Climate Activism – Contemporary Swedish Feminist Comics

ABSTRACT This article argues that, while the creation and publishing of comics can be seen as activism per se, comics can also be utilised in more direct activist contexts. It relates comics, feminisms and masculinities to climate activism by analysing two prominent examples from Sweden: the comics album Jag vill inte göra slut. Serier för klimatet, [I don’t want to break up. Comics for the climate] (2016), and the comics by Karolina Bång in Maskulinitet, genus och klimaträttvisa [Masculinity, gender and climate justice] (2021), produced by the organisation Jordens Vänner [Friends of the Earth Sweden]. The comics are analysed visually and verbally with regard to the specific masculinities they discuss – the industrial modernist who denies the crisis, the ecomodernist, who suggests unproductive, short-term solutions, and the ecological masculinity, including care for nature and for each other, working for equity, eradicating negative gender norms, reducing unfair consumption and taking action for climate justice. The comics frequently use humour, irony, and satire – and are linked to climate activism.

article is to relate comics, feminisms and masculinities to climate activism by analysing two prominent examples from Sweden: the comics album Jag vill inte göra slut. Serier för klimatet (2016) mentioned above, and the comics by Karolina Bång in Maskulinitet, genus och klimaträttvisa [Masculinity, gender and climate justice] (2021), produced by the organisation Jordens Vänner [Friends of the Earth Sweden]. The comics are analysed with regard to the ideas they communicate about masculinities, feminisms and climate justice, the visual and verbal narration employed and the ways in which they are linked to climate activism.

Feminisms, masculinities and activism
The climate crisis is closely connected to global economic injustices related to gender. In Ecological Masculinities, scholars Martin Hultman and Paul M. Pulé claim that: Everyone is not treated equally. Similarly, as individuals, we are not having equal impacts on the planet. Some are more complicit in the ills of the world and some are more severely affected than are others. This is a notion that the radical and structural feminisms have been championing for some time. (Hultman and Pulé 2019, 126).
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which is the United Nations' committee for assessing the science related to climate change, claims that equity is a prerequisite for sustainable development (Climate Change 2014, 287). However, the prevailing societal structures, nationally and internationally, reveal substantial inequalities and hegemonic, traditional masculinity norms fracture societies and ravage the earth (Hultman and Pulé 2019, 37).
Feminism is a diverse movement intent on change. One branch has developed into ecofeminism, which links women's empowerment with concerns for the earth through a variety of embodied and politicised perspectives and practices (Hultman and Pulé 2019, 126). Various emergent ecofeminisms have promoted ways of confronting climate change and restoring equity through 'carefully considered related exchanges specifically between the Earth and women, among women and between women and men' (Hultman and Pulé, 132, referring to Plumwood 2002). In recent years, a discourse on ecological masculinities has also been constructed, inspired by ecological feminism and based on previous research (Ibid,127,223). Hultman and Pulé claim that 'men's sense of powerlessness and pain are, paradoxically, caused by their own internalised superiorisation' (Ibid,225). They argue that industrial modernist masculinity has denied climate change, challenged policy reforms, resisted social and environmental transformations, and hindered responses to threats to global sustainability such as those relating to the production of renewable energy. Pressure from, in particular, Western white men has resulted in such tendencies as the continued erosion of biodiversity and the widening gap between the rich and the poor (Hultman and Pulé 2019, 44, 226). Another category, ecomodern masculinity, represents the form of masculine identity that, although valorising sustainability through ecomodern notions of reform, contains it strictly within the market forces of industrial and corporate capitalism. Here growth in energy consumption can be prioritised over climate stability, industrial forestry over ecological diversity and agribusiness over land care and the safeguarding of existing farming by families and communities (Ibid,(45)(46)(47)(48). Instead of deep ecological concerns and measures, shallow ecomodern strategies such as the EU carbon market have been applied and have failed (Ibid 174). Ecological masculinity, inspired by feminist care theories, posits that men, just as women, have an infinite capacity to care for the earth, for human others and for themselves. Gender norms, especially the roles of men and masculinities, are seen as necessary for the analyses and transformations needed to solve climate and equity issues (Ibid 51-52). The scholars Mia Liinason and Marta Cuesta argue that feminist activism is a way of communication aimed at achieving change. They link feminist activism to hopefulness, emotional involvement and solidarity (Liinason and Cuesta 2016, 15).
