Response to Graphic Novels from Argentina
The Eternaut and Mafalda are two very interesting sites of struggle and resistance—they both seem to use the comic form as a way to digest modern politics and war. Mafalda balances comedy with reality in a way that both questions the existing structures and challenges its readers to act. I think that Mafalda, and The Eternaut, introduce a new aspect of popular culture that can be political, but not exhaustingly political—readers are not confronted with images of war or violence. In other words, these very harsh realities of modern times are made unreal so that people can consume without becoming hopeless or overwhelmed. The comic becomes a place to voice the inner struggles of the average citizen, and as a result becomes a part of popular culture. While some openly critique the “popular” or use the “popular” for political means, comics are means through which the people own national struggles; it is a form of empowerment that allows everyone to participate. Mafalda shows this when...