Asmo Alho, Kieku ja Kaiku 1968

Kieku ja Kaiku is one of the most famous old Finnish comics. It ran from 1931 to 1975 (setting the record for the longest running Finnish comic and keeping it until 2010).
The pages originally appeared in the women's magazine Kotiliesi and for thirty years, some of them were also reprinted in 16-page comic book annuals at Christmas, along with painted full color pages done specifically for the books.
The series was drawn by the cartoonist Asmo Alho (1903-1975) who also came up with the plots and the gags. But in a uniquely Finnish kind of arrangement, Alho handed his finished pages to a writer, who then added rhyming captions to each panel. From 1936 to 1975 this was done by Mika Waltari (1908-1979), the popular and acclaimed novelist.
As can be seen from the original, in a manner reminiscent of the "Marvel method", Alho pencilled in some text himself, to explain his plot ideas to Waltari.
Both Alho and Waltari continued with the series even after they had retired from their other work (and in Waltari's case, having sold books in the millions), so it must have been particularly meaningful for each of them.


The bar Waltari set for himself for the captions was to have three rhyming syllables in each couplet. The captions for this page are:


KUKOT YRITTÄVÄT PILAILLA


1. Koira kiinni kaulanauhassa
on, siis jutella voi rauhassa.


2. Kukot katsojia kaihtavat,
koiran hevoseksi vaihtavat.


3. Ankkarouvan sydän sätkähtää,
kun hän näkemäänsä hätkähtää.


4. Koira leikkiä ei tajua,
tekee vastarintaa rajua.


5. Kahleisiin ei koiraa valjastaa
voi, kun hampaansa se paljastaa.


6. Pakoon kääntyvät jo nuristen
kukot. Koira seuraa muristen.


7. Eivät voi he enää lymyillä.
Rouvien on vuoro hymyillä.