Winner Dagbladet’s StripCompetition
Winner Pondus Price
Winner Blix Award
Winner Sproing Award
Serienett Stripof the Decade
ScottKurtz(PVP,TableTitans)
«So jealous of Jens’cartooning style,he’sa master»
DUNCEisa(sortof)autobiographicdailycomicstrip, themaincharacterJensKlivesinTromsø,farnorthin Norway.It’sastripabouthuman(andmore... animalistic?)relationships,andthetypicalstrugglesof ourmodernlives.DUNCEstartedbywinningthestrip competitioninoneofNorway’sbiggestnewspapers, Dagbladet,andhaslaterrecievedseveralawards,like theprestigous Pondus-prize andthe Sproing-prize (theNorwegian”Oscar”ofcomics)inthecategory
BestNorwegianComic.
Dunceisdoingwellinternationally,Frenchbooks publishedby 404Comics,withoverwhelming reviews. Oceano (Mexico)releasedthefirstSpanish bookinApril2023,distributedto21countries.
Therearenow1400Dunce-strips,they’reprinted dailyin30newspapersandmagazinesinNorway andSweden.PlusamagazineinColombia(!).The publisherEgmonthasreleased (inNorwegian)andwillreleasethesixthonein spring2024.TheNorwegiancomicjournal Serienett listedDunceas ”BestNorwegiancomicof thedecade”.
JensKStyve(born1972)liveswithhiswife,dog andthreekidsinTromsø,Norway.He’sawriter(of twonovels),comicartistandillustrator.Heworked 12yearsaspartneranddesignerinadesign agency,butsinceOctober2017he’sbeenacomic artistfulltime.
Phone:(+47)97146759,e-mail:jstyve@gmail.com JensKStyve,Stubben34,9016Tromsoe,NORWAY jensk.net
”I’mnotastripreaderatall,butDunce waslikeanearthquakeforme(...),even todayIfindmyselfpickingupvolume1 again,readingafewatrandomfor coffee.(...)Lettherebenobeating aroundthebush,volume2isbrilliant, evenfunnierthanthefirstone.”
ChroniquesComics, France
”JensK.Managestoassociateinthese shortstoriesourlittledailyannoyances withmoreserioussubjects,from depressiontoaddictiontovirtual universes,fromfriendshiptocanine love.Agreatsuccess.”
BenzineMag,France
”IttookaJensKStyve,toopenthe festivitiesoftheeditoriallineto comeat404Comics!Andwhatan collection!Dunce,it’syou,it’sme,it’s theguyorthegirlwhoconfrontsthe nonsenseoflifedayafterday,and whohappenstolaughaboutit.”
StefEmma, FranceNetInfo
”It’sbeenalongtimesince I’vebeen so amused byabook, and evenmore soforcomics.Jenkshasthegift of makingreadershappy,Iwill attend with impatience thenext volume.”
1001BD
”(...)thisverybeautifulworkbyJens K.Styveistouching,sincereand relevant.”
Julien O ,MDCU Comics
”It’safinehumor,sometimes praiseworthy, full of absurdity, nonsenseand a lotof gentlenessin thewell-being ofhumanbeings.”
PlaneteBD
”( ) carriesthereader initsgentle absurdity.”
ComicStories.fr
«Thiscomicisanenrichment! Funny, hilarious.»
Comicreview.de(Germanpodcast)
«LikeBill WattersonorRichard Thompson, Styve’ssimplified drawingsareenhanced byhisskillful useof traditionalmedia.»
Pome-mag.com
«Affectionate,heart-warmingand most importantlyfunny (...)Mademe laughoutloud,something comics rarely do.»
SplankBlog(UK)
«Dunceisareallygoodandunique comicthathascrackedmostcodes for asuccessfullnewspaper strip.»
Statementofthejury,DagbladetCompetition
«Thisdoesn’tcomemorehighly recommendedbothvisuallyand medically!Iloved it.»
AwesomeComics,podcast(UK)