Interview with Sara Berntsson

1. Tell me a little about yourself. How long have you been active as a comic artist and what have you been up to?

I studied comics at Högskolan i Gävle from 2005-2008, since then I’ve made fanzines and participated in anthologies sporadically.

2. Why did you want to participate in this project?

Mostly because it’s a great deal of fun, but I also think Swedish Comic Sin has come to fill an important role in showcasing a spectrum view of sex, sexuality and gender, and it has been a great experience for me to not only produce, but to learn as well.

  3. Have you drawn any erotic comics or incorporated sex in your stories before?

Yup, I’ve participated in Swedish Comic Sin twice before (#2 and #3) and have also made a comic for the Freya anthology, which incorporates sex while not being a erotic comic.

4. What has been the most difficult and challenging thing about this project?

With each comic I’ve made, I’ve noticed that the protective layers of humor and irony gets more peeled off. I wouldn’t say that my latest comic is particularly serious or anything, it does contain a bit of humor, but compared to my earlier works it’s not as much of a joke anymore. It does make me feel more vulnerable, but I also think my comics are better for it.

5. What has been the most fun part?

Deciding to do something and then actually pulling through. It can feel easy when deciding the idea to think of something out of your comfort zone, but when it’s time to draw everything out in detail, suddenly I can feel a bit shy again. If I wasn’t participating in a project like this I might’ve bailed out earlier, but knowing we’re all making this anthology together I’m being held accountable until the comic is done, and I get great feedback along the way.

6. What are you up to now and where are you heading? Any plans?

I’m getting more and more interested in erotic comics, both as a producer and consumer, and I’ve started applying for other anthology projects within the erotica genre as well. It seems my tourism of the erotica genre has lead to me making a permanent stay.