Jan Berglin
A Swedish cartoonist whose minimalist, philosophically tinged strips offer a daily dose of wry observation on modern life and human nature.
Born 1960 (age 66)·Swedish cartoonist·Birthday: March 24·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jan Berglin's cartoons are a quiet, consistent presence in Swedish cultural life. Unlike many political satirists, his work, often featuring a bald, everyman character, leans into the existential and the everyday. He finds humor and poignant insight in office life, family dynamics, and the subtle absurdities of the modern world. Based in Gävle and working as a teacher, he brings an academic's eye for human behavior to his drawing board. His breakthrough came with a national syndication deal in Svenska Dagbladet in 1995, which transformed him from a local favorite to a household name. His collections sell steadily, and his style—clean lines, sparse dialogue, and a distinctive melancholic wit—has made his work instantly recognizable. Berglin proves that a cartoonist can build a profound connection without relying on caricature or loud punchlines.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Jan was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Jan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- His comic strip has been nationally syndicated in the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet since 1995.
- Has published numerous collected volumes of his cartoons, which have been consistent bestsellers in Sweden.
- Won the Swedish Adamson Award, the country's premier comics prize, in 1999.
- His work has been exhibited in galleries and museums across Sweden.
Did You Know?
He is a trained teacher and has taught Swedish and religion alongside his cartooning career.
His early strips were published in the social democratic newspaper Arbetarbladet before he moved to the conservative Svenska Dagbladet.
He made his debut in the Uppsala student newspaper Ergo in 1985.
His distinctive bald protagonist is often considered a self-portrait.
“I draw a bald man because I am a bald man; it's a form of self-portrait.”
