Reuters reports from Spain where a new comic, March 11: the Graphic Novel, is creating waves, which is probably quite understandable given that the subject matter is the hideous al Qaeda attack on busy trains in Madrid in 2004 which murdered 191 people and left many more injured. Some in Spain were worried that a comic based on the events would ‘trivialise’ the events, but as Antoni Guiral, one of the writers of the book, noted, a comic does not necessarily equate to being humorous or for children’s consumption; the article goes on to mention that some of those affected by the bombings didn’t realise that comics also tackled serious subjects, with one lady, who lost her son in the attacks, commenting “Reading it, I saw part of my life reflected”. The Spanish writers and artists were inspired by the response of some comics creators in the US to 9-11.
(a page from March 11: the Graphic Novel, published Panini)
According to Reuters some in Spain resent the graphic novel because they are convinced that it was actually Basque separatists who were responsible for the train bombings and that blaming al Qaeda is part of a conspiracy. Guiral also notes that an attempt to originally launch the graphic novel in Madrid had to be changed due to a fairly frosty reception, making it debut instead at the Barcelona Comics Salon last month, although there are plans to try and have an event in Madrid later in the year, as Guiral explains “We are going to present it in Madrid, because we have dedicated this book to the victims, family members, friends, injured and also the people of Madrid.”
Wed, Jun 10, 2009
Comics and cartoons