Linnéa Aasa, aka Tardee, told us more about the inspiration behind her comics: “In the beginning, a lot of the strips were actually based on real life (if exaggerated), but in time they became more and more fictional. I guess like most decade-long creators, my content has also gotten less edgy than some of it was in the early Wild West era of the internet. I still feel free to create whatever comes to mind, it’s just my mind can’t help being a little mature now.”
Tardaasa Comics covers a diverse range of topics, from relationships to societal issues. We were wondering how the artist chooses the themes for her comics. We found out that: “There is no grand plan behind the comics, it's usually my latest thought coming down on paper. I’ve lived a pretty chaotic life and Tardaasa and its followers have always been a comforting presence. I get a thought, I put it out to the world, to hopefully make people laugh and to see others' perspectives on things. I’ve learned a lot through my comics and the responses they’ve gotten over the years!
For example, I made a comic on how women hate when men sexually breathe down their necks - plenty of women responded that they actually love it. So now I've learned - there's a lot of disturbed women out there. I like my comics to be honest and relatable, especially about things we don't normally talk about. Like sex insecurities or some of the petty little things we think and do, both in relationships and as a society. Panny herself was definitely never intended to be a role model - more of a cautionary tale! But hopefully an enjoyable one.”
Next, Linnéa told us more about the characters featured in the series: “There's of course Panny. The eccentric and promiscuous redhead, trying to navigate (bulldoze) through life and relationships with maybe not the grandest emotional toolbox at her aid.
There’s Minky - her pink-haired childhood friend, who’s the rational presence in most of their interactions. Eddie - Panny's longest relationship. However, he dumped her not long ago and while writing this, she’s still on the rebound. I think some other names come up more than once, but these are the main three so far.”
The style of Tardaasa Comics is vibrant and distinctive. We asked the author about the process of developing her artistic style and some influences that have played a significant role in shaping Linnéa's work. We learned that: “My biggest influence was definitely my favorite comic as a teenager, ‘Nemi’. A very funny Norwegian comic about a fair-skinned metal chick. As I was also into manga and anime, I mixed that style with chibi and as mentioned - I love strong colors. My comics started out quite ugly, but I think that has its charm too! I’d say the art style of Tardaasa is still in progress - mostly I need to learn to be more efficient. A lifelong struggle!”
We were curious to find out more about the future plans for Tardaasa Comics. The artist shared with us some details about specific storylines and themes she’s excited to explore: “Jealousy is a theme I’d like to touch upon eventually. And seeing how about 85% of the comic ideas I’ve written down lately have been parent-related (as I became one myself 3 years ago) I guess I’d like to get a baby in the mix as well! I used to think maybe my readers wouldn't like that, but seeing as I started this comic over 12 years ago - it’s a good bet many of my followers are parents themselves by now!”
Lastly, Linnéa added: “Currently, with two amazing little kids (and one of them quite autistic), free time to make the comic has become almost non-existent. So the dream would be to make the comic my breadwinner. But if I fail to make that happen, it’s good enough for me to just continue as I have been over the last decade - a thought, a comic, DONE, on to the next one.”
