This new comics study features images from El Eternauta, translated by Fantagraphics Books Inc. and Daytripper by Brazil’s Fábio Moon & Gabriel Bá, from Vertigo
El Eternauta, Daytripper, and Beyond: Graphic Narrative in Argentina and Brazil is a new study by David William Foster in the World Comics and Graphic Nonfiction Series from University of Texas Press.
Out on 25th October, this new book examines the graphic narrative tradition in the two South American countries that have produced the medium’s most significant and copious output.
Argentine graphic narrative emerged in the 1980s, awakened by Héctor Oesterheld’s groundbreaking 1950s serial El Eternauta. After Oesterheld was “disappeared” under the military dictatorship, El Eternauta became one of the most important cultural texts of turbulent mid-twentieth-century Argentina. Today its story, set in motion by an extraterrestrial invasion of Buenos Aires, is read as a parable foretelling the “invasion” of Argentine society by a murderous tyranny.
Because of El Eternauta, Foster argues, graphic narrative became a major platform for the country’s cultural redemocratization.
In contrast, Brazil, which returned to democracy in 1985 after decades of dictatorship, produced considerably less analysis of the period of repression in its graphic narratives such as Fábio Moon and Gabriel Bá’s Daytripper, which explores issues of modernity, globalization, and cross-cultural identity, developed only in recent decades, reflecting Brazilian society’s current and ongoing challenges.
Besides discussing El Eternauta and Daytripper, Foster utilizes case studies of influential works – such as Alberto Breccia and Juan Sasturain’s Perramus series, Angélica Freitas and Odyr Bernardi’s Guadalupe, and others – to compare the role of graphic narratives in the cultures of both countries, highlighting the importance of Argentina and Brazil as anchors of the production of world-class graphic narrative.
• El Eternauta, Daytripper, and Beyond: Graphic Narrative in Argentina and Brazil is published on 25th October 2016. More information on the University of Texas Press web site
• Buy the book from Amazon.co.uk
• Read Ron Tiner’s articles on Alberto Breccia here on downthetubes – Part One – Part Two – Part Three
- About the Author
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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.
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