Kenneth Larsen, an artist with a knack for capturing the hilarious and chaotic dynamics of friendship, brings his bond with his best friend Martha to life through his comic, Bestie. The comic beautifully showcases the unpredictable and funny moments that come with their lifelong friendship. Whether it’s pulling off sneaky pranks or jokingly backstabbing one another, their bond is filled with mischief, laughter, and endless moments of annoyance that only the closest friends can truly understand. What makes Bestie stand out is the relatability of the characters. The pair’s sibling-like camaraderie is the foundation of the comic, making it all the more fun to follow. Kenneth’s humorous illustrations not only capture the lighthearted moments of their friendship but also reflect the unspoken understanding between the two. The comic has quickly gained popularity, garnering over 105K followers on Instagram and even expanding into a book. If you’re someone who appreciates the chaotic yet deeply connected nature of friendship, Bestie is a must-see.
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Kenneth Larsen, the creator behind the Bestie comic grew up in Trondheim Norway, where his love for drawing started at a young age. As a child, he was known for spending hours with pencils and markers in hand, much to the disappointment of his father, who tried (and failed) to get him into soccer. Weekend ski competitions were also not his thing, but Kenneth found his true passion in comics. He was especially drawn to the works of Donald Duck, which was hugely popular in Scandinavia in the ’90s, along with newspaper strips like Ernie, Calvin Hobbes, and Garfield.
Though Kenneth always dreamed of being a full-time comic artist, he first pursued a career in graphic design and advertising in Stockholm, Sweden. After years of working in the industry, he leaped freelancing, allowing him the flexibility to focus on his comic creations. This freedom also lets him travel and visit his best friend Marthe, who has been by his side for nearly 40 years. Now living in Stockholm, Kenneth continues to grow his comic career sharing the hilarious and chaotic friendship with Marthe through Bestie, which has captured the hearts of readers.
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The idea for Kenneth Larsen’s Bestie comics has its roots in a lighthearted playful tradition he shared with his childhood friend, Marthe. Kenneth explains that it all began with him drawing silly comics to tease Marthe about the amusing things she would do and say. The two friends found endless humor in their exaggerated depictions of everyday moments, often poking fun at their experiences in ways that felt both absurd and painfully accurate.
As time went on Marthe remained an endless source of inspiration for Kenneth’s work. His passion for creating comics never waned and while studying at a comic art school in Sweden he began developing Bestie a comic strip that humorously depicted their friendship. It was a case of being in the right place at the right time just one year later a syndication agency picked up the comic and it slowly began to grow into something much larger than Kenneth could have anticipated. Reflecting on it Kenneth laughs I never knew I’d be able to make a career out of mocking my best friend.
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Kenneth Larsen reflects on the evolution of his Bestie comics which have been in circulation for over eight years now. What started as a simple fun comic about his childhood friendship with Marthe has grown into a rich tapestry of stories that feature a wider cast of characters, including more of Kenneth’s friends and family. While the comics are still inspired by real-life events they’ve taken on a life of their own becoming more creative and unique over time.
Larsen takes great pride in crafting a comic that blends humor with the ups and downs of adult friendships. His art style has been described as alive a compliment he deeply values. Beyond the humor, some of the most personal storylines in Bestie have addressed his coming-out process. Though the comics handle the subject lightly and with humor they provide a positive representation of being gay something Larsen wishes he had seen more of when he was growing up. Today, he’s proud to offer this kind of representation through his work contributing a fresh perspective to the world of newspaper comics.
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Kenneth Larsen, the creator behind the Bestie comics, has recently released his first comic collection, Bestie: Friends Without Benefits, on Amazon. The book, which compiles chronological strips along with personal bonus pages, has been a long time in the making. Kenneth shared his excitement about the release, mentioning that the process of launching the book had its share of challenges.
One of the biggest hurdles he faced was navigating the complexities of shipping and production costs. Being based in Scandinavia, Kenneth needed to find a practical solution for self-publishing. After much research and planning, he found that print-on-demand services offered the best balance of logistical efficiency and affordability. This approach allowed him to make the project economically viable while maintaining high-quality results. With the success of the first volume, Kenneth is already working on the follow-up, and fans can look forward to more of his hilarious and relatable comics in the future.
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