Karine Haaland

Karine Haaland, born 29 August 1966 in Bergen, Norway, is a comic strip creator, animator, and illustrator best known for her long-running strip *Piray*. She entered the comics field in the late 1990s, and her work appeared regularly from 1999 through 2009 across numerous Norwegian publications, including seasonal albums and special issues. Her signature creation, *Piray*, is a humorous, often surreal strip that showcases her clean, expressive linework and playful sense of character. Haaland handled nearly every aspect of the strip herself—writing, penciling, inking, lettering, and coloring—giving it a consistent, personal voice. She also contributed to *Larsons gale verden* and appeared in anthology volumes such as *Gøye tegneserier - Den store jubileumsboken*. While she did not achieve widespread international fame, Haaland built a steady following in Norway for her distinctive, lighthearted humor. Her later career saw her move into animation and illustration, though *Piray* remains her most recognized achievement. She has not been a major award recipient in the English-language comics industry, but her work stands as a notable example of Norwegian newspaper-style cartooning in the early 2000s.