One knows that the Barcelona Comic fair has arrived in the city when nothing else is being talked about than cartoons, fanzines and cosplay. If the event also brings back international authors who couldn't come during the pandemic, the party is guaranteed. No one wants to miss the great meeting with cartoonists, booksellers and publishers, one of the most notorious internationally, which will take place at the Fira venue in Plaza España from this Friday 31 to Sunday 2 April.
A total of 50,000 square meters -distributed between pavilions 2 and 5 and the Plaza del Univers- will host a notorious number of exhibitors and, it is expected, just over 100,000 visitors. “We would like to exceed last year's figures, but that is not our priority anyway. What we want is for everyone to have fun and delve into the world of comics, if they haven't already done so”, explains Meritxell Puig, general director of Ficomic, to La Vanguardia.
This year's guests include James Tynion IV, Zerocalcare, Rick Remender, Anne Simon, Aude Picault, Barbara Stok, Igort, Léa Murawiec or Sammy Harkham, as well as nationals Raúl García, Flavita Banana, Lola Vendetta, Susanna Martín or Teresa Valero, in charge of the poster for this 41st edition, among many others.
It is a year in addition to blowing out candles, since Zipi and Zape are 75 years old. To celebrate it, a large exhibition, which will feature unpublished material, will cover the history of the Zapatilla brothers. "It is a luxury to be able to have all this material," acknowledges Borja Crespo, global content advisor, who stresses that "this 2023 will take place more presence and entity than ever to the exhibitions. There are nine and all of them are very varied, reinforcing the idea of Cómic Barcelona of reflecting all the trends and styles that coexist today”.
In addition to the exhibition dedicated to the most famous comic book twins, visitors will be able to discover the comical side of filmmaker Álex de la Iglesia; the imaginary of Genie Espinosa, Miguel Gallardo 2022 revelation author award, and David López; the work of some of the graphic authors who have published their work in Spain and who are closely linked to humor; or the tribute that fourteen cartoonists have dedicated to the recently deceased cartoonist Carlos Pacheco. "In his honor, there will also be a charity auction whose benefits will be donated to the Spanish Association of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)," recalls Crespo.
It will also be possible to learn first-hand about the career of another great cartoonist, Daniel Torres, winner of the Barcelona Comic Grand Prix 2022, who in a show curated by himself addresses both the most important aspects of his work over the course of 43 years of his career, as well as the vicissitudes of characters as charismatic as Claudio Cueco, Opium, Roco Vargas or Tom. During a previous tour with journalists of the different exhibitions, Torres valued "the sketchbooks and the heritage of the originals, which some younger authors do not have as such since they jump directly into the digital world."
The little ones will not be without fun either. The show has planned the 'Comic Kids' area, with workshops, storytelling, meetings with authors as well as activities and children's film sessions. “We strive so that each year more activities are dedicated to them, so that from a very young age they are encouraged to read comics,” says Puig.
And to end with a good taste in the mouth, highlight two premieres that will take place throughout these days. One is the world premiere of season two of the HBO series 30 Coins, by Álex de la Iglesia, which will take place on Friday. The other, the broadcast of episode 1000 of the Detective Conan series, in Catalan. The children's channel of Televisió de Catalunya SX3 will screen it exclusively in the auditorium on Sunday.
In short, a weekend to not be separated from the world of cartoons.
