El Volcán: Forging global comics cultures through alliances, networks and self-branding

Edited by Alejandro Bidegaray and José Sainz, El Volcán (2017) asserts its claim to being the first anthology of contemporary Latin-American comics. Both the collection’s title and its impressive count of 42 contributors are suggestive of a momentous outbreak of creativity and talent. Flicking through its pages makes immediately apparent both the stylistic diversity and an emphasis on authorial and creator-led practice. The format favours the short form and anecdotal, and these are comics that appear to have more in common with the moods and subjectivities of post-underground comix than traditions of historietas that negotiate processes of urbanisation and industrial modernity (L’Hoeste and Poblete 2009: 7). El Volcán’s current eruption is traceable to histories embedded in specific political contexts of independent comics publishing, for example during the 1960s and 70s in Argentina (Reati, 2009: 100), and the 70s in Brazil (Vergueiro, 2009: 165). The anthology’s construction of a regional comics culture, exceeding national borders and identities, is another key point of interest.

Following its publication Bidegaray, Sainz and some of the creators toured comics events internationally, including the Helsinki Comics Festival and an event in Riga. Talks and exhibitions of the artwork publicised individual profiles and collective endeavours, presented as ‘contemporary Latin-American comics culture’. Built on interviews with the editors, and contributors, this chapter examines El Volcán as an endeavour to construct a contemporary Latin- American comics culture that entails internal, but also decidedly transnational community building, positioning and networking in a wider international arena. In this context, it becomes pertinent to consider what the regional commonality espoused by a project such as El Volcán speaks to, and to what extent it functions as a promotional strategy (Platz Cortsen and Kauranen 2016).

Aldama, Frederick Luis (2009). Your Brain on Latino Comics. Austin: University of Texas Press.

Bidegaray, Alejandro and José Sainz (eds.) (2017). El Volcán: Un Presente de la Historieta Latinoamericano. Rosario, Argentina: Editorial de Municipial de Rosario and Musaraña Editora.

Fernández L’Hoeste and Juan Poblete (2009). ‘Introduction.’ In Redrawing the Nation: National Identity in Latin/o American Comics. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Pp. 1-16.

Platz Cortsen, Rikke and Ralf Kauranen (2016). ‘New Nordic comics – a question of promotion?’ Journal of Aesthetics & Culture, Vol. 8, 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jac.v8.30253

Reati, Fernando (2009). ‘Argentina’s Monteneros: Comics, Cartoon, and Images as Political Propaganda in the Underground Guerilla Press of the 1970s.’ In Redrawing the Nation: National Identity in Latin/o American Comics. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Pp. 97-110.

Vergueiro, Waldomiro (2009) ‘Brazilian Comics: Origin, Development, and Future Trends.’ In Redrawing the Nation: National Identity in Latin/o American Comics. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Pp. 151-170.

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