Activism, just as feminism, targets change. More precisely, activism can be regarded as action intended 'to create social, political, economic or environmental change' (Cox, Haq and Trevor 2010, 8). Some forms of activism utilise tactics other than direct protest in attempting to alter the behaviour of individuals. The word artivist is sometimes used, meaning: 'an activist looking to create change using the medium and resources of art' (Cox, Haq and Trevor 2010, 8). When comics are used, the term comics activism is appropriate, meaning 'the practice of creating comics in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue' (Lund 2018, 42), or more generally, in order to work for change.
The comics medium has certain features that make it particularly suitable for activism, where it is vital to catch the reader's attention, create understanding of a cause and arouse an emotive response. In an interview conducted and related by comics scholar Dominic Davies (2017, 2-3), artist Kate Evans asserts that the comics medium has several advantages, among others those of immediacy and accessibility, in which you can identify with the characters in a story, read the text as your own words and connect with emotions conveyed via facial expressions. She also claims that comics are well suited to telling the stories of people who have been through traumatic experiences and need anonymity, since you can change the names and faces, and yet still draw a figure who is recognisably human. Comics storytelling also facilitates the judicious use of humour to prevent the stories from becoming too dark (Davis 2017, 2-3).
Humour, irony and satire are often used as rhetorical strategies in comics, as in the introductory example by Furmark above. In this article satire is regarded as 'work of art which uses humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticise prevailing immorality or foolishness, esp. as a form of social or political commentary' (Oxford English Dictionary). Irony is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as: "the funny or strange aspect of a situation that is very different from what you expect" (https://www.oxfordle arnersdictionaries.com).

Masculinities and irony -Comics for the Climate
The comic album Jag vill inte göra slut. Serier för klimatet was initiated by Malin Svedjeholm, a Swedish comics artist politically active in Miljöpartiet (The Green Party) in northern Sweden. She co-edited the album with Nicklas Sandström. In October 2015 Svedjeholm wrote a post on her blog (http://www.malinsvedjeholm.se/ 2015/09/serier-for-klimatet.html) entitled 'Comics for the climate' with an open invitation for contributions to an anthology about the climate crisis. The aims were 'to create concensus concerning the climate controversy, to depict living in the climate crisis and to encourage greater numbers to take action'. Clearly activistic, the project's goal was to make people act and react with comics. Svedjeholm spread her message in social media such as blogs and Facebook, and an impressive number of comics artists responded, many of whom wanted to participate, free of charge. All in all, the book includes 64 comics and cartoons by 33 Swedish comics artists, women and men, more or less well-known. One thousand copies of the album were printed, financed by Luleå Energy with the support of Karin Didring, editor at Doob publishing house, which is specialised on comics. Didring contributed layout, printing and two of her own comics. Miljöpartiet and Klimataktion, a Swedish organisation and network for information and mobilisation of climate activism established in 2008 (https://klimataktion.se/), supported the project by buying books in advance (email from Svedjeholm to Nordenstam 16.12.2021) The album was released in January 2016. In the preface Svedjeholm states that 'to act against climate change is to strive for justice'. She continues by clearly declaring the activist goal: 'together we can help each other to show the world that the [Paris] agreement must be followed by action.' (Svedjeholm and Sandström 2016, preface), our transl.
Climate changes are explained in the album in which three topics in particular can be distinguished: climate change denial, outplacement and hope. The comics included are one to four pages in length and are drawn and written in a variety of styles and techniques. While a number of them are drawn in black and white, most are printed in clear, strong colours, as is the cover, with a green background suggestive of environmental and climate concerns. There are ironic comics in the collection such as Malin Biller's cartoon in which a father explains to his child why there is no snow on Christmas Eve. It is all about global warming, the father ironically states: 'Visst har vi vuxna ordnat det bra för er ungar?' [We adults have really worked things out for you youngsters, haven't we?] (27). This answer is not the expected one since many children dream of a white Christmas. The irony here humourously criticises adult irresponsibility.
