The downtown L.A. Moomin pop-up is easy to miss. It’s on the same level of The Bloc as Kinokuniya, but it’s a couple doors down from the Japanese bookshop, lodged between a Botox salon and a vacant storefront. Moomin is understated in a very Nordic way, with lots of clean lines and earthy colors, so it’s easily overshadowed by the vacant shop’s hot pink window signs, which have been advertising a K-beauty photo studio “coming soon” for months now.
I’m not sure how many times I blindly walked past the pop-up before I finally took note of it and ventured inside. When I did, I was instantly drawn to snowy-white, hippo-shaped characters that I recognized from the internet and Japanese stationary shops, but didn’t really know. Who were the Moomin and why were they on so much stuff? Not just pins and notebooks, but housewares and Christmas ornaments. I looked around for clues and found a display of books in the back of the shop. I flipped through a Drawn & Quarterly compilation of old comic strips before purchasing it.
Moomins are trolls who resemble hippos and lead bohemian lives amongst a cast of quirky characters. They first appeared in the 1945 book The Moomins and the Great Flood by Finnish author and illustrator Tove Jansson. Over the course of nine books, as well as picture books and a comic strip that was written by Jansson and her brother Lars, they became a pop culture staple in many parts of the world. The characters have been adapted for TV and film in Sweden, Japan, the Soviet Union, Poland, Armenia and elsewhere. Today, there’s a theme park, Moominworld, and a Moomin Museum, in Finland, as well as a Tove Jansson Gallery at the Helsinki Art Museum. There’s also a Moomin Valley Park in Japan and Moomin Cafes in multiple countries.
The popularity of Moomins in the U.S. is more recent. Last year, there was an 80th anniversary exhibition at Brooklyn Public Library and, this year, New York Botanical Garden celebrated the Summer of Moomin. In Seattle, the National Nordic Museum recently held a Moomins exhibition. Retail-wise, Barnes & Noble started carrying merch a few years back and Kinokuniya has hosted pop-ups in various cities across the country. The Bloc pop-up is one of two running in the Los Angeles area through September. The other is in Arcadia at the Shops at Santa Anita.
At home, I dug into the comics and was reminded of Peanuts. The stories and the art styles are very different, but both have a knack for using charm and humor to get philosophical. In the first comic I read, the Moomins land in posh, Riviera surroundings only to realize that the luxe life isn’t for them. In another, the Moomins aim to fulfill their “duty” as productive members of society by waking up early and getting jobs. It doesn’t take long for them to realize that the hustle bro life sucks. There’s a lot in here that’s as relevant to today’s audience as it was back in the mid-20th century.
I tried to read as much about Tove Jansson and her Moomins as I could. Jansson herself is a fascinating figure. She was born in 1914 to artist parents and became a painter and illustrator herself. She was anti-fascist, which showed in the political cartoons that she contributed to the Finnish magazine Garm during World War II. The war is said to have influenced The Moomins and the Great Flood. Jansson was also queer, at a time when that was illegal in Finland, and that experience is said to have influenced the themes in her work.
I stopped by the Moomin pop-up again last weekend, bought a couple more books, and took a closer look at some of the merchandise, most of which was made in either Finland or Japan and all of which is officially licensed. (Jansson’s family still oversees the Moomin brand.) There are fleece-and-corduroy tote bags and small, embroidered clutches. Everything from plates and towels to notebooks have detailed art. Toys like the building block Moomin house model kit look to be high quality and the attention to detail is apparent in even the smallest items in store.The brand is so antithetical to this slop era we’re living in that I’m almost in disbelief that this pop-up is real. And that all points to what I think is most interesting about Jansson. She managed to create something that’s both progressive, even (especially?) by today’s standards, and totally adorable. On top of that, her legacy has been maintained with care to this day. If Jansson is an example, then it is possible to make something of style and substance that endures long after your gone.
Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Follow on Instagram or sign up for the weekly, Beatique newsletter for updates on new stories and gigs.
Listen to the September, 2026 edition of Beatique, which also features music from Olivia Rodrigo, ear, Purity Ring, Brigette Calls Me Baby, Slayyyter and more.
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