Beautiful bromance that was not supposed to happen

Gay comic strip Bruce the Angry Bear is celebrating a 6 month anniversary. Comedian Hugleikur Dagsson is a special guest illustrator this week.

Comedian and illustrator Hugleikur Dagsson.

“I guess my character in the strip is a bit more grumpy than the real me. But I don’t mind. I like people to think I’m unapproachable. The strip will also include a new stick figure joke from me. That will be in tone with my usual sickery,” says comedian Hugleikur Dagsson, also known as Hulli.

He will be a guest drawer for GayIceland’s comic strip Bruce the Angry Bear, the conception of friends Jonathan Duffy, aka Jono, and Einar Valur Másson.

“I think it was Jono’s idea,” Einar says, when I ask how this collaboration came about.

“The strip will also include a new stick figure joke from me. That will be in tone with my usual sickery.”

“Yeah, Hulli and I had been playing with the idea of getting Einar to animate some of the embarrassments of the week from our Icletralia podcast a little while ago. Einar and I were meeting in a cafe to write the comic strip and Hulli was there. I said to him, hey why don’t you draw a panel,” says Jono and Hulli adds that he said yes instantly.

“I thought: Sure, why the fuck not”. I also love seeing other (i.e. talented) illustrators’ interpretations of myself.”

Happy six months Bruce!

Hulli’s cameo comes forth on the six month anniversary of Bruce the Angry Bear. Coincidence? “Yes, it is pure coincidence – we are not that organized,” says Jono and laughs.

Bruce and his partner Spencer are celebrating a six month anniversary.

“It is a happy coincidence but it’s spurred us into planning more. We have been looking at the calendar of events here in Iceland to try to tie in events like pride, bears on Ice, and other things.

We’re actually working on a full story – it’s kind of a hardy boys inspired mystery where Bruce and Spencer have to solve a crime,” adds Einar, who says that these sort of cameos used to be quite common in the comic world.

“I’m not sure how common it is today but it used to be very common in the web comic community. I remember in the mid 2000s, web comic creators would often solicit their web comic friends to do guest spots and arcs while they took vacations but they had to take breaks from their regular stories.”

Polyamorous threesome of comics

Hulli and Jono are no strangers to one another and have been working together for more than a year, on various projects. They’ve formed a special bond, a beautiful bromance.

Stand up comedian Jonathan Duffy.

“Our bromance, as with all great love affairs, was not supposed to happen. But I’m glad it did. It’s an important factor within our podcast. I wouldn’t be surprised if we worked on something else together in the future,” says Hulli quite seriously, so I don’t know if he’s kidding or actually being sincere.

Jono nods and adds that Hulli is in fact the reason why he and Einar started working together.

“I don’t think we intended to create a bromance, it just sort of happened on the way as we teamed up to make a bit of cash. Hulli might not remember this but he’s actually the reason Einar and I are working together. I was speaking at TedX Reykjavik last year and Einar was drawing all the speakers. I introduced them and later I was telling Hulli about my idea for the Angry Bear character. He told me he really liked it and said I need to find an illustrator to work with. I took the initiative to ask this talented artist to meet with me and the rest is history.”

But does Einar ever feel left out in this male bonding between two comics?

“Sometimes they let me watch,” says Einar and laughs. “But seriously, I don’t feel left out. Jono and Hulli have been forming their relationship for over a year now, whereas Jono and I have a separate relationship and now the three of us have one through this crossover,” says Einar and Jono interrupts: “It’s very polyamorous.”

Long term dream to make it to TV

Hulli has made quite the name for himself in Iceland as a controversial funny man, and his characters have even made their way unto the TV screen in a Hulli original series for RÚV, the national broadcaster. Are those Einar’s and Jono’s hopes for Bruce the Angry Bear?

Illustrator Einar Másson.

“Absolutely yes. I think Bruce would translate very well into a cartoon,” says Einar and Jono agrees.

“Definitely, I even know how most of the characters sound. It’s a long term dream but hey, if there are any cartoon producers out there reading this, we are very approachable.”

