Tarmo Koivisto


Tarmo Koivisto is a Finnish comics artist and writer, cartoonist, and graphic artist. He is best known for his ongoing comic strip Mämmilä. Koivisto is also known by his artist name Tape.

Biography

Koivisto graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in 1974. He has also participated in Will Eisner's "mastership class" in 1990.
Koivisto is one of the best known comics artists in Finland. His main work, Mämmilä, has achieved country-wide fame. Made in co-operation with Osuuskunta Käyttökuva, the strip was first continuously published in Me magazine from 1976 to 1983. After this, the strip was published on the back page of the Helsingin Sanomat monthly supplement. The newspaper published it for 13 years, up until 1996.
Since 1997, the monthly supplement has published Koivisto's political satire comic strip Pääkaupunki.
Koivisto has received many awards, including the Puupäähattu in 1978, the Krokodil statue in 1980, the Strippi-Lempi in 1989, the Lempi Grand Prix in 1991, the State Arts Awards in 1992 and the Orivesi Cultural Award in 1996. He received a 5-year artist's allowance from the state in 1997.
Koivisto has taught comics classes in Africa and India, bringing aid to the developing countries through comics. The project includes , published both as a book and on the Internet.

Publications

Comics published in magazines and newspapers