Riihimäki is an inexhaustible source of inspiration for sarcastic comics

Riksuu in love is a story series in which people from Riihimäki share their thoughts about their hometown.

Arto Pöllänen and Joel Pöllänen publish Riihimäki and the Riihimäkiness Riksuset comic strip online once a week.

"When I retired two years ago, I decided to start my own comic, based on the places of Riihimäki, the mood of the city and puns made from them. I had no experience, let alone skill in drawing cartoons, so I asked my son for help," says Arto.

The name Riksuset was invented for the cartoon - imaginary friends named Riksunen, who look at their hometown with sarcastic eyes. The first strip, or three-screen comic, appeared in January 2021 on Facebook, Instagram and the Riksuset homepage.

Its name was Puhaltaja and it reflected the purpose of the Glass Blower statue on Riihimäki. In Riihimäki, the statue is commonly called a blower. In the cartoon, it was assumed that it was erected in memory of a well-known shoplifter, or "blower". The background is actually glassblowing at the Riihimäki glass factory.

Of course, well-known people from Riihmäki also appear in Riksuset stripes. Two men are standing in an apple orchard. Another worries when the tree produces so few apples. The other man encourages him to breed more. And soon hockey coach Jukka Jalonen will be brought to the foot of the apple tree in a wheelbarrow.

"I've always been amused by playing with words in a fingertip style. I guess I also have a bit of engineering humor in me. I think I've succeeded best if the reader has to think a little about what I'm trying to achieve with the comic," Arto mumbles.

The father is primarily responsible for the content of the comic and the son for the images. Often the idea comes from Arto, but Joel modifies it further.

"I draw a cartoon on a computer drawing board. The background is often a photo taken by my father from Riihimäki. On Thursday evening we exchange emails and on Friday I publish a strip", says Joel, who currently lives in Helsinki.

Uncrowded and easy

Arto Pöllänen is a boy from Pieksämäki in Savoia, who lived in Jyväskylä for a long time, also spent time in America and spent 17 years in Espoo. In 2011, Arto from Espoo and Sirpa from Helsinki formed a new family, and a large enough family house at an affordable price was found in Suojala in Riihimäki.

"I had no connection to Riihimäki. Both I and my husband went to work elsewhere. The oldest children soon moved in on their own, and now we live alone. My wife and I get to know Riihimäki by bike. We often drive along the edges of the city, alternating clockwise and counterclockwise. If the pillar needs to be repaired, you can get really friendly service from the Elovaara repair shop".

Arto also praises Riksu's small size and lack of congestion. Everything is close.

"Riksu has a good theater and cinema. We sometimes go to Old Master to eat or to Laurell for coffee. You can usually park your car on the side of the street even in front of a theater or a restaurant, that would not be possible in Helsinki".

Ideas from the map and social media

In Riksus, Arto often plays with the place names of his hometown. In the first picture of one of the strips, a man says that he bought a new property in Riihimäki. The next picture shows a small rihi on top of a high hill.

"We usually don't have a single strip in stock, but a comic is made every week. To get ideas, I sometimes look at the map of Riihimäki, the street names and the Riihimäki group on Facebook, and think about where I can make a twisted joke. I also pay attention to local events and current affairs."

There can be a little ambivalence in the comic. A man tells his friend that he once received a fine on the street. The guy asks, share, where? The man says that I told Johan, Sakonkatu and shows a street sign in the picture.

"Comics have an important balance and a dramatic arc, how easy or difficult it is to understand the essence of the Strip. The main story must not come too early, but the end surprise must be saved for the end, a bit like in a stand-up show," Arto reflects.

In total, the Pölläsets have already published 82 strips, and this fall they plan to print them as a real book as self-publishing. The place of sale is still being considered.

"It would be nice to get topic ideas for Riksus from the people of Riihimäkä. It would probably be fun to see one's own subject end up in a comic."

Arto also gets ideas from his favorite place, the Riihimäki civic college, where he attends a singing group, a songwriting course and a men's gym.

"All the courses I've taken have had inspiring teachers and a good team spirit. We have communicated between the members of the song-making group in the summer as well."

Arto Pöllänen

• Born in 1957.
• Retired IT engineer. Publishes the Riksuset cartoon with his son Joel on Facebook and Instagram.www.riksuset.fi
• The family consists of spouse Sirpa Raitanen and four adult children.
• He enjoys cycling, singing, songwriting and video editing.

Joel Pöllänen

• Born in 1991.
• IT engineer. Publishes the Riksuset cartoon with his father on Facebook and Instagram.
• The family includes a common-law spouse.
• Enjoys climbing, playing the piano and drawing.

Reija Ypyä