“We’re actually working on a full story – it’s kind of a hardy boys inspired mystery where Bruce and Spencer have to solve a crime.”

What about other surprises for fans of Bruce the Angry Bear. Can we expect more of those in the future?

“It wouldn’t be a surprise if they expected it,” Einar says pushing his glasses up on his nose, with a profound look on his face.

“Of course, I’m constantly trying to push the envelope. It’s not a good writing week unless the editors call me and say: “I don’t think we can really say that,” says Jono.

Á. Óskarsson
Á. Óskarsson

Á. Óskarsson offers a variety of products and services to sports centers, swimming pools, schools, kindergartens, and the general public. The company specializes in sport-related products, activity-focused games, and a wide range of solutions for sports facilities.

Á. Óskarsson has been involved in numerous big projects related to building sports facilities and has made it their benchmark to offer good quality products and equipment since the company was founded.

See links to social media in the upper left-hand corner

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Á. Óskarsson selur fjölbreytt vöruúrval fyrir íþróttahús, sundlaugar, skóla og leikskóla og einnig ýmsar vörur til einkaafnota. Fyrirtækið selur vörur til íþróttaiðkunnar og leikja ásamt því að bjóða upp á ýmsar lausnir fyrir íþróttamannvirki.

Á. Óskarsson hefur komið að fjölda stórra verkefna við byggingu íþróttamannvirkja og hefur frá stofnun kappkostað að bjóða vandaðar og endingargóðar vörur.

Tenglar á samfélagsmiðla eru í efra horninu vinstra megin.

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Blush

    Blush was founded in 2011 when it started selling high quality sex products. The goal from the beginning was to change the market and take the discussion about sex products to a higher level. Today Blush provides professional services in a pleasant environment that fulfills different needs, both for individuals and couples. Blush respects diversity and wants to set a good example in all of its messaging to target audiences. Sexual health and equality in sex is important and Blush wants to focus on those issues through education and open discussion. Blush works in a socially responsible manner for society, their customers and the environment.

    Check out Blush’s website: https://blush.is/

    Omnom Chocolate
    - award-winning chocolate maker

      Omnom Chocolate is an Icelandic craft chocolate company based in Reykjavík. We produce handcrafted chocolate from organic cacao beans sourced ethically and sustainably. We’ve developed direct relationships to create premium chocolate with fine flavor cacao beans.

      Our creative flavors are carefully crafted by meticulous chocolate makers. The cacao beans are roasted, winnowed, ground, and refined into melty-smooth chocolate.

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      In only a few short years, we’ve grown from our 50 sq. m. petrol station space and become an award-winning chocolate maker. Now, with our headquarters in 101 Reykjavík, our chocolate is sent out around Iceland and all over the world.

      At the end of the day, our goal is to make chocolate.

       

      Nasdaq

         

        Nasdaq (Nasdaq: NDAQ) is a global technology company serving the capital markets and other industries. Our diverse offering of data, analytics, software and services enables clients to optimize and execute their business vision with confidence.

        With over 4,300 employees in 39 offices around the world, at Nasdaq we all contribute to the success of the company and its culture, and each one of us has the ability to make a difference. When it comes to our core mission and values, we embrace the role of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (DIB) as a fundamental driver of our corporate growth, workplace culture and market development. We strive to create a culture that embraces the power of different perspectives—a culture where people’s unique backgrounds and different experiences helps us fuel innovation and support our clients around the world.

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        Blue Lagoon
        - One of the 25 Wonders of the World

        Named by National Geographic as one of the 25 Wonders of the World, the Blue Lagoon is a shimmering expanse of warmth, relaxation, and rejuvenation. Its unique geothermal seawater
        comes from 2.000 meters within the earth where seawater and freshwater converge in a tectonic realm of porous lava and searing heat. Propelled by extreme pressure, the water ascends to the earth’s surface, emerging enriched with silica, algae, and minerals—the elements that endow Blue Lagoon geothermal seawater with its radiant, healing properties.

