s Hill, Poplar Drive, Brentwood, Essex, CM13 1BD, Great Britain.
Katie Wilkinson katie.wilkinson@thepoint1888.com
Carrie Sharland: carrie.sharland@thepoint1888.com
Bavaria:
Germany, France, Austria & Switzerland
BAVARIA MEDIA GMBH
Bavariafilmplatz 7, 82031 Geiselgasteig, Germany
Contact: Ivica Maracic, Ivica.Maracic@bavaria-media.de
Spain and Portugal
Monday2friday Marketing Sl
Mallorca 286 2-2 Barcelona
Tel: + 34 661410711
Contact: Begoña Diaz-Aguado info@monday2friday.net
The United States of America and Canada
King Features, a unit of Hearst 300 West 57th Street, New York, New York 10019, USA
001 212.969.7583
Christina Nix Lynch
Christina.NixLynch@hearst.com
Cyprus, Greece and Romania
Partner Plus Cyprus Limited
11 Bouboulinas Street, Nicosia, Cyprus
Tina Stathopoulou tina@partnerplus.gr
Theatre:
Agency North International Theatre Licensing
www.agencynorth.com
Contact: Vili Maunula vili.maunula@agencynorth.com
Distributors: Japan
P.O.S. Co., Ltd.
Kitano 1-4-3
Tokorozawashi Saitama 359-1152
Japan
(Import & Wholesale)
t. +81 (0)4 2938 - 2277 info@posjapan.co.jp www.posjapan.co.jp.
Norway
Inspirasjon Forlag AS Sivløkka 6 1664 Rolvsøy
post@inspirasjon.no www.inspirasjon.no
Moomin websites: Global www.moomin.com
China www.moomin.cn
Taiwan
www.moomin.tw
Japan www.moomin.co.jp
Moomin master agent Rights & Brands will be your main partner in global licensing matters. Local sub-agents will also be happy to assist you with any questions you may have concerning Moomin licensing.
