The Zaragoza Comic Fair celebrates its twenty-fourth edition from December 12 to 14 in the Auditorium's Multipurpose Room, resuming its key event for comic book enthusiasts and professionals. The organizers have kicked off the event with the presentation of the poster and several program details.
The illustrator from Zaragoza Marina Velasco is the author of this year's poster, an image that focuses on those who experience the event from within: the public and their everyday scenesThe presentation ceremony was led by the Minister of Citizen Participation and Internal Affairs, Alfonso Mendoza, who recalled that the last edition brought together about 15.000 people.
Dates, venue and an edition with its own pulse
The appointment will take place from Friday 12th to Sunday 14th December in the Multipurpose Room of the Zaragoza Auditorium, with optimized capacity and tickets available both online and at the box officeThe Hall stands out for its management model: it is a benchmark meeting of a public nature on the national scene.
The project is raised with the collaboration of groups, specialized bookstores, publishers, experts and the public, which provide proposals, activities and contests such as the Goya Universe throughout the year. The organization depends on the Civic Center Service of the Participation and Internal Regulations Area, with the collaboration of the Cultural Service.
In parallel, efforts are underway to finalize the list of participants. According to the City Council, the following entries have already been received: 126 requests presence in the exhibition space, which cover very diverse profiles and confirm the pull of the fair.
Interested categories include: editorials, fanzines and self-publishing, as well as merchandising, collecting and local sales. As usual, the event will once again publish the traditional comic strip of the Hall.
Marina Velasco's poster: a look at the public
Velasco, born in 1997, came to illustration after first training in Biology and teaching and later at the ArteDiez school in Madrid. Since then he has worked for magazines, books and posters, and has also signed murals and shop windows, with a special interest in traditional animation and notebook making.
In comics he debuted with Don't forget, a work with which he obtained the XVI International Graphic Novel Award Fnac–Salamanca GraphicIn September, his second graphic novel arrived, As long as it's summer, a project supported by one of the Literary Creation Scholarships from the Ministry of Culture.
His proposal for the Hall opts for a mosaic of moments which captures the diversity of those who visit the site: children discovering their first comic, families sharing childhood readings or young people getting excited about their favorite characters.
To arrive at this composition, the author immersed herself in files and images from previous editions, taking real scenes as a reference. The aesthetic result combines loose lines, vibrant colors and a warm and welcoming palette that seeks to convey closeness.
Velasco explains that his work usually addresses issues of social significance —feminism, ecology, equal rights— and that the Salon commission has allowed her to work with full creative freedom to pour that look into the piece.
Participation, figures and organization
The last edition brought together about 15.000 attendees, a fact that consolidates the Fair among the great comic events in Spain. The organizing team emphasizes that this impact is a result of the sustained work throughout the year with agents from the sector.
This 2024, the stand selection process advances with 126 proposals received to date, a demand that confirms the diversity of content that the public will see at Multiusos. The fair also facilitates access with online and box office ticket sales to make the most of the capacity.
The live experience: Álvaro Ortiz and El Jardín Eléctrico
Among the most unique activities is the joint show of the cartoonist Álvaro Ortiz and the musical duo The Electric Garden, a proposal that mixes live illustration and original music to tell the adventures of the Little Genius.
The stage will be transformed into a dynamic canvas: The drawings will come to life to the rhythm of songs that act as narrators, with an imaginary journey to the far East as a backdrop and an open defense of learning from mistakes.
The piece is designed to connect with the Younger audience without losing winks for veterans, and will combine humor, action and the comic's own resources transferred to the stage.
The city turns out: “December, comic book month”
The Show transcends the three days of the fair thanks to the initiative “December, comic book month”, which extends activities to different spaces in Zaragoza, many of them civic centers and cultural facilities that are added every year.
Talks, presentations, workshops and meetings with authors complete a program that aims to bring the cartoon closer to new audiences and strengthen Zaragoza's role as a leading venue for the ninth art.
With the lineup already revealed, the dates finalized and several key points of the program on the table, the 24th edition of the Zaragoza Comic Fair outlines an intense weekend at Multiusos and a month full of initiatives that, without making too much noise, consolidate the city as a reference of comics in Spain.
