How did you decide to become a drawer/cartoonist?
As a child it felt natural to draw comics, I didn’t think of the whole thing so much back then. Then I started to think too much about it and thought that my comics weren’t good enough to be published or even to be drawn, and stopped drawing for many years. But for about four years ago I met a person who encouraged me to take up drawing again, and after that it’s become an important part of my life though I dont’ support myself with my comics.

Was it a difficult choice to make? Why?
It’s always difficult to do something creative and expose it to the criticism of others, but when I started drawing again it felt really good.

Did you go to a school for drawers or cartoonists?
No, I’ve studied graphic design and arts, but I intend to study comics in the future.

How do people consider comic strip in Finland?
People generally like comics, but mostly mainstream comics like Garfield that lack all creativity and personalism. But serious comic art is getting more and more attention in the Finnish media these days, so I think that more people are getting into it all the time.

What comic strip/artists did have a major influence on your work?
When I was working on my biggest album this far, Kaisa’s komiks 3, I was influenced by Far Side by Gary Larson. Some other artists that I really look up to are Matti Hagelberg, Katja Tukiainen, Joe Sacco, Marjane Satrapi, Art Spiegelmann and Ulf Lundqvist.

Do you still read comic strip? Which one?
I read Viivi & Wagner in Helsingin Sanomat and Assar in Hufvudstadsbladet (FInnish newspapers) daily, and other comics when I feel like it. I’m always interested in new comics.

How could you present your work to our readers?
The basic idea of my comics is crudely drawn social criticism with a spiritual background. I’m trying to be funny in a self-ironic, cynical way. I use well-known western characters in a way that questions the principles of the western world.

Anyone interested in my comics is welcome to check out my website, www.absolutetruthpress.com/kaisa

Has your work been translated yet?
My comics are mostly in English to reach as broad an audience as possible, but I also like to work in Finnish and Swedish. I’d like to mix different languages as I do when I’m speaking, but it would be too difficult for foreign readers and I want my comics to be available for the largest possible audience.

What are your current and future projects?
I’m currently working on a large comic book that will consist of a diary that I’ve kept from the beginning of March 2002. There hav been some big changes in my life, and they will be the theme of the comic book. In the future I’m also planning to do some strips.

Do you think that internet is the future medium for comic strip?
It can be used instead of newspapers for publishing daily strips, but I think that a comic book printed on paper contains so much more than just the strips: the feel of the paper, the design of the book, the fact that you can take it anywhere with you and concentrate in it etc. Of course the internet can be really good for presenting the work of new comic artists, but I prefer to read comics on paper.

Do you still work with a pencil and a paper or have you replaced them by a computer?
I always draw with a pencil on paper, and then I scan the drawings and combine them to a comic book on the computer (a Mac, I don’t like PCs). I don’t want it to show that I’ve used a computer, though, I like the informal feeling of hand-drawn comics.