The fourth edition of the International Festival of Female Comic Authors, Gráficas!, is set to commence this Thursday, showcasing a diverse programme across Andalusia. Organised by the Centro Andaluz de las Letras (Andalusian Centre for Letters), under the Ministry of Culture, Heritage and Sport, the festival aims to highlight the talent of female illustrators and comic creators.
Patricia del Pozo, the Minister of Culture, emphasised the festival's mission to promote the creativity of women in the comic industry. The inaugural event, titled 'Ava, Esther and their worlds', will feature renowned illustrator Ana Miralles and this year's poster artist, Aneke. This conversation will be moderated by Natalia Meléndez and will explore their creative universes.
The festival will officially open at the Centro Andaluz de las Letras in Málaga on 5 November at 18:30. Following the introduction by Justo Navarro, the centre's director, the event will kick off with the discussion between Miralles and Aneke. Concurrently, the exhibition 'Las viñetas de Gráficas!26' will showcase original illustrations from participating artists, available for viewing from Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 14:30, before touring other locations in Andalusia.
Programme highlights
Gráficas!26 will feature a variety of activities in Málaga, including talks, book signings, masterclasses for young creators, window displays, a drawn concert, and a fanzine. On 6 November, speakers will include Carmen Carnero, Ana Galvañ, Marta Kayser, and María Badía, while Emma Ríos will create a window display and Lisa Blumen will perform alongside DJ Raki.
Masterclasses will be held at the Fundación Unicaja María Cristina, the Eduardo Ocón Foundation, and the Provincial Library of Málaga, led by Aneke, María Badía, French artist Leá Mazé, and American comic writer Kelly Sue Deconnick. The final day of the festival, 7 November, will feature more window displays by Marta Kayser and Carmen Carnero, a 'reading breakfast' with Ana Galvañ, and an 'illustrated appetizer' by Alicia GM and Dunia Navinés. Additionally, there will be two international guest meetings with Leá Mazé and Lisa Blumen, and another with Kelly Sue Deconnick and Emma Ríos, both hosted at the Cultural Centre of Fundación Unicaja.
Expanding the festival's reach
The programme will extend beyond Málaga, with events planned in Córdoba and Granada on 6 November. In Córdoba, Paola Garrido will create a display at a bookstore, while Rosa Codina will discuss fanzines. In Granada, Wakaiki will contribute an artistic installation, and Alicia GM will talk about magic in comics.
This year also marks the introduction of 'OFF - Gráficas!', a series of meetings between comic authors and art students from various provinces throughout November. The first event took place in Jaén with author Ro Its Somethings, while the next will be on 10 November in Huelva, featuring a talk titled 'Dibujar el pop' by Irene Mala. Further masterclasses and talks are scheduled across other Andalusian cities, including Sevilla, Cádiz, and Almería.
Gráficas! was established to showcase the talents of contemporary female comic creators in various roles, including authors, illustrators, colourists, translators, critics, and researchers. The festival is supported by the Provincial Council of Málaga through its Culture Area, as well as other institutions such as the Institut français de Sevilla, the Fundación Tres Culturas del Mediterráneo, the University of Málaga, and local libraries.
