Arne Anka

Arne Anka in Stureplan, Stockholm.

Arne Anka is a Swedish comic strip drawn by Charlie Christensen from 1983 to 1995 and 2006 and forward. The title character is inspired by Donald Duck (who is called Kalle Anka in Swedish). The likeness with Donald Duck is only feather deep, however; the comics often take place at a bar, Zeke's, where Arne gets drunk while he cynically thinks about and discusses life. This usually happens in the company of his friend, Krille Krokodil ("Krille Crocodile"). In other situations, Arne is found walking, with friends or alone, and occasionally he is found in a completely different setting (albeit with the same group of friends), like ancient Rome or 18th century Paris. Always, however, he comments on life and (especially Swedish) society with sharp wit.

Some distinct features about Arne Anka is deep love for Swedish poetry and literature, his miserable financial situation, his excessive consumption of alcohol, and his enthusiasm towards women - even though he has very little luck with any such connections.

Charlie Christensen uses his friends as inspiration for the characters and stories in Arne Anka. One of his friends has said that you sometimes notice that Charlie Christensen gets a particular look and then a few weeks later you read what you just said in an Arne Anka strip.

In 1997, a few pages were translated to English in connection with an exhibition of Nordic comics in France, and the publication of an English-language anthology. In this translation, the character was given the name "Arnie the Duck".

Theater play

In 1995, Arne Anka was produced as a play at Stockholm City Theatre (Stockholms Stadsteater). The play was written by Christensen himself, and it was called "Arne Anka - en afton på Zekes" ("Arne Anka - an evening at Zeke's"), starring Robert Gustafsson as Arne.

Comeback

In December 2006, after more than ten years of absence, Arne made his comeback in Christensen's Arne Anka, Part V: Återuppståndelsen (The resurrection). When we meet him now, he is divorced with two kids, pays child support and, if possible, has even worse finances than in the past. But since the 2003 invasion of Iraq the comic has clearly turned into a political satire in a more international and universal way, discussing morals, ethics and existential questions, all under the disguise of a normal visit to a bar.

In this fashion he has discussed themes as Neo-nazism, "Dagbok från Svitjod (Diary from Svitjod)" from 2014, the attack on Charlie Hebdo and following attacks "Mentala selfies (Mental selfies) 2016", and lately he has published an album based on Donald Trumps 4 years at power, "Alla dessa krig talar om oss själva", 2022. In 2023 he published "All These Wars Talk About Ourselves", an english translation of that same album.

For more information visit his homepage at: arneanka.org

Albums

• Arne Anka, Tago 1989
  • ISBN 91-86540-30-0
• Arne Anka, Del II, Tago 1991
  • ISBN 91-86540-43-2
• Arne Anka, Del III, Tago 1993
  • ISBN 91-86540-55-6
• Arne Anka, Bombad och sänkt" (Bombed and Sunk), Autobiography, Tago 1993
  • ISBN 91-86540-60-2
• Arne Anka, Del IV, Tago 1995
  • ISBN 91-86540-78-5
• Jag, Arne (Me, Arne) (collected comics 1983-1995), (hardcover), Tago, 1997
  • ISBN 91-88966-21-6
• Jag, Arne (Me, Arne) (collected comics 1983-1995), (softcover), Kartago, 2001
  • ISBN 91-89632-01-X
• Arne Anka, Del V: Återuppståndelsen (The resurrection), Kartago 2006
  • ISBN 91-89632-68-0
• Arne Anka, Del VI: Manöver i mörkret (Maneuver in the dark), Kartago 2007
  • ISBN 978-91-89632-81-3
• Arne Anka, Del VII: Ner med monarkin (Down with the Monarchy), Kartago 2008
  • ISBN 978-91-86003-08-1
• Arne Anka: Rapport från kriget (Report from the war), Kartago 2010
  • ISBN 978-91-86003-56-2
• Arne Anka IX - Voodoo vid vatten (Voodoo by the water), Kartago 2011
  • ISBN 978-91-86003-81-4
• Arne Anka X - Utsikt från en svamp (View from a mushroom), Kartago 2013
  • ISBN 978-91-75150-25-3
• Arne Anka XI - Dagbok från Svitjod (Diary from Svitjod), Kartago 2014
  • ISBN 978-91-75150-71-0
• Arne Anka XII - Mentala selfies (Mental selfies), Kartago 2016
  • ISBN 978-91-75151-39-7
• " Arne Anka XIII - Alla dessa krig talar om oss själva (All These Wars talk About Ourselves)", Zeke´s Förlag 2022
  • ISBN 978-84-125450-0-5
• "All These Wars talk About Ourselves)", Zeke´s Förlag 2023
  • ISBN 978-84-125450-1-2

Trivia

For Joachim Trier's 2021 Norwegian film The Worst Person in the World, Charlie Christensen was hired to do the comic "Gaupe" (roughly "Lynxie") in an Arne Anka-inspired style.

See also

• The Disneyland Memorial Orgy
• Air Pirates