Alf Næsheim

He moved to Oslo in 1945, where he was employed as an illustrator for the Aftenposten newspaper until retiring in 1995. He also illustrated the sports section of the Dagbladet newspaper between 1968 and 1981, as well as having shorter contracts with Stavanger Aftenblad and Jærbladet. He was educated at Statens håndverks- og kunstindustriskole in Oslo 1945–1950, Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris 1947 and Goldsmiths College of Art in London 1951. His debut as a graphics artist was in 1948, and he held his first separate exhibition in 1985 at the old priestyard in Hå Municipality in 1985. His father was the painter Sverre Næsheim (1900–1976).

In the 1960s, he worked for an advertising agency, having contracted the Hjemmet weekly publishing company, whose editor Ernst Gervin asked Næsheim to write stories for the weekly comic Donald Duck & Co (Norwegian). Næsheim then created the "Vending machine mystery" (in Norwegian, "Automatmysteriet", Næsheims manuscript, November 1968) and "Manko i Regnskapet" (Gervins manuscript, January 1969). The copyrights were sold to the Danish Gutenberghus, and the stories were published in other Nordic countries as well as in Germany. Næsheim turned down the offer from Gutenberghus to become a regular writer, turning out around 20 stories a year.