Hola mi Amigos; just when I thought the world has everything surrounding comics to a system, a publisher shows something. Amigo Comics is an independent Spanish publisher that does not publish their comics locally. For a while I thought they were purely digital or Comic Con exclusive. But when I come across some of their stuff in a comic store, in trades no less, I had to dig deeper. But with Wikipedia not being up to date at this time, the only place to look was between the panels. So let’s dig into the details.

España no es Amigo de los Comics

The comics of Spain begin as early as 1915 with the magazine (tebeo) Dominguin. A lot of influence comes from Middle Ages illustrations, including the Portuguese Cantigas de Santa María as well as the work of Little Nemo‘s Winsor McCay. With the magazine’s success others like TBO follow up to provide their material. Unfortunately the Spanish Civil War cause many publishers to disappear unless they took sides. With Germany providing paper, this was an opportunity nobody could waste. Unfortunately with Spain’s fascist dictatorship, a lot of authorization came in. One of the few companies to come out of this is Editorial Bruguera.

By the end of the 50s, publishers increase their purchasing power by targeting specific audiences. Which of course means kids, but more along the lines of actually being for all-ages. Think Gravity Falls level of appeal. That’s not to say adults don’t get their own lines, most of them gravitate towards horror or satirical absurdism. With the death of dictator Franciso Franco Bahamonde more adult content comes out.

The Ironic Downfall

Unfortunately, that wouldn’t last when some democratic socialists try to bring in communism. By the mid-80s the market was starting to saturate with a few magazines closing down. One of the few titles to survive includes Superlopez. Ironically it wasn’t TV (or just that) that leads to their downfall. Economics were messy at this time due in part to social services. With so much money going to pensions and health care, paper became more expensive. Not to mention video games were more affordable. Very few publishers remain today even in spite of different government administrations to get comics finance. So much so the public decides to support things through exhibitions and awards.

What’s all said and done however, the damage leaves scars. With comic books no longer a viable source of entertainment, some people go to the internet. One of which includes Juan Antonio Torres.

Amigos Make Comics

“El Torres” as per his pen name forms Amigo Comics as a way of fighting against prejudice. It’s a fight against Spain for leaving comics behind by publishing only in America. This in turn is an act of going against prejudice after being denied work from DC and Marvel for not being Mexican. What better way to show your home country that there is a comic market than denying them access? All the while proving your naysayers wrong.

Fighting Back the Ends

A good chunk of Amigo Comics’ content features apocalyptic to chthonian settings. El Torres in particular has a common amount of tropes he plays with. In all of his female-led series (e.g. Nancy in Hell and The Apocalypse Girl), Torres demonstrates the themes of rejecting the status quo. While this in-and-of itself is nothing new, it means a lot for the message of Amigo. Spain will never accept comics in their current form unless it’s from known successes, so Amigo makes the bold decision to leave Spain behind. It’s full of risks and the chances of failure are high. But as the ending of most of these series go, everything seems to have worked out.

One guy however can’t take it all on himself. I don’t just mean the artists Torres works with either. Some creatives like Colleen Douglas take up the task to help spread the message. But Douglas has her own message to spread. One that Titan and The Apocalypse Girl Vol. 2 roughly translate as: “No one can own or twist us into what they want. We are inevitable!” And Amigo Comics has years of success to prove it.

Amigo Comics Our Are Friends

Amigo Comics are a testament to the reach and influence of comics. It’s never enough to just take influence from past success. Because the past should never define anything in the present. Neither should anyone be defined by their borders or their status. It takes real effort and self-recognition to truly stand out. It’s why El Torres manages to get Nancy in Hell published at Image, complete with a crossover with Savage Dragon. All while trying to create stories with the best of influences. Like barbarians like Conan or Red Sonja try out Ghost Wolf. How about cyberpunk series Blackened to satisfy your void of Blade Runner and Altered Carbon. Maybe some subversive Fantasies like long runner Rogues!. Or how about the many horrors that decorate the catalogue like Straitjacket?

In any case check out Amigo and express your opinions. And as always, remember to look between the panels.

If you like the posts, consider patronage so you can choose the next one.