US publisher Fantagraphics are reprinting The Eternaut, the seminal Argentinian science fiction graphic novel by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano Lopez, taking full advantage of the series high profile following the launch of the TV adaptation streaming now a on Netflix.
Due to high demand, Fantagraphics are accepting preorders for an upcoming reprint of the collection, which won the 2016 Eisner Award for Best Archival Collection/Project – Strips, due out later this year.
“The Eternaut he called me…to explain my fate in just one word…”
A gathering of neighbours in suburban Buenos Aires is interrupted by an eerie, phosphorescent snowfall. When those outside exposed to the “snow” start dropping dead, it becomes clear that the harmless-looking “snow” reflects the vanguard of an alien invasion, and a story of survival, cunning, and armed struggle against them unfurls…
The Eternaut was written by the Argentine author Hector German Oesterheld, famous for opposing the military junta in the late 1970s, and disappeared, along with his daughters, in 1977, and drawn by Francisco Solano Lopez in an appropriately pulpy, representational style. The story, originally serialised from 1957 to 1959, holds a mirror to Argentine politics, reflecting an era of paranoia, military juntas, and Cold War geopolitics.
Encounter the gripping tale that remains a symbol of resistance in Latin America to this day…
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. Notable works include his science-fiction series El Eternauta, as well as Life of Che, a biography of Che Guevara.
Francisco Solano Lopez (1928-2011) was an Argentinian 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”.
• Pre-orders for the new edition of The Eternaut are being taken now on the Fantagraphics website. The page includes a welcome calculator to estimate postage costs outside the US | 368 Pages | ISBN 978-1606998502
• The Eternaut is also available now as a digital edition (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
Web Links
• New Yorker: The Comic-Strip Writer Who Became a Legend | By Sam Thielman, published 26th April 2023
Héctor Germán Oesterheld’s pulp adventures won him a devoted following – and made him a target of Argentina’s junta
• Cartoonist Cooperative: Comics’ Own Martyr: Héctor Oesterheld’s Life and Death | By CJ Standal
• The Guardian: Francisco Solano López obituary by Steve Holland | 24th October 2011
- 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.
Categories: Comic Previews, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds, Science Fiction, Television
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