Fostering, Commercialism, and Transmedia Worldbuilding in Bamse

Bamse, the world's strongest bear, has entertained and fostered generations of child consumers since its debut in 1966. A transmedial world has been constructed via stories in comic books, animated short films, games, books, animated feature films, and so on. Further, there is a large amount of products, such as toys, hygiene products, and clothes, and there is even a theme park that offers visitors to enter into Bamse's world.

This project studies the construction of Bamse's transmedial world based on theories of narration, fostering, and commercialism. The worldbuilding can be characterized by social consciousness and progressive values, while the Bamse brand simultaneously is cultivated with commercial emphasis. The project is made up of a series of studies that combine political-economical and textual analyses.