Nordic Animation Balancing the East and the West

This book examines the state of the animation industry within the Nordic countries. It looks at the success of popular brands such as Moomins and The Angry Birds, studios such as Anima Vitae and Qvisten, and individuals from the Nordics who have made their mark on the global animation industry. This book begins with some historical findings, before moving to recount stories of some of the most well-known Nordic animation brands. A section on Nordic animation studios examines the international success of these companies and its impact on the global animation industry. This book is forward-thinking in scope and places these stories within the context of what the future holds for the Nordic animation industry. This book will be of great interest to those in the fields of animation and film studies, as well as those with a general interest in Nordic animation.

Chapter 1 ? Historical Findings Chapter 2 ? Brands and Industry Beginners Chapter 3 ? Studio Stories Chapter 4 ? Beyond Games: Tech-Savvy Myths Chapter 5 ? Making New Heroes EPILOGUE APPENDIX A: NOMAD STORIES: Virpi Kettu in the UK and Canada APPENDIX B: NOMAD YEARS: Rölli in Russia and Lisa Limone in Estonia APPENDIX C: NOMAD STORIES: Veronica Wallenberg – a cosmopolitan APPENDIX D: NOMAD YEARS: Antonia Ringbom and “Tjejmafian”

Liisa Vähäkylä is the Executive Director at Finnanimation—the network of Finnish animation producers—and an independent animation scholar.