Thomas Friis Pedersen

Thomas Friis Pedersen is a Danish illustrator and comic artist known under the pseudonym ThoP, who has published over 30 books. He works in children's books, comics and speed drawing. He is best known for Den Store Zardini, which won the Best Danish Comic Character award in 2008, and for his long-standing collaboration with Forlaget Tellerup.

He grew up in Copenhagen and started drawing at school, often filling his notebooks with monsters. Inspired by comics and classic Disney films, he pursued art from an early age. In 2005, he set up his freelance studio, Thop Art, and began working full-time as an illustrator. "Jeg har altid været bidt af en gal tegner," he has said of his early obsession with drawing.

His work is mainly digital, produced on an iPad Pro or in Photoshop. He delivers finished files suitable for print or digital use. Since setting up Thop Art, he has taken on a range of projects including children's books, magazines, comics and visual media. He also produces speed drawing videos and runs drawing and storytelling workshops.

In 2008, he received two awards from Seriejournalen.dk: Best Danish Comic Character for Den Store Zardini and Best Danish Comic Artist of the Year. Other comic creations include Hen ad Vejen, Husdyr, Med næb og kløer and the webcomic Den Store Zardini.

Pedersen now lives in Copenhagen and continues to write and illustrate for Forlaget Tellerup.

Photo credit: www.thopillustrations.dk