Irony and other forms of satire recur throughout the album. In Max Gustafsson's cartoon, a little bird is wondering at feeding time if they will get 'plast idag igen?' [plastic today too?], and another bird answers: 'Ja, fisken var slut' [Yes, there's no more fish] (60). Humanity's huge plastic consumption and use of the oceans as dustbins receive ironic comment here. Instead of their usual diet of fish, the birds are fed plastics. In a satirical cartoon drawn by Didring two men are out walking. One of them suddenly throws a world globe in a dustbin. The other wonders what he is doing and asks if he can not repair it. The response is: 'Äsch, det tar sån tid' [Oh no, it takes so much time] and 'Det är ändå billigare att köpa en ny!' [Anyway, it's cheaper to buy a new one!] (102). Visualising the earth as a consumer product constitutes satire. Here we are shown overconsumption and throw-away culture, in which everything is for sale.
For the album Svedjeholm created 13 comics of different lengths, two of them together with her co-editor Nicklas Sandström. Her two-page ironic comics story 'Hela Jorden skramlar' [The whole world is crowd-funding/rattling] is drawn in a naïve style with black contour lines and blue colouring. Figure 2. The protagonist, a young man, argues in a speech balloon that everybody has to collect money to create a much worse world, so that a very limited group of people can increase their wealth. The irony of this exhortation, which is diametrically opposed to the expected response to an absurdly unfair global situation, is clear. A sketched audience is encouraged to contribute to the system in which the world's 80 wealthiest individuals, whose combined holdings exceed those of half the world's population, can become even richer. 'Köp deras produkter!' [Buy their products!], 'Kör på bensin'[Drive on gasoline!] and 'Ifrågasätt inte hur kapitalismen sliter isär samhället!' [Don't question how capitalism tears society apart!] (85). The story presents global economic injustices that need eradication. The irony of the story underlines the absurd situation in which a miniscule minority becomes immensely wealthy by polluting the global environment for the vast majority.
Other comics in the album concern the exploitation of nature and the compelling need to revise lifestyles. In a cartoon by Malin Svedjeholm (43) a despotic male, visualised in a naïve and simple style, dressed in a black suit and standing on a podium, shakes with anger since he realises that a radical outplacement is urgent. He fears that there will be no economic growth, and that 'stora brancher försvinner!!!' [large business sectors will disappear!!!]. He corresponds to Hultman's and Pulé's concept of the industrial modern masculinity. The comic's aim is to expose the falsity of his attitude. A woman remarks: 'Alltså, ja-a!' [Well, yes of course!], implying that she has understood all this for quite some time.
The comics in the album concentrate on climate change and outplacement, relating to masculinities, with men portrayed as less capable of grasping the significance of climate change, try as they may. They are either refuters of climate change, as in the example above, or educators, as in the four-page comic by Tomas Antila (34-37). In Antila's comic the protagonist gets a call from the royal court of Sweden asking for a lecture on environmental pollution for the children of the royal family. Two of the children act as pupils in school and show their disappointment upon learning that they won't be examined and graded. They experience the information as useless general knowledge (35). In the lecture, the result of global warming is illustrated by an image of a single polar bear adrift on a very small ice floe. The third royal pupil, Princess Victoria, seems to be very well informed about climate issues, and she concludes the sequential comics with a pedagogical drawing of her own showing the earth in the near future when the average temperature has increased and half of Europe has become a desert. The male protagonist comments: 'Oj, ja just det' [Oh, yes, that's it]. He appears embarrassed, realising that the princess explains the problem better than he can. The teacher represents ecomodern masculinity, being aware of the problem without suggesting alternatives or solutions. The climate issue is presented here in a surprising manner, through the use of the royal family and the assertion that princess Victoria knows more about the impending dangers than does the protagonist. His embarrassment might well be experienced by the reader. The image of the small ice floe and the solitary polar bear is both tragic and ironic since no ice floes float around in reality with solitary bears aboard and since the uncertain future of polar bears is displayed. This image, along with similar ones involving one or more polar bears on ice floes, provides a recurring symbol in Swedish comics for the climate crisis (see below).
