Heading to Spain for a holiday? Then you may want to check out a new exhibition, Longaron and Friday Foster: The Unexpected Heroine, which runs at Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya in Barcelona until 24th June 2024.
In 1970, the Catalan Jordi Longaron (1933-2019) wrote a significant chapter in the history of comics with the creation of the weekly series “Friday Foster” for the Chicago Tribune Syndicate, with a script by Jim Lawrence. The protagonist, Friday Foster, a brave, sensual and daring African-American detective photographer, transcended the taboos of the time, becoming a disruptive character that caused controversy and rejection in certain sectors.
Friday Foster became the first African-American protagonist in a syndicated strip, proving that there was room for empowered women beyond the stereotypical female roles of the time. Fifty years later, it remains a key piece for understanding the social and cultural transformation that the blaxploitation movement brought about in a country marked by racial conflicts.
Longaron, who only travelled to New York once, captured through his art a dreamy America, that of film and television, of glamour and seduction, while hiding conflicts and inequalities. The character created by Longaron with an agile and dynamic graphic style defined a new legend within the Black Power movement.
Back in 2021, Spanish publisher Norma Editorial published a collection, as Friday Foster Tapa dura, which was soon followed by an English language edition from American publisher Ablaze. The Friday Foster Tapa dura book was edited by Javier Mesón and David Moreu for Norma Editorial, the result of two years of work, created with input and supervision from Longarón before he died in 2019.
This small-format exhibition, which opened this week, curated by Jordi’s son, Marc Longaron, and Alex Mitrani, represents a continuation of the work of historical recovery and patrimonial vindication of comics as an artistic genre.
Through this exhibition, the Museum continues to explore its commitment to preserving the rich history of comics, highlighting the lasting impact that characters like Friday Foster have had on popular culture.
The Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya in Barcelona is located in the Palau Nacional of Montjuïc, constructed for the International Exposition of 1929. In 1934 it opened its doors as the Museu d’Art de Catalunya, bringing together the medieval collection. Subsequently, in 1995, then as the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, the new rooms of Romanesque art were inaugurated, and in a successive way the public presentation of the collection was extended, a process that ended in 2004 with the integration of modern art.
Along with temporary exhibitions such as Longaron and Friday Foster, you can see the best collection of Romanesque mural painting in the world and the most representative artists of Catalan Modernism, such as Gaudí or Casas. Gothic art, great European Renaissance and Baroque painters, such as Tiziano and Velázquez, and an incredible collection of photography.
• Longaron and Friday Foster: The Unexpected Heroine runs at Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Palau Nacional. Parc de Montjuïc, 08038, Barcelona until 24th June 2024 | Price: Included with general and basic admission | Location: EducArt Space | More details here online | Admission to the museum is included in the price of a Barcelona City Pass
FRIDAY FOSTER SUNDAYS – ENGLISH EDITION
Friday Foster | Published by Ablaze Publishing on 20th July 2021| 304 Pages | ISBN 978-1950912063
The Friday Foster comic strip is the story of a former nightclub “camera bunny” turned photographer’s assistant turned fashion model. With an innate inclination to help others and a natural beauty that makes her a magnet for men, Friday often finds herself in some very sticky situations and world class adventures.
The book includes a significant bonus section including multiple interviews, an expanded sketchbook section, artwork, photos, essays, articles, behind-the-scenes info, and more
• Order the Ablaze edition of Friday Foster from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
• Read our original article on the Friday Foster Norma Editorial edition
• Read our article on the Ablaze Publishing Friday Foster collection
• Ablaze Publishing is online at ablazepublishing.com
Friday Foster Tapa dura | Published by Norma Editorial on 28th May 2021 | 256 Pages | ISBN 978-8467945591 | Read a preview in Descubre
El regreso de un clásico de culto de la exploitation Bienvenidos al mundo de Friday Foster, la intrépida Fotógrafa del barrio neoyorquino de Harlem que revolucionó las tiras de prensa estadounidenses a principios de los años 70. Aventura, romance, intriga y mucho glamur.
• Order the Norma Editorial edition of Friday Foster from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
• Norma Editorial is online at normaeditorial.com – newsletter available
• Order the Norma Editorial edition of Friday Foster from Amazon.es
Norma Editorial is one of Spain’s leading publishers in the field of comics, graphic and illustrated books. With a catalogue that includes some of the world’s most prominent authors, the Barcelona-based company, which owns its own bookshops chain, operates in a multitude of fields, always related to the Ninth Art: publishing, distribution, representation of authors and graphic services.
• Read Javier Mesón’s latest blog about the Friday Foster project (in Spanish)
FURTHER READING…
• Read our tribute to artist Jorge Longarón
With thanks to Marc Longaron
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “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: Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events, Exhibitions, US Comics
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