Comics and Memory in Latin America - (Illuminations) by Jorge Catalá Carrasco & Paulo Drinot & James Scorer (Paperback)

About the Book

This volume presents new perspectives on how comics on and from Latin America both view and express memory formation on major historical events and processes. The contributors, from a variety of disciplines including literary theory, cultural studies, and history, explore topics including national identity construction, narratives of resistance to colonialism and imperialism, the construction of revolutionary traditions, and the legacies of authoritarianism and political violence.

Book Synopsis

Latin American comics and graphic novels have a unique history of addressing controversial political, cultural, and social issues. This volume presents new perspectives on how comics on and from Latin America both view and express memory formation on major historical events and processes. The contributors, from a variety of disciplines including literary theory, cultural studies, and history, explore topics including national identity construction, narratives of resistance to colonialism and imperialism, the construction of revolutionary traditions, and the legacies of authoritarianism and political violence. The chapters offer a background history of comics and graphic novels in the region, and survey a range of countries and artists such as Joaquín Salvador Lavado (a.k.a Quino), Héctor G. Oesterheld, and Juan Acevedo. They also highlight the unique ability of this art and literary form to succinctly render memory. In sum, this volume offers in-depth analysis of an understudied, yet key literary genre in Latin American memory studies and documents the essential role of comics during the transition from dictatorship to democracy.

Review Quotes

Comics & Memory in Latin America . . . pelo conjunto da obra, torna-se desde já uma referência obrigatória a todo pesquisador interessado em compreender a história recente das articulações entre arte, política e identidades culturais nas HQs latino-americanas.-- "Latin American Research Review"

The book is masterful and accessible for comics enthusiasts and humanities scholars alike.-- "NACLA Report on the Americas"

This collection has a lot to offer, and readers will find a fascinating perspective on how different manifestations of this genre reverberate in the collective memory of Latin American societies at specific historical junctures.-- "Margarita Saona, University of Illinois at Chicago"

This volume makes an exciting contribution to memory studies in Latin America, while responding to a growing interest in graphic fiction from the region. Its geographical scope is admirably broad, and the editors have done an excellent job of bringing together a very diverse set of discussions on the role of comics in politics and memory.-- "Joanna Page, University of Cambridge"

This volume raises the most important questions about Latin America's recent past from the unusual angle of comic books and cartooning. The politics of memory, the lingering influence of the Cold War, the awful and ambiguous effects of neoliberalism: historians' arguments on these crucial topics will be complicated and enriched by the essays in this lovely book.-- "Anne Rubenstein, York University"

About the Author

Jorge Catala Carrasco is senior lecturer in Hispanic Studies at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom.