Juan Fernandez here with Tim Hensley in THE DIAZ ARCHIVE;Gran bola de helado by Conxita Herrero; 2nd Lady’s Comics Encontro in Brazil; Pablo Guerra por Ángel Castaño Gusmán; New Work from Power Paola; Spain’s first graphic novel, Tito y Tif.
On the site:
New in the DIAZ ARCHIVE:
http://comicsworkbook.com/the-hensley-interview/
http://comicsworkbook.com/tim-hensley-draws-l-b-jeff-jeffries-from-rear-window/
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Off the site:
Gran bola de helado (Conxita Herrero)
Gerardo V. reviews Conxita Herrero‘s exciting new work published by Apa-Apa in Barcelona, Gran Bola De Helado over at Entrecomics.com.
Gerardo Vilches: …Conxita builds a minimalist style of naked lines, perfect for representing a world that feels vibrantly present , reflecting the concerns and way of life of Millenials today. An almost perfect synthesis between the hermetically tight and intimate, which crystallizes in small stories that depart from the literary density of the graphic novel tradition to conquer a far more unexplored terrain : the purely graphic .
(..) In stripping down her their stories, Herrero sharpens them, and they reach us in more effective ways: some of the hit you in ways that only a drawing can. At times, it is reminiscent of the works of Yuichi Yokoyama and shares Yokoyama’s ability to show the world around us from a perspective that deforms and makes it fascinating. (Translated by Juan Fernandez)
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Mark your Calendar: 2nd Lady’s Comics Encontro, 29-31 July in Belo Horizonte
Following the great success of first Encontro in October 2014 (an event that happened through crowdfunding, the first in Latin America on women and comics), the Lady’s Comics collective in Brazil is organizing a three day free festival with more than 30 guests, 5 workshops and display of the work by the Chicks on Comics collective. The theme of this second gathering will be The First Voyage.
The programming of this entire encontro is aimed at women’s empowerment and serves as a reflection of women’s massive participation in all the creative processes in the ninth art.
Conhece aquele branco que dá na hora de criar e não sabe o que fazer? Aquela dúvida sobre como participar de uma feira ou publicar em uma editora? E tirar o tal ISBN? Como montar e apresentar um portifólio? E para os educadores, como podemos usar os quadrinhos na escola? Cada caminho, com diferentes visões, desde o independente até mainstream, serão apresentados pelas artistas, produtoras de eventos, editoras e profissionais da área. Tudo isso visando o empoderamento feminino e a reflexão sobre a participação das mulheres em todos os processos criativos das HQs.
Here’s the video they put together when organizing the first Encontro so you can see what they’re about. Check out their YouTube and their website channel to feast your eyes on their tireless work.
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Nice interview over at Revista Arcadia with Pablo Guerra, one of the co-organizers of the Colombian comics festival, Entreviñetas, about his comics writing process and the state of Colombian comics making.
Ángel Castaño Guzmaán: In your role of editor and critic of comics, what are the obsessions that run across the work of comics makers nationally? What is the state of the Colombian graphic novel?
Pablo Guerra: The national production of comics continues to respond, generally, to small niches of readers. In that sense, its not easy to find recurring themes further than preoccupations with how to survive and grow in a cultural milieu that, although more open than in previous decades, continues to treat comics as foreign matter.
The Colombian graphic novel is a young phenomenon a still all the participants in the chain (creators, readers, editors, book sellers, journalists) are in the process of learning and experimentation. I hope that the path we still have to take continues to provide us with interesting works and authors that feel more and more comfortable with the form and that they begin to communicate among themselves. On top of that, it is important that, until now, the domestic production of comics continue to be the progonist in our discussions of the cultural panorama of our country. One of the greatest set backs in previous decades has been that international comics were very popular while those made in Colombia were practically all glossed over. (translated by Juan Fernandez)
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New Work from Power Paola
Todo va a estar bien (Editorial Catalonia)
This collects the autobiographic work that Power Paola began releasing online in 2013. Read a chapter for a real taste of Paola’s work: El Viaje. It is available for purchase via Editorial Catalonia in Santiago, Chile.
Virus Tropical (2dcloud)
This was just debuted at TCAF and will soon be available for purchase via 2dcloud’s website. Here’s a micro review by Kim of goodcomicsbykim.tumblr.com to whet your appetite.
my short review on Virus Tropical by @powerpaola @2dcloud. i want more of her works!! #comics pic.twitter.com/qqlO1U37Qt
— kim (@therealkim__) May 19, 2016
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Spain’s first graphic novel, Tito y Tif to be Republished
Published in 1915, Tito and Tif by Joaquín Xaudaró, the first Spanish comic book is now being republished by Ediciones Taulas. The story of a pharmacist and his dog, in the thralls of a surreal adventure, Tito and Tif originally appeared serialized in 4 page installments in Spanish newspapers.
While it’s true that there were many “comic books” in Spain before because the publishing of Tito and Tif, all were nothing more than collections of short stories. There were no comics that picked up a single long story and followed it through from beginning, to middle and end. That’s where this book comes in. In the end, this book is 108 pages of cartooning, that all serve to tell one story. This volume is thus the first graphic novel published in Spain . And that was more than 100 years ago.
RTVE.es has a wonderfully in depth look at this collection worth your time that explores the historical context of Xaudaró’s work and the elements that set Tito y Tif apart from comics of its time.
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hasta la proxima 😉
-Juan