#38 Mug Mymble 2008-
Already ten years ago, in 2008, the loveable Mymble mug was launched and added into Arabia’s Moomin mug collection.
Tove Slotte, the mug designer of Arabia, chose the illustrations for the mug from Tove Jansson’s comic #8 Moomin begins a new life (1956) and novel Moominsummer Madness (1954).
As written in our previous blog posts, several illustration designs and colors are tested before the right ones are found and accepted for production. In 2006 while designing the Mymble Moomin mug, a unique coloring experiment with the light pink background was produced among others.
Finally, the Mymble mug with darker tone was chosen into production. This unique version of love-struck Mymble can nowadays be found from Moomin Characters’ collection. Read more about the coloring experiment mug and why this tone was chosen in our previous blog post here:
A unique Mymble Moomin mug was auctioned
A unique Mymble Moomin mug in light pink was auctioned for charity. Moomin Characters Oy Ltd bought this unique mug at Fiskars’ auction.
#39 Mug On the beach 2008
The seasonal summer mug in 2008 continued the same style with background stripes as seen in the summer mugs in 2006 and 2007. The summerish illustration Tove Slotte chose from Tove Jansson’s comic #3 Moomin on the Riviera (1955).
Snorkmaiden in her bikinis is presented on both sides of the mug as well as in the summer bowl launched at the same time with the mug.
#40 Mug Sniff turquoise 2008-
The brown Sniff mug was discontinued in 2008 and in the same year Arabia launched a new version of character mug for Sniff.
Turquoise Sniff mug is designed by Tove Slotte, based on the original illustrations of Tove Jansson. Sniff on the backside of the mug is from the very first Moomin comic that was published in the Evening News -newspaper, #1 Moomin and the Brigands (1954–55).
Sniff’s cat’s face is from the Moomin novel Comet in Moominland (1946) and Sniff’s body from the comic #2 Moomin and Family Life (1955). Sniff is often presented as a timid character, but this enthusiastic face of his is likewise from the first comic #1 Moomin and the Brigands (1954–55).
#41 Mug Bonfire 2008
In winter 2008 Arabia presented a seasonal mug Bonfire that was sold only for a limited time, just like the other seasonal products. The winter mug in 2008 continued the same style with the dark blue background as the previous two mugs.
All of the illustrations on the mug are from Tove Jansson’s comic #5 Moomin’s Winter Follies (1955), carefully chosen by the mug designer Tove Slotte. The characters presented on the mug feature also a little creature called Shadow (in Finnish Samu, in Swedish Sofus), who sits on the bonfire together with Moominpappa and Mr. Brisk.
Also, all the lanterns, torch and even the little penguins are picked from the different comic panels and combined naturally forming a coherent whole.
Do you have the winter mug of your own? Hopefully, you find it as interesting as we did to compare the mug design to the original illustrations!
Featured image and the original illustrations: Moomin Characters
Mugs and the photo of the unique test version: Fiskars
Read the previous posts about the history of Moomin mugs:
Seasonal Moomin mugs also feature rarer characters – the history of Moomin mugs by Arabia, part 9
#34 Mug Hattifatteners 2007- Arabia’s orange Moomin mug, which is still in production, showcases the mysterious Hattifatteners. The illustrations are…
The seasonal Moomin mugs started a new era – the history of Moomin mugs by Arabia, part 8
#30 Mug Thingumy and Bob 2005-2017 Thingumy and Bob are inseparable and almost always walk around hand-in-hand. They were first introduced…
Get to know each and every one of Arabia’s Moomin mugs on our dedicated Moomin mug page.