M-bok #1

Mads Eriksen's M-bok #1 — De Første Årene collects the early work of this Norwegian cartoonist in a handsome 2007 volume from Bladkompaniet/Schibsted. The cover, drawn and inked by Eriksen himself, sets a perfectly wry tone: a wide-eyed, bald little figure peers over what looks like bedcovers against a deep crimson background, radiating equal parts wariness and dry humor. It's an immediately charming introduction to Eriksen's clean, expressive linework and the understated comic sensibility that defines his "M" strip.