Tegneseriene: Tidsfordriv, Søppel Eller Kunst? (which translates to Comics: Pastime, Trash or Art?) is a book published by Ashes in Oslo, Norway in 1981. The books contents are complied by Edruskapsrørslas Studieforbund (Sobriety Awareness Study Association) which was based in Aschehoug, Norway at the time.
Edruskapsrørslas Studieforbund (ES) was a prominent Norwegian educational association founded by the country’s temperance movement. Its primary mission was to provide “popular enlightenment” and adult education, rooted in the belief that social problems, specifically alcohol abuse, could be addressed through knowledge, cultural engagement, and organized study. By operating as a sanctioned educational body, ES received state support to produce study materials and organize courses that promoted a sober, active, and civic-minded lifestyle across Norway.
The organization was particularly active during the mid-to-late 20th century, a period when Norway’s “voluntary organizations” played a massive role in shaping public discourse. ES did not limit its focus strictly to the dangers of alcohol; it branched out into broader social, artistic, and media-related topics, aiming to give ordinary citizens the tools to critically analyze modern media and cultural shifts that were often dismissed by the academic elite.
By the 1990s and early 2000s, many of these specialized educational associations began to consolidate as the landscape of adult education changed. In 2003, Edruskapsrørslas Studieforbund merged with other organizations to form Studieforbundet Solidaritet, which later became part of Studieforbundet AOF Norge. Although it no longer exists as an independent entity, its legacy remains in the vast library of study guides and cultural critiques it produced, which documented Norway’s transition into a modern, media-saturated society.
Tegneseriene: Tidsfordriv, Søppel Eller Kunst? contains 72 black and white pages in paperback format with Norwegian text. Every other page in the book consists of illustrations, both from Norwegian and foreign series, with the majority of the book written by Tor Edvin Dahl. The cover is a collage of several iconic comic characters, popular on Norway newstands at the time. We see on the cover the Phantom, Mickey Mouse, Mortens Gåsemor (Mother Goose) and Stomperud.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Norway (like many other countries) experienced a rigorous debate about the influence of comic books on children and literacy. The title itself poses the central question of the era: were these books merely a way to kill time, cultural “trash”, or a legitimate form of art?
The book was designed as a study guide or educational resource. It was intended to be used by schools, study groups, and organizations to analyze the history, aesthetics and social impact of comics. Instead of just dismissing the medium, the book encouraged readers to look critically at how comics were made and what they were communicating. As the book is primarily intended for study circles, each chapter ends with a number of questions that can form the basis for further discussion.
The inclusion of the Phantom is significant because Fantomet (as the Phantom is known in Norway), has historically been exceptionally popular in Scandinavia, often treated with more serious editorial attention than in his home country of the United States.
thephantom.fan 