The comic album concludes with some comics that convey hope, such as Patrik Boberg's image of a tree stump on the dark ground from which emanates a bright thought balloon with flowers and foliage filling the entire upper half of the page. It includes no text, just green leaves, mauve flowers and an orange flower with a stamen and pistils. The image symbolises a dream of the future, where nature is vivid and colourful. In the very last comic, 'Falla i god jord' [In fertile soil] by Nicolas Krizan, the narrator tells about caring for the earth by planting seeds for the future: "Det finns en chans", [There is a chance] (115). The man is drawn in a childish style as a small, unassuming figure and can be interpreted as an example of ecologic masculinity, gardening and caring for nature and for future generations.
The narratives in the album Comics for the climate, point out the problems in humorous and ironic ways, and the collection ends with hope (cf. Liinason and Cuesta). The intention of the editors was to collect new comics about the urgent climate crisis quickly before the COP21 meeting in Paris. Possible profits from album sales were intended for the activist organisation "Klimataktion" [Climat action]. Feminist activism is, as evidenced here, built upon solidarity, collective work, emotions -and a conviction that things can get better.

Masculinity, gender and climate justice
In 2021 Jordens Vänner, the Swedish branch of Friends of the Earth International, produced the album Maskulinitet, genus och klimaträttvisa [Masculinity, gender and climate justice]. Friends of the Earth International is one of the world's largest democratic environmental NGOs (Non Governmental Organisations), with representation in 75 countries. It works with environmental, climate and human rights issues, and makes use of the concept climate justice. (www.jordensvanner.se). In 2020 Jordens Vänner received funding from the Swedish Gender Equality Agency for a project targeting climate justice and masculinities. Jordens Vänner contacted Martin Hultman, associate professor of science-, technology-and environmental studies at Chalmers University of Technology, as well as MÄN [Men], a Swedish member-based non-profit organisation which works to 'advance gender equality, combat men's violence and redefine masculinity', viewing 'the world through a feminist lens' (https://mfj.se/en). Representatives of Jordens Vänner also contacted the Swedish feminist comics artist Karolina Bång. The aims of the project included combining comics with new research about climate and about masculinity norms, spreading knowledge about the connections between climate justice and masculinity norms to a wide audience and increasing the general level of knowledge in the field in order to influence attitudes. Specific target groups were men's study groups, employees at male-dominated workplaces and secondary school students. (https://www.jamstalldhetsmyndigheten.se). Upon completion the album was used in workshops conducted by Jordens Vänner and representatives of the organisation MÄN.
Jordens Vänner chose to work with comics, humour and satire, powerful tools for the illumination of difficult and important issues in accessible and intelligent ways (Jordens Vänner 2021, 2). Comics is an effective medium for expressing and mediating ideas and emotions, well-suited 'to stimulate thinking about the politics and the representation involved' (Rickards 2020, 129.) One of the most well-known Swedish comics artists, Liv Strömquist, creator of albums such as Einsteins fru [Einstein's wife], Kunskapens frukt [The fruit of knowledge] and I spegelsalen [Inside the hall of mirrors], has successfully inserted footnotes in her comics referring to research sources that fuse irony, satire and social critique (Frangos 2020;Beers Fägersten, Nordenstam and Wallin Wictorin 2021).
The album Maskulinitet, genus och klimaträttvisa was printed in 225 copies and can be read on the internet. 2 It was created collectively by the project group, and research results were assembled by Jordens Vänner, Martin Hultman, Vidar Vetterfalk from MÄN, and Karolina Bång, who drew the comics. Bång is a highly reputed feminist comics artist in Sweden, who has published comic albums such as Cowgirls (2011) and Alternativet [The alternative] (2013) as well as separate comics in various journals. Her comic art is characterised by political satire, feminist awareness, aesthetic quality, and topical themes.