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        Achieving harmony with the volcanic landscape, the lagoon and its surrounding architecture embody the unification of the man-made and the natural, and adhere to the highest principles of sustainability.

        The Blue Lagoon. A wonder of the world. A world of wonder.

        Landsbankinn
        - leading financial institution
        Landsbankinn

        Landsbankinn is a leading Icelandic financial institution. It offers a full range of financial services and is the market leader in the Icelandic financial service sector with the largest branch network.

        The present bank was established on 7 October 2008 but the history of its predecessor dates back to 1886. The bank is owned by the National Treasury of Iceland, which holds 98.2% of its share capital, and other shareholders who own 1.8%.

        Landsbankinn’s strategy is to provide comprehensive financial services that meet customer’s needs. It emphasizes providing exemplary service to customers, developing e-banking for their convenience, increasing the efficiency of support functions, modernizing its technology and ensuring effective utilization of its balance sheet.

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        Landsbankinn wishes to lead the development of a sustainable society in Iceland by integrating economic, social and environmental concerns in its operations. The Bank aims to ensure that both its owners and society at large benefit from its activities.

        It intends to achieve this aim by building solid infrastructure and a strong team of 1.100 employees, by listening to its customers and by respecting and encouraging its employees to actively participate in their community. Landsbankinn was a founding member of Festa, a Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility, and is a member of the UN Global Compact.

        Landsbankinn has been a proud sponsor of the Reykjavik Pride since it was first celebrated in Iceland.

        Dohop
        - get inspired
        Dohop

        Dohop allows people to find the cheapest flights available with just one click. Founded in Reykjavik in 2004, it is the only Icelandic company of its kind and quickly became the go-to tool for finding cheap flights among the locals. Dohop finds the best deals among hundreds of different airlines and online travel agencies, to make sure that the user is getting the cheapest price. Dohop also offers hotel and car rental search engines, so users can make all of their travel bookings from a single website.

        Dohop‘s specialty is finding so-called “self-connect” flight options, which can save travelers money by booking a ticket through two or more different airlines. The ability to look for these self-connect option is what sets Dohop apart from its competition, as it can save people hundreds of dollars on certain routes.

        More recently, Dohop has developed a unique product called Dohop Go!, which allows users to check for the cheapest available flights from their home airport. This tool is perfect for those who are looking for travel inspiration but are not willing to overpay for their flight ticket. Dohop Go! is now available in the Dohop Flights App, both for Android and iOS, along with its traditional flight, hotel, and car search engines. “

        VSÓ Ráðgjöf

           

          VSÓ Ráðgjöf er alhliða ráðgjafar- og verkfræðifyrirtæki sem leggur áherslu á trausta og faglega þjónustu sem tryggir viðskiptavinum hagkvæmustu lausnir hverju sinni, skilar raunverulegum árangri og stuðlar að samkeppnisforskoti.  Á skrifstofum VSÓ í Reykjavík og í Noregi starfar yfir 80 manna samhentur hópur verkfræðinga og annarra tæknimenntaðra starfsmanna.

          Macland
          - for all your Apple needs
          Macland

          From starting out as a proper startup with only a good idea and the need to change things, to becoming an established company with 6 employees. Starting from scratch and expanding organically has allowed us to love our expansion and take our customers on the ride with us.

          Macland is located at Laugavegur 23 (101, Downtown Reykjavik)
          For all your Apple needs. We are here.

          Ísey skyr
          - once tasted never forgotten

          Our Story
          Once upon a time, 1,100 years ago in fact, Nordic settlers began arriving in Iceland. They brought with them the skills and knowledge for producing skyr. As time passed, the know-how and recipe for this nutritious food slowly faded out elsewhere in the Nordic region. Luckily, the Icelandic skyr-making tradition continued.

          For centuries, Icelandic skyr formed a cornerstone of the national diet, helping to keep people strong in living conditions that were often harsh. On family farms countrywide, it was the women who nurtured this dairy and passing on both the recipe and the original Icelandic skyr cultures from mother to daughter.

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          This is our secret and you are in on it

          You can read more about Ísey skyr on our website.

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