Aku Ankka

History and profile

The first issue of Aku Ankka ja kumppanit (Donald Duck & Co.) was published on 5 December 1951 and sold 34,017 copies. The first issue, with a special Christmas theme, and the Snow White story published later in the 1950s are very prized collector's items and can fetch a price of several thousand euros on the collector market. The magazine was published monthly until 1956, twice a month between 1956 and 1960, and every Wednesday since 1961. The magazine's name was shortened to Aku Ankka in early 1955. Aku Ankka is published by (formerly Magazines), which is part of .

Despite being part of a multinational franchise and despite most stories being translations into Finnish of stories first published abroad, Aku Ankka has become a cultural icon in Finland. This is largely due to the magazine's colourful and innovative use of the Finnish language. In 2001, in recognition of its work for the Finnish language, the editorial team was given the Kielihelmi award by the Finnish language department of the University of Helsinki.

The comics are also known for their use of Finnish language spoofs of famous people or groups. Examples include Arnoltti Kvartsinikkari for Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alfred Hiisikukko for Alfred Hitchcock and Brutallica for Metallica.

Alleged bans

There is a popular urban legend that Donald Duck was once banned in Finland for not wearing pants. This myth was sparked by an incident in 1977, when Helsinki councilman proposed discontinuing the use of city funds to subscribe to Aku Ankka comics for youth centers, due to the city's financial difficulties. The following year, when was running for a parliament seat, his opponent, called him "the man who banned Donald Duck from Helsinki" and lost the election. National Coalition Party politician Ben Zyskowicz called 's decision "an accident at work".

A similar incident had taken place a few years earlier in , and international reports exaggerated the situation in claims that the character's attire and his extramarital relationship with Daisy Duck were the causes of the local ban.

Circulation

Aku Ankka is one of the most popular weekly publications in Finland as well as the world's largest edition per capita of a Donald Duck magazine.

It had a circulation of 320,500 in 2006, 324,000 in 2007, and 306,555 in 2010. Its circulation of 282,794 in 2012 made it the third most popular magazine in Finland. When 260,455 copies were sold in 2013, it became the best-selling Finnish magazine. In 2020, circulation had dropped down to 110,000.

The Aku Ankka comic is now more popular in Finland than in the country of its origin, the United States (where Disney is better known for its cartoons and films than comics). The US Donald Duck cartoonist Don Rosa is exceptionally popular in Finland, and he has acknowledged this by creating *The Quest for *, a Donald Duck story specifically set in Finland.

References

References

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5. Haapanen, Liisa. (October 10, 2016). "Aku Ankan päätoimittaja: Ankkalinnassa saattaa pian seikkailla "joku tunnettu suomalaisnobelisti"".
6. Mikkelson, David. (February 26, 1999). "Was Donald Duck Banned in Finland Because He Doesn't Wear Pants?".
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15. (2021-06-24). "Aku Ankka -lehti menetti leijonanosan tilaajistaan, mutta päätoimittaja Aki Hyyppä on toiveikas: "Aallonpohjasta selvittiin"".
16. McDermott, Julianna. (May 3, 2016). "Donald Duck Is A National Hero In This Country".