Ugly Monsters: A Queer Love Story Drawn in Bold Lines
Some stories don’t whisper. They smile back at you.
They flirt. They laugh loudly. They refuse to apologize.
Ugly Monsters is one of those stories.
©Joakim Juvelén
Born in Finland and shaped by queer life, memory, desire, and resilience, Ugly Monsters is not just a comic series. It’s a love letter to the LGBTQ+ community — imperfect, playful, tender, and radically visible.
At the heart of it all is Joakim Juvelén, a queer artist who turned personal struggle into collective joy, and drawings into a space where love is never ugly.
Ugly Monsters proves that queer joy can be loud, messy, sexy — and deeply healing.
Who Is Joakim Juvelén?
A Queer Creator Rooted in Finland, Open to the World
Joakim Juvelén is a Helsinki‑based graphic designer, comic artist, and gardener — a combination that already says a lot about his work: grounded, organic, and full of life.
©Aleksi Kolmonen
Originally from Saarijärvi, Central Finland, Joakim moved with his family to Järvenpää in the early 1990s. Like many queer teenagers growing up outside major cities, his youth was marked by confusion, silence, and the quiet fear of being different.
But stories save lives.
As a teenager, Joakim found Ralf König’s comics in his local library. Those pages became mirrors — offering humor, honesty, and something even more powerful: peer support.
Representation isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.
That moment planted a seed.
From Personal Survival to Collective Visibility
Why Ugly Monsters Exists
Joakim didn’t create Ugly Monsters to be provocative.
He created it because being gay is still treated as something “ugly” — something to hide, soften, or explain away.
With Ugly Monsters, he flips the narrative.
The comics celebrate:
Sex positivity
Body diversity
Queer aging
Everyday gay life
Queer history and memory
Love in all its forms
And yes — they play with gay stereotypes, not to mock, but to reclaim them with humor and affection.
Visibility becomes powerful when it feels honest, funny, and human.
Ugly Monsters: Naughty, Tender, and Proudly Queer
©Fat Lizard
2022: Ugly Monsters ended up on the label of Fat Lizard’s Pride beer.
Also known as Rumat Möröt in Finnish, Ugly Monsters is a flirty, cheeky, joy‑filled queer comic universe.
It’s colorful. It’s sexual without shame. It’s political without preaching.
The Monsters talk about:
Dating and crushes
Relationships and breakups
Self‑love and insecurity
Desire, sex, and bodies
Aging as a queer person
And they do it with warmth.
Because queer life doesn’t need to be sanitized to be meaningful.
A Love Story Called “Sydän sanoo moi”
©Joakim Juvelén
The Latest Chapter
Published in September 2025, the latest comic book — “Rumat Möröt – Sydän sanoo moi” — centers on one big theme: love.
Not just romantic love.
But:
First dates
Long‑term relationships
Quiet crushes
Self‑love
Growing older without disappearing
The book reminds us that queer love doesn’t expire.
Aging is not the end of desire — it’s another chapter of it.
The Ugly Monsters Timeline
A Queer History in Progress
©Joakim Juvelén
Mid‑2000s
Joakim draws monster‑like characters for his personal blog. The Monsters don’t know it yet — but they’re already alive.
2014
The Early Monsters appear as doodles on postcards and post‑it notes. Later that year, they get their name: Ugly Monsters.
2017
The first official Ugly Monsters comic strip is born.
2018
First comic book: Ugly Monsters (English edition).
2020
Second book released in English (Ugly Monsters on a Peach Holiday) and Finnish (Rumat Möröt – Siellä missä persikat kasvaa).
2022
Ugly Monsters appear on Fat Lizard’s Pride beer label and as a webcomic on rumba.fi.
2024
Joakim presents his first solo Ugly Monsters exhibition.
2025
Third comic book released. Ugly Monsters are Guests of Honor at Turku Comics Festival.
2026
Rumat Möröt – Sydän sanoo moi becomes a finalist at the Queer Gala.
Queer art grows when community grows with it.
Why Ugly Monsters Matters — Locally and Globally
©Joakim Juvelén
Ugly Monsters speaks Finnish and English.
But more importantly, it speaks queer truth.
It reminds younger generations that they are not alone.
It reminds older generations that they are still seen.
And it reminds all of us that joy is a form of resistance.
This is queer storytelling without fear — drawn with love, humor, and courage.
Ugly Monters website
Instagram post about the Monsters’ history here.
Read, Share, and Be Part of the Story
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Because queer stories don’t end.
They multiply.