The album Maskulinitet, genus och klimaträttvisa is 24 pages in length, seven pages of which contain sequential comics drawn by hand and printed in colour. Facts in verbal form and lists of issues to discuss appear on pages between the comics. An extensive reference list with research publications is placed at the end of the album. The first comics page, discussing the headlining concept 'climate (in)justice' consists of six panels visualising the differences between the haves and the have-nots. The visual and narrative method is built on contrast. In the first panel, the world's richest 10% are represented by one man in a military uniform, another in a blazer with the badge 'I [heart] oil' 3 and a woman with long hair, high heels and a fur coat carrying shopping bags. In the next panel they indulge in flying an airplane, driving a car and smoking a cigar, while crying out in speech balloons: 'Vi står för 52% av alla utsläpp!' [We produce 52% of all carbon emissions!], and ' Wohoo! Vi är bäst!' [Whoopee! We are the best!"] (5). In the row below, the first panel presents three individuals with simple and basically non-western attire who explain that they are those with the least economic capital, and that they produce hardly any emissions at all. The next panel shows people reacting to the displayed injustices, activists demonstrating with a megaphone and placards. The woman with the megaphone says in a speech balloon that, globally, men own 50% more than women (5). The above examples demonstrate the humourous inclusion of quantitative research facts in the comics. The gutter between the upper and lower halves of the page has a heading that refers to the problematic gap: 'Ändå är det de som bidrar mest till klimatförändringarna, som drabbas minst!' [And yet it is those who contribute the most to the climate changes that suffer the least!]. The bottom panel, in full page width, is divided by a riot fence guarded by helmeted police with machine guns pointed at the demonstrating non-westerners, identified by their colourful costumes. They carry a banner with the text: 'Politiker: Ta ert ansvar!' [Politicians: take your responsibility!], and they are backed up by a group of people with placards that read: 'Change the system not the climate', 'No planet B' and 'Vi sjunker' [We are sinking] (5).
This first comics page explains the concept of climate justice using research facts and results although not referring explicitly to the scientific sources listed at the end of the album. The context is recognisable for all who have at least a minimal familiarity with the global situation, the gravity of which is emphasised by the contrast between those who have caused most of the problems and those most afflicted. To the left of the last panel, the man in the blazer, an oil enthusiast, remarks in a speech balloon: 'Och vi är också de som har mest makt att påverka klimatpolitiska beslut' [And we are also those who have the most power to influence climate-related political decisions!]. The man in the military uniform continues: 'För att vi har hållit på med capitalism, colonialism och globalisering for ages!' [Because we have been engaged in capitalism, colonialism and globalisation for ages!]. They both represent industrial modernist masculinity.
The absurdity of the unequal situation becomes clear, and is further developed, on the next page ( Figure 3). Here we can follow the same narrative characters, while the climate situation worsens and societal gaps widen. One panel visualises how, in countries with unequal gender relations, more women than men suffer from climate change. The next shows that the gender gap is equally present in wealthier societies. Two westerners stand at a bus stop discussing the fact that women are dependent on collective transportation, correctly implying that men more often drive cars (6).
The last panel, filling the lower part of the page, illustrates the current problematic global climate situation with an ironic and illuminating image. Figure 4. It shows the gap between those who suffer from the climate changes and are aware of the threat to future generations and the refuters, who, for reasons of egoism and the inability to acknowledge the fact that everyone will suffer if the current climate trends continue, don not see the problem. The three wealthy western characters sit above the others, up in a tree, smiling naively as they literally prepare to saw off the branch they sit upon. Below them, to the  Maskulinitet, genus och klimaträttvisa, 2021, 5, detail. left, the three non-westerners in the crowd, one of them identified with a sign as Friends of the Earth, demonstrate with placards, shouting at the rich ones above them: "Systemförändring inte klimatförändring! [Systemic change not climate change!], 'Lyssna på forskarna!' [Listen to the researchers!] and 'Vi kräver att ni tar ert ansvar!' [We demand that you take your responsibility!]. The response they get from those above is: ' Seså! Utan tillväxt inga jobb! Och jobb vill ni väl ha?!' [Come on! Without growth no jobs! And you want jobs, don't you?!] (6). The demonstration visualises the power relationship between the demonstrators shouting from their underdog perspective and those in power who look down on them from their weak branch. The message on the placards -that climate change must include change on a structural level -is a demand for radical change, not based on individual choices nor for that matter on merely technical solutions.
