If you’re enjoying the Netflix adaptation of El Eternauta (“The Eternaut”), based on the brilliant comic strip written by Héctor Oesterheld and illustrated by Francisco Solano López, then you may also be interested to know a game is in the works, too.
Published by Italy’s Pendragon Game Studio, stay tuned to this page on their website (in Italian) for announcements.
The survival board game for one to five players, is like the comic and TV series, set amidst an alien invasion in the heart of Buenos Aires. It’s on course for release this summer, following a successful crowdfunding campaign last year.
The Eternaut game cover and characters are the work of Maciej Simiński, with David Corsi providing the icons, layout and more.
Late pledges for the UK edition are available, including additional miniatures.
UK retailers interested in stocking the game are urged to contact the publisher at pendragongamestudio.com before placing any orders. They need to invite you to a special section of the pledge manager.
El Eternauta: The Netflix Series
In The Eternaut, after a deadly snowfall kills millions, Juan Salvo and a group of survivors fight against a threat controlled by an invisible force.
The Netflix series is based on the iconic graphic novel written by Héctor G. Oesterheld and illustrated by Francisco Solano López, the latter well to longtime British comic fans for his work for Fleetway, “Galaxus: The Thing from Outer Space”, “Janus Stark”, “Kelly’s Eye”, “Pete’s Pocket Army”, and “The Drowned World”.
The ambitious series, co-produced by K&S, is one of several Netflix Argentine productions, and is directed by Bruno Stagnaro and stars Ricardo Darín alongside an impressive cast, including Carla Peterson, Cesar Troncoso, Andrea Pietra, Ariel Staltari, Marcelo Subiotto, Claudio Martinez Bel, Orianna Cardenas, and Mora Fisz.
Remember: no one is saved alone…
• Watch El Eternauta on Netflix (Subscription Required)
El Eternauta: The Comic
El Eternauta (“The Eternaut”, a Spanish neologism that describes an eternal astronaut) is one of Argentina’s most well known comics. It was originally published as a weekly strip in the magazine Hora Cero in 1957.
In the comic, Juan Salvo, the inimitable protagonist, along with his friend Professor Favalli and the tenacious metal-worker Franco, face what appears to be a nuclear accident, but quickly turns out to be something much bigger than they had imagined.
Cold War tensions, aliens of all sizes, space and time travel… this one has it all.
Fantagraphics collected El Eternauta in English in one massive volume in 2019 (AmazonUK Affiliate Link), which quickly sold out, as has The Eternaut 1969, featuring art by Alberto Breccia (although this, at least, is available digitally).
(A Spanish language edition of El Eternauta from Planeta Publishing, released in 2023, is available, and a darn sight cheaper than copies of the English edition!)
In 1969, Oesterheld reimagined his classic narrative as a bold allegory of political resistance against the oppressive Argentine regime in The Eternaut 1969. Alberto Breccia’s expressionistic chiaroscuro style lends a chilling dimension to this apocalyptic tale.
As in the original, in Eternaut 1969, a deadly “snow” falls. Juan Salvo’s small household of family and friends are spared, protected inside his home – but what horror awaits them in the silent, deserted streets of Buenos Aires? Venturing out in search of supplies, our everyday heroes soon join the resistance against an enemy far more sinister than anything they could have imagined.
Through the lens of these timeless characters, the politically prescient creators ask readers to consider the implications of global domination by the “great powers” before it’s too late…
Héctor Germán Oesterheld (HGO) (born July 23, 1919; “disappeared” by the military and presumed dead 1977), was a pioneering Argentine graphic novel and comics writer. In addition to the science-fiction series El Eternauta, notable works includea Life of Che, a biography of Che Guevara.
Francisco Solano Lopez (1928-2011) was an Argentine comic artist who created a number of works about corruption and repression in his home country. As a result, he was forced to produce many of these works in exile. Later in his career, Lopez focused on erotic comics, winning First Prize for ‘Best Erotic Author’ in the Barcelona Erotic Salon and the Diario de Aviso’s Prize for ‘Best Realistic Cartoonist’.
• Watch El Eternauta on Netflix (Subscription Required)
• Late pledge on The Eternaut Board Game
• Stay tuned for all the upcoming game news from Pendragon
• Francisco Solano Lopez – Official Blog
• Facebook: Francisco Solano Lopez Herederos Página oficial
• Fantagraphics The Eternaut Collection (AmazonUK Affiliate Link) – currently out of stock
• Planeta Publishing El Eternauta Collection (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
• The Eternaut 1969 is available digitally (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
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