The potential of PALOP’s cultural representation in the comic book space
Culture shapes our perception of the world, the way we move in society, the choices we make on a daily basis, and we are somehow heirs to the practices and ideas of the communities where we were formed as individuals.
As we try to become part of the global landscape, the importance of representing our own culture has never been clearer. We can feel this urgency particularly here on the African continent, where artists and cultural agents have been increasingly engaged in rescuing stories from oral tradition and ancestral practices that are otherwise in danger of disappearing.
Comics have the potential to give voice to marginalized communities and traditions. Through its fictional narratives, those who feel unheard are given space to deliver culturally relevant messages to a wide audience. The visual component further increases its scope, reaching audiences of different ages and academic levels, which makes comics a valuable format to rescue the cultural heritage of the PALOP.
In the first BDPALOP contest, the winning artists developed historical, urban, fantastic, and science fiction narratives. In the historical narratives, themes such as wars, invasions and slavery were chosen, and the cultural element was the way we preserve, even in times of great difficulty, solidarity and community spirit. The same happens when we talk about the urban reality of, for instance, Maputo, in which the city dwellers’ ability to “adapt”, the adventures, the precarious situations, and the scarcity strengthen the bond between the characters. Healing, orixás, and magic are a constant in the stories of this first contest, showing the importance of preserving our connection with our ancestry and breaking with the progress vs. tradition binomial, recognizing that we can walk side by side, connected to African culture, as beings of these times.
After countless comic book stories have been told by the USA, Europe and Asia, it is important to ensure that our stories are also represented and reach readers in a quality format, following the demanding standards of the global market, and making PALOP readers demand more quality in the publications that reach them as well. This is the first step in the PALOP to establish a comprehensive comic book market for Portuguese-speaking readers, which will bring new opportunities for local artists to promote their work. With each issue, nine writers and nine illustrators leave trained with the tools to unleash their talent. It is an inspiration for the countries where they live. An inspiration for the entire African continent. For the global comics market.
