Hälge [julalbum] #30

Lars Mortimer's beloved Swedish moose Hälge takes center stage on this cover in a very awkward situation — handcuffed to a post while two hunters and a dog look on with varying degrees of smugness, all under the bold warning "Varning för Tjuvjakt!" ("Beware of Poaching!"). It's a perfectly absurd scene that captures the gentle, deadpan humor that has made this series a staple of Scandinavian comics. Issue #30 of the annual Hälge julalbum, published by Egmont in 2021, looks like another thoroughly enjoyable outing for one of Sweden's most endearing cartoon characters.