A Real Job.
Written and drawn by Alberto Madrigal.
Published digitally by Europe Comics.
129 pages - Full Colour - Release Date 15/8/2018.
The Story - ‘Javi has left Spain for Berlin. He doesn’t speak German and hardly knows anyone there. He wants to be a comic book artist, but all his friends advise him to find a real job. He desperately needs to believe in himself, and to be believed. Burning with the desire to leave his mark, yet patient like any professional observer, Javi tells the story of his world, which becomes his first comic.’
The Preview - I read this comic a couple of days ago. A preview copy was very kindly sent through by Irina Polianina from Europe Comics. I have found that it has been playing on my mind since. I’m not sure why but images of the pages and panels are drifting back into my mind. I think I am being totally fair when I say that not much happens in it’s narrative but that it is also totally entrancing.
Javi is a slightly lost character. He is full of the indecision’s of youth. He is a little directionless but believes that his dreams are attainable, just when it can be accomplished eludes him. For Javi wishes to be a comics artist. A familiar story for sure but this is done with the twists and turns of reality added to some outstanding artwork.
A story told with a smile and a sense of melancholy. I book of memories of how we form ourselves into who we are and want to be. A book of friendships and personalities.
Alberto Madrigal creates circumstances, a sense of place and a group of friends and colleagues who you feel familiar with. The outspoken one, the friend for life, the encouraging one. His characters wander round small bedsits and flats as well as the gloriousness of the big city. The creator pulls out from a small vision to a landscape of vast buildings and personal opportunities.
It is not missing a sense of humour and is mixed in with fatalistic pathos and combines these with a world opening up with opportunities and possibly, just possibly crashed on the rocks might be his dreams? (no spoilers). You wander the streets and thoughts of Javi. Many of the faces lack detail and are mere iconic cliches but this is done with a sense of artistic style and purpose.
Float along in this artwork. It might take a moment for your eye to adjust but when it does you won’t want this book to end. It has a lovely combination of water colour, washed out sepia scenes from memories past and the lines of a caricature artist.
Just gorgeous.
Head over to http://www.europecomics.com/album/a-real-job/ to preorder a copy.
You can also find Europe Comics on Twitter at @EuropeComics Also make sure you sign up for their mailer.
This was originally published by Bao Publishing in Italy.
The Creator - Alberto Madrigal was born in Spain and has been living in Berlin since 2007. After a few short stories and freelance illustration gigs, Alberto Madrigal debuted on the comics scene in 2013 with Un lavoro vero (BAO Publishing; A Real Job, Europe Comics 2018). In 2015 he followed this by releasing Va tutto bene, again with BAO, in which he tackles the estrangement of a generation fighting to affirm its identity. In the same year he illustrated The Story Tree, novel for younger readers written by Gabriele Clima and published in the Battello a vapore imprint of Edizioni Piemme. Most recently, Madrigal has illustrated the graphic novel Berlin 2.0, written by Mathilde Ramadier and published by Futuropolis.
Many thanks for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment