Illustrating Spain in the US

1/ Hispanism

The Spanish Philological and Literary Legacy explores the cultural relationship between the United States and Spain built on America’s interest in Hispanism which bore its greatest fruit in the first third of the 20th century and encouraged more and more Spanish intellectuals and artists to cross the Atlantic. This edition includes a comic by artist Anapurna and an article by expert on Hispanism Lucia Cotarelo.


Anapurna

Comic author

Anapurna is the alter-ego of Ana Sainz Quesada, a Madrid-based illustrator and artist. Working on different artistic disciplines and equally attracted by drawing, street art, painting, embroidery, and engraving, she loves making and reading every kind of comics.

2/ Cinema

Hollywood Files scan the story of those Spanish actors, artists and filmmakers who took their dreams to the Cinemaland and succeeded –a story of continuous cultural exchange between Spain and the United States from the 20s to the present day. This second edition includes a comic by the illustrator Carla Berrocal, accompanied by a text of the expert and curator Estrella de Diego.


Carla Berrocal

Comic author

Carla Berrocal is a comic author born in Madrid, where she completed her illustration and graphic design studies. Berrocal works in her own design studio, and teaches workshops on comics and graphic novels in various institutions. In 2019 she won an artist residency in the Royal Spanish Academy in Rome.

3/ Missions and the Camino Real

Missions and the Camino Real in Spain’s North American Frontier maps the constellation of missions and the complex legacy of these historical landmarks founded between the 16th and 19th centuries. Some of these missions were short-lived, while others permanently transformed the landscape, leaving impressive structures that have survived to the present. The text is by professor J. Michael Francis and the illustration is by comic author Sergio García Sánchez and colorist Lola Moral Ruz.


Sergio García & Lola Moral

Comic author / colorist

Sergio García’s professional activities focus on editorial illustration, comics, and children illustration. He has worked for several prestigious institutions and publications. Lola Moral combines her work as a script and colorist in the publishing industry with the creation of sculptural artistic work.

4/ Science

Spanish Scientists in the USA tells us the story of the Spanish scientists who emigrated or went into exile in this “promised land,” seeking a better future for themselves as well as to improve the standards of living for all mankind. This edition includes a comic by comic author Mireia Pérez and an article by Juan Pimentel, Scientific Researcher at the Department of History of Science of the CSIC.


Mireia Pérez

Comic author

Mireia Pérez studied Fine Arts in Valencia, Angoulême and Madrid. Her professional activities focus on editorial illustration (in El País and El Jueves among others) and comics. She is quite active in the Spanish comic scene, organizing GRAF, the independent comic festival.

5/ Revolutionary War

Bernardo de Gálvez illustrates the contribution of this Malaga-born military leader to the victory of the colonies in the American Revolutionary War. His participation was crucial to gain the independence of the metropolis and came at an exceptional historical moment. In this edition the illustration is by comic author Rayco Pulido and the text by diplomat and author Eduardo Garriegues.


Rayco Pulido

Comic author and teacher

Rayco Pulido (born in Telde, Gran Canaria) is both a teacher and a comic author. In addition to having published various collaborations for media such as El País, Rayco is the author of six graphic novels. His work has been published in France and the United States.

6/ Immigration

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the United States was home to tens of thousands of working-class Spanish emigrants seeking a brighter future. In this edition the the text is by professor James Fernández and journalist Luis Argeo, and the illustration is by comic authors Ana Penyas and Seisdedos.


Ana Penyas & Seisdedos

Comic authors

Ana Penyas (born in Valencia, 1987) studied Fine Arts in the Polytechnic University of Valencia. She has published several illustrated books, some of which place their focus on historical memory. Seisdedos (born in Lorca, 1979) earned his degree in History and worked several different jobs before pursuing illustration as a full-time career. His work could be said to be standing at a crossroad where social criticism, surrealism and popular and mass culture meet.

7/ Art

Spanish art in the United States has been a constant presence. In the first decades of the 20th century, everything related to Spain came into vogue. It may have started by focusing on the antinormative side of Spanish tradition, but Spanish art ended up finding its place in the history of art and becoming a key element also in the context of the avant-garde. In this edition the text is by professor María Dolores Jiménez-Blanco and the illustration is by comic author Max.


Max

Comic author

Max (Barcelona, 1956) has been writing and drawing comics since the early 80’s. He was founder and editor of the avant-garde comic anthology NSLM. He is well known for his graphic work as an illustrator, producing posters, record covers, children books and illustrations for the press.