The cartoonist tells P1 Kulturnytt she believes Russian authorities reacted more to the books' covers than to their actual content.
"It feels terrible for the publisher. I feel for them."
The small publisher No Kidding Press has also had problems publishing Strömquist's comic books in Russia in the past. Among other things, an 18-year age limit was imposed and the books could only be sold wrapped, Helsingborgs Dagblad has reported.
Strömquist tells Kulturnytt that the Russian publisher had effectively withdrawn the books to avoid the hassle, but that someone from the Russian authorities found a copy of "The Fruit of Knowledge" in a small bookstore and interpreted the cover, which depicts two women's faces meeting, as lesbian propaganda.
"I don't think they've read it," she says.
In recent years, Russian authorities have become increasingly strict in censoring culture considered to promote an "LGBT-friendly agenda" or otherwise at odds with the regime's wishes.
