Cover for the 2003 seasonal annual of 'Agust och Lotta'.
Ingvar Persson was a Swedish comic artist, best-known for taking over his father Elov Persson's series 'Agust och Lotta' (1970-1997). However, he also created a long-running series of his own, namely the hunting strip 'Frid och Fröjd' (1974-2014). He came from a true dynasty of comic creators. Besides his father, his brother Gunnar Persson also worked in the industry, while his son Lasse Persson, daughter Bia Melin and nephew Jonas Persson also followed in their fathers' footsteps.
Early life
Ingvar Persson was born in 1930 in Storvik, a town west of Sandviken. Both Ingvar and his younger brother Gunnar grew up with the joys of having a famous father, comic creator Elov Persson. Both boys were given nicknames based on their father's creations, 'Kronblom' (1927- ) and 'Agust och Lotta' (1928- ). The short Gunnar was called "Agust", and the taller Ingvar became "Kronblom". Ironically enough, both brothers would eventually continue their father's comics, but switched namesakes! It was Ingvar "Kronblom" Persson who continued 'Agust och Lotta', while Gunnar "Agust" Persson took over 'Kronblom'.
'Agust och Lotta'.
Agust och Lotta
While brother Gunnar showed an early interest in cartooning, Ingvar Persson first worked as a forest guard in Riddarhyttan, Västmanland County. It wasn't until after his father's death in 1970 that he picked up the drawing pen. By then, Gunnar Persson was already drawing the lazy 'Kronblom' for three years, but it was Ingvar who took over his father's other series, 'Agust och Lotta'. Agust and Lotta were a highly unlikeable couple, who lived in the countryside and continuously kept nagging at each other. Ingvar Persson drew the strip for the Swedish women's magazine Min Värld in his spare time until he left his day job in 1975. In the 1980s, the feature moved to the rural weekly Land. In 1997, Persson handed the 'Agust och Lotta' strip over to his daughter Bia Melin, who had worked on the comic with her father in prior years. However, Ingvar Kronblom continued to draw the covers for the annual Christmas books. Since 2014, his grandson Johannes Melin has provided the cover illustrations for these annuals.
'Frid och Fröjd' (1979).
Frid och Fröjd
In addition to 'Agust och Lotta', Ingvar Persson also made his own strip 'Frid och Fröjd' (AKA 'Johannes Fröjd', 1974-2014) for the monthly hunting and fishing magazine Jaktmarker och Fiskevatten. The main characters are the bachelor Frid and his friend Fröjd, who is married to Alida. His hunting dog is named Patron. From 2014, his son Lasse Persson took over this comic, until the final episode appeared in Jaktmarker och Fiskevatten #5 of 2020.
Novels and theatrical plays
From 1975 onwards, Ingvar Persson was also active as a writer of books and amateur theater plays. Novels like 'Södergök' (1976), 'Gästgivarn' (1977), 'Ingenting att bråka om Johansson' (1978), 'Jordens oro' (1979) and 'Biljett till härligheten' (1981) were regularly situated in the historical environment of his hometown Torsåker, and based on folklore. Persson also wrote a novel series starring Johannes Fröjd, one of the main characters from the 'Frid och Fröjd' strip. One of his theater plays was about his father's creation 'Kronblom'.
Death
Ingvar Persson passed away in Torsåker, Hofors, on 16 November 2015. He was 85 years old. Both his comic series have been continued by his children.
'Agust och Lotta', cover for the 1997 seasonal annual.