Wilfred Hildonen

I’m originally from Norway, but I moved the first time when I was a baby and since then I’ve been on the move, more or less. I’m also a Finnish citizen and I am back in Portugal now, but i lived on the Åland Islands between Sweden and Finland before that and in Portugal before… well, you get the idea.

I’ve been working as a freelance illustrator and cartoonist since 1992, mainly for Hufvudstadsbladet, the largest daily newspaper in the Swedish language in Finland. The first time I illustrated for a newspaper was in 1972, though, back in Norway.

Aside from cartoons, I also illustrate and have been illustrating all kinds of books, from books for children to poems and novels and school books etc. It also happens that I paint, mostly abstract. I’ve also published a couple of books - one with texts (in Norwegian) and illustrations, and one collection of poetry in English and Norwegian, with a few illustrations as well. Other than that, I’m the great unpublished author.
I have done a few comics as well and some of them have been published.

So far my work has appeared in publications in Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Australia, USA, Turkey - and I think in South Africa as well. I may have forgotten some.

I used to have a website but got tired of updating it and I’ve been too busy working. During the last 30 years, I’ve been producing around 500 cartoons and illustrations annually, so I’ve managed to make a living out of it, although too poorly paid.
You can find me on Facebook and Instagram, but I’m too lazy/busy posting my work there. Make a search if you’re curious. And I’ll be uploading a few here.

I’m mostly self taught - an autodidact. I’ll continue drawing cartoons as long as anyone wants them and I’m still hoping to get new assignments!

Oh yes, and I speak, read and write in Norwegian, Swedish, English and Portuguese. I can get by a little in German and Spanish as well and even spoken Danish.