Readings and Daily Working Life of Comics Artists in Latin America: An Oral History

Abstract

Latin America witnessed efforts to establish comics as a social practice during the 1950s and 1970s by defending local production against massive US imports. This article focuses on two publishing houses: CETPA (Brazil, 1960-1964) and Quimantú (Chile, 1971-1973), exploring interviews and oral history as primary sources. It aims to analyse the memories of those involved to understand the role of memory and forgetfulness in comics culture. The paper examines topics such as first readings during childhood, educational/professional paths, and daily work in publishing houses. It seeks to prove that memory is an important resource mobilized by the agents involved in the creation and publication of comics, being the period under analysis central to the Latin America comics world.