Runer Jonsson was a Swedish journalist and author, recognized as the original creator of the character Vicky the Viking, who is the protagonist of the anime series Vicky the Viking, also known as Chiisana Viking Bikke in Japan. He was born on June 29, 1916, in Nybro, Sweden, and passed away on October 29, 2006, in the same town. Jonsson began his career in journalism at a young age, working for the newspaper Nybro Tidning from the age of 13. By 1936, at just 19 years old, he became the sole editor of the paper, a position he held for 45 years, during which he was noted for his outspoken criticism of Nazism.

Jonsson was a prolific writer, authoring approximately 50 books across various genres, including poetry, humoresques, and educational texts. However, his most significant contribution to popular culture, particularly in the context of anime, is his series of children's books about a young Viking named Vicke. The first book, Vicke Viking, was published in 1963. It was followed by several sequels, including Vicke Viking lurar de rödögda (1965), Vicke Viking Hederskung (1966), Vicke Viking i Vinland (1967), Vicke Viking hos burduserna (1969), Vicke Viking störtar tyrannerna (1975), and Vicke tar över (1994). These books were illustrated by Ewert Karlsson and have been translated into roughly twenty languages, achieving particular success in Germany.

The anime adaptation, Vicky the Viking, is a 78-episode television series that premiered on the German channel ZDF on January 31, 1974. The series was a co-production between the German company Taurus Film and the Japanese animation studio Zuiyo Eizo, which would later become Nippon Animation. The series was directed by Hiroshi Saito, with character design by Shuichi Seki. The story follows the adventures of Vicky, a clever and timid young boy, the son of Halvar, the chief of the Viking village of Flake. Unlike the other, more physically powerful Vikings, Vicky relies on his intelligence and quick thinking to rescue his father and their crew from perilous situations. The character of Vicky is a classic example of a guile hero, solving problems with wit rather than brute force.

Beyond this original 1974 anime, Jonsson’s work has been adapted into multiple other formats, demonstrating its lasting international appeal. A live-action film adaptation titled Wickie the Mighty Viking was released in 2009, directed by Michael Herbig. A second live-action sequel, Wickie auf großer Fahrt, followed in 2011. Additionally, a new computer-animated television series titled Vic the Viking was produced in 2013. The enduring popularity of the franchise is also evident in the fact that a themed ride, Vicky the Ride, exists at the Plopsa Coo theme park in Belgium.

Runer Jonsson’s industry significance stems from his creation of a literary work that became a foundational text for a successful and widely distributed international co-production in the early days of anime. The Swedish author’s creation was instrumental to a pioneering German-Japanese animation partnership. The series is also cited as a notable influence on later creators; for example, Eiichiro Oda, the author of the internationally successful manga One Piece, has stated that he was heavily influenced by Vicky the Viking as a child. Jonsson received recognition for his work, including the Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis (German Children's Book Award) in 1965 for Vicke Viking, as well as the Litteraturfrämjandets stora pris in 1984 and the Emil-priset in 1996.