Oksi

By Mari Ahokoivu

A breathtaking tale that comes from the heart of Finnish folklore, Oksi is a unique and mesmerizing graphic novel based on the Finnish legend of the bear as the king of the forest. 

Poorling is a little bear, but she is a bit different from her brothers. 

A bear mother, Umi, has given birth to her new cubs, however, little Poorling doesn’t resemble her brothers. She looks more like a flame than a bear and is bullied by her siblings. Even their mother is at a loss with the strange bear cub. 

Deep down, however, Umi has her own task to overcome: she has to grow out of the shadow of her own mother, the resentful goddess Emuu, mother of all animals. Umi keeps her cubs safe from both Emuu, and from Mana whose Shadow children roam the forest and become dangerous. 
Meanwhile, Poorling discovers that she possesses powerful forces, which makes Umi question how she has ended up with the strange creature. 

Drawing references to the deep layers of Nordic mythology, and to stories ranging from Prometheus, The Ugly Duckling, and Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki, Oksi is a stunning magnum opus by the extraordinary Finnish artist Mari Ahokoivu.

Publishing information

Year of publication

2018

Page count

380

Original title

Oksi

Original language

Finnish

Original publisher

Asema Publishing

Rights sold

  • Slovenian
  • Italian

About the author

Mari Ahokoivu (b. 1984) is a Finnish illustrator and a comic artist who loves to draw cute and scary things. She draws comics for both adults and kids and has been published in Finland as well as abroad.Ahokoivu’s breathtaking graphic novel Oksi (2018) has been hailed as a masterpiece for its unique form and narrative, offering readers an epic and emotional story that is based on Finnish mythology. 

Authors page

Related content & publishing