The comics work with factually supported clarity and sharpness, but also with sharp irony and judicious humour. For example, an artic bay is drawn on the right-hand side of the tree mentioned above, with three polar bears tightly crowded on a miniscule ice floe. An arrow ironically labelled 'Trångt' [crowded] points at the bears, and a nearby mountain is tagged 'plastberg' [plastic mountain] (6). This is far from the expected in a healthy environment. The markers are intended to humourously expose and criticise the immorality and idiocy of the situation. In addition, in a small marginal drawing, a man with a red scarf claims that the global power structures, including gender inequality, are linked to climate change, which in turn widens the gender gap. A western military figure childishly responds: 'Jaha! Är vi ansvariga för det nu också?!' [What! Are we now responsible for that, too?!]. Here the satiric figure of ridicule is used. The non-western man with the red scarf resembles a superhero, a typical character in comics, here fighting injustice and environmental destruction. He represents ecological masculinity, being an activist demonstrating for climate justice, including the adoption of a new lifestyle. His superhero attire represents the power he could conceivably use to instigate change. Of course, this also has a humorous aspect, which prevents the story from becoming oppressively dark. The subsequent comics in the album treat specific themes related to climate change and gender norms. In one case, feminine and masculine ways of responding to crises are examined, in which women are 'allowed' to talk about their problems and ask for help, while the masculine norm requires men to hide theirs and keep quiet (9). Another comic about masculinity norms presents Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro as examples of industry modern -also called 'egological' -masculinity. Elon Musk is displayed as an example of ecomodern masculinity, since he recognises the environmental problems but thinks they can be solved by new technology, shifting emissions from the burning of fossil fuels to mineral mining for battery production (12). Ecological masculinity is described with a variety of people who make significant lifestyle changes. They use bicycles instead of cars and show concern for the care of nature and of children. Rather than buying new belongings, they help each other with repairs, they stop vacationing via air travel and they join organisations devoted to climate justice (12). There is also a comic about Arnold Schwarzenegger as an example of men who are capable of change (18). One comic focusing on activism portrays an immense manifestation with marchers holding banners and placards concerning a number of connected issues, such as international solidarity, support for the rain forests of the Amazon, gender and queer power, indigenous people's rights, black lives matter, opposition to the fossil fuel industry, and 'systemic change instead of climate change' (20). The very last comic has the title: 'Aktivism fungerar! Vi kräver systemförändring nu!' [Activism works! We demand systemic change now!] (21). A man is seen crying because of the climate crisis which causes the ice to melt and the animals to suffer. A text in a caption declares that it is important to truly feel the gravity of the crisis (21). Nevertheless, a fruitful alternative to mourning is suggested in the form of active hope leading to action, illustrated by a person who makes the effort to collect useful information, plans to join activist manifestations, and joins a discussion group grappling with gender norms and climate (21). The concepts here refer to the book Active Hope. How to Face the Mess We're in without Going Crazy, by Johanna Macy and Chris Johnstone (2012), mentioned in the album's reference list. Thus, the album concludes with hope, active hope, seen as 'something we do rather than have' (Macy and Johnstone 2012, 3). This explanation compares to Liinason's and Cuesta's proposition that feminist activism can make use of hopefulness, emotions, and solidarity as strategies for instigating change (Liinason and Cuesta 2016, 15).

Conclusions
The comics in the two albums presented communicate the importance of changing the way we live and the way we use global resources. They examine the climate crisis in relation to feminisms, masculinities and activism. The crisis is visualised and verbalised by comics stories about characters who react to it in different ways -by denying it (industrial modernists), by suggesting unproductive, short-term solutions (ecomodernists), or by applying an ecological perspective, which includes care for nature and for each other, working for equity, eradicating negative gender norms, reducing unfair consumption and taking action for climate justice. The problematic situation is rendered in words and images as contrasts between those who contribute detrimentally to the climate crisis and those people and animals who are afflicted by it. Gaps are visualised between wealthy western people and poor non-westerners, between women and men, and between younger and older generations. The facts conveyed are based on research results, especially underlined in the album produced by Jordens Vänner. Both albums contain visual and verbal humour, irony, and satire as approaches for expressing social critique and for preventing the stories from becoming oppressively dark (cf. Evans in Davies 2017, 2-3). According to researcher Laureen Rickards (2020), irony and satire are valuable tools for introducing the climate issue into everyday life and engaging people actively, tools not available in the presentation of purely scientific information. Common to both albums are hopeful conclusions and suggestions for collective actions in response to the crisis. The comics are grounded in ideas and concepts employed in feminist and masculinity studies, and constitute activism per se, being the results of the creators' aims to induce change. In addition, they are specifically linked to activist projects, in the first case to the activist organisation Klimataktion, and in the second to the workshops conducted by Jordens Vänner and MÄN.