The Cursing Hedgehog!!

When I was writing my book about the iconography of hedgehogs (yes, just in case you thought my world was niche, but not that niche, well, it is! ) I found a reference to an artist called Milla Laitinen …

This is an update that REALLY will benefit from being read HERE as there are loads of other images.

The Cursing Hedgehog is her creation - a Finnish cartoon strip that remains very true to its title … there is a hedgehog, it swears, a lot. Now, fortunately for the sensitive, the hedgehog mostly swears in Finnish, though I am VERY lucky to have a copy of her first album that was translated into English …

The reason for introducing you to this amazing human is because she is doing something delightfully eccentric (and the bar is already set pretty high!) … she is opening a gallery/museum/shop dedicated to the cursing hedgehog in what has been described as the ugliest town in Finland (though Milla thinks in beautiful in its own grey way!)

On Saturday - tomorrow - the grand opening in Kouvola is taking place. She did ask whether I could pop over and do my hedgehog comedy show to mark the moment … but time and money rather got in the way. However I realised that there may be some of you from Finland - and thought you should go!

I did grab a chat with Milla, on Zoom, while she was in the middle of setting out the gallery - the first time we have ‘met’ … and what a delight and also … what I thought was just a small thing with an album of cartoons, well, turns out I was talking to a Finnish National Treasure!

‘Oh, that first album in 2007, yes, it became quite popular,’ she said - and by quite popular she means it was the number one best selling book in Finland! I had not realised there was such a Finnish hedgehog world ….

‘When I was studying Art History, I was in a lecture and I was bored,’ she explained, when I asked where the hedgehog had come from. ‘I was doodling, just enjoying the texture I was making with the pen and then I realised I had drawn a hedgehog - I put in a curse word as a joke - the hedgehog is such a cute animal, the contrast with it shouting ‘Perkele.’

I had to turn to the computer to clarify - perkele translates directly as ‘damn’ but in Finland it is delivered with the same emotional intensity as f**k.

‘I put the picture up on the internet and it started to gain attention … so I did another … and another … and then made my own ‘zine’ and the Cursing Hedgehog universe was born!’

And now - a gallery. She gave me a tour - original artwork on the walls - literally, painted, not hanging - there is still a punk/DIY feel to her work. And there is merchandise… disappointingly, this is only in the shop and not for sale online as I would really like to buy some …

Because it is Finland, there is a bunch of sauna related products - a small towel on which to sit which has the hedgehog commenting, ‘you have a nice ass’ - and a thermometer which, rather than numbers, has hedgehog reactions - the third says, ‘now its perfect;’ the fourth, ‘F**k its hot;’ and the fifth, ‘that’s enough already you f**king lunatic.’

‘I never thought this would become one of the most loved characters in Finland,’ she said. And I have to say, this gives a clear indication of Finnish character - a character which seems very attractive. I went once, invited by the logging industry who tried, and failed, to convince me their certification system was good … and while there rather fell for the forests and lakes and, perhaps, most importantly, Sibelius.

Milla was unfamiliar with the even ruder hedgehog - from Poland - so I introduced her to George the Hedgehog. Now, this is utterly filthy - NSFW - do not search for the film on your work computer … that sort of thing … oh, it is also a cartoon - but VERY much adult only … you have been warned. Here is a picture I can share from it … (sorry - only on free Substack version)

And as we were talking about the importance of humour and pushing the edges of what is reasonable, I had to guide her to Samuel L Jackson’s reading of the (again, very adult) nighttime story for parents called, ‘Go the F**k to Sleep.’

Ok - enough of the profanity - but staying with the comedy. A whole bunch of you have been in touch asking how my comedy gig in Eastbourne went - I was supporting the amazing Robin Ince at Jo Neary’s club above the Lamb Inn. And I am pretty sure it is the only 45 minute show out there that is just about hedgehogs … I have used the word niche a few times … seems appropriate!

I had so much fun … and I am pretty sure the audience did too - loads of lovely comments after, most around, ‘I was not expecting anything like that!’ There is a video … which needs a little work … but I will get up sometime soon … and in that you will see that while the show is full of strange hedgehog iconography, there is also a deeper message about the importance of taking action to help them.

Hope you are all enjoying the leaves as they explode into a glorious array of colours … just a quick reminder that these leaves, when they fall, are crucial for hedgehog’s as they start to prepare their hibernaculum - their hibernating nests. So PLEASE do not join the cult of tidiness … let the leaves become a hedgehog duvet!

And finally - does anyone know a publisher in the UK who might like to take on Milla and her Cursing Hedgehog? I think we would all benefit from a translation!