Portal

A beautifully melancholic tale where fantasy and reality, the past and the present, skillfully intertwine to weave a story of longing for a bygone era.

When Elia goes ice skating, an antiquated Moskvich car appears. And then, it disappears in a puff of smoke, as if by magic. But the next evening, the car and its driver, Eki, return with an enticing 1950s vibe. When Elia neglects his friends’ movie night and karaoke, they become worried – is Elia slipping into depression again? Elia sinks deeper into the relationship with Eki, who truly seems to come straight from the past. It is as if Elia is disappearing into fantasies of a lawless and freer time.

 

In a timely, rebellious, and warmly depicted narrative, Edith Hammar portrays a love story that transcends the boundaries of time. Portal is a captivating journey where past and present collide, and where love knows no limits. It is a fable about longing ­– how it can grow at the expense of one’s real life and relationships, ultimately leading to the realization that the freedom one yearns for is created in the present, not the past.

 

 

 

 

A beautifully melancholic tale where fantasy and reality, the past and the present, skillfully intertwine to weave a story of longing for a bygone era.

When Elia goes ice skating, an antiquated Moskvich car appears. And then, it disappears in a puff of smoke, as if by magic. But the next evening, the car and its driver, Eki, return with an enticing 1950s vibe. When Elia neglects his friends’ movie night and karaoke, they become worried – is Elia slipping into depression again? Elia sinks deeper into the relationship with Eki, who truly seems to come straight from the past. It is as if Elia is disappearing into fantasies of a lawless and freer time.

 

In a timely, rebellious, and warmly depicted narrative, Edith Hammar portrays a love story that transcends the boundaries of time. Portal is a captivating journey where past and present collide, and where love knows no limits. It is a fable about longing ­– how it can grow at the expense of one’s real life and relationships, ultimately leading to the realization that the freedom one yearns for is created in the present, not the past.

 

 

 

 

info

  • Year of publication

    2023

  • Original title

    Portal

  • Page count

    215

  • Original publisher

    Förlaget

Reviews

  • Prisma Literature Prize Jury

    "With an evocative visual narrative, Edith Hammar paints a dreamy and claustrophobic winter bubble where past and present meet. Portal is a story about queer time travel that depicts both the universal and the very specific in the longing for community."

  • Bernur

    "Hammar's wild and slightly anarchistic approach is perfectly suited to this both sad and joyful story, which should appeal to many Swedish comic book readers."

  • Svenska Yle

    "A beautiful and wistful series in which fantasy and reality are skilfully interweaved into a tale of longing for a bygone Helsinki."

  • BTJ

    "Portal is an evocatively drawn and narrated love story where dialogues, smoke loops and the steam from the breath in the cold Finnish winter night billow over the pages. Rating: 5/5"

  • Comics-Finlandia jury

    "Portal is a gateway to emotions. The beautifully linear tone of the work and the characters sometimes stretched into perspective, convey a sense of longing. Longing for the past, for the future, for love or for the magic of everyday life. Highlighting local queer history, this work is exactly what the current public discussion on sexual and gender minorities needs."

Awards & Nominations

Awards

  • Prisma Literature Prize – Series of the Year

    2023

Nominations

  • Comics-Finlandia

    2024

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