From November 6 to 8, 2026, Santander will host the second edition of ‘Caricias’, the Festival of Fanzines and Self-Publishing, returning to La Fábrica de Creación with a lineup of 77 artists and a wide array of workshops, talks, and activities suitable for all ages. The festival, backed by the Santander City Council through its cultural promotion grants, aims to solidify its place in the city's cultural calendar and expand its programming to three days, introducing new initiatives to engage the public with independent creation.
The city’s Councillor for Culture, Noemí Méndez, and festival director, Sandra García Bueno, presented the details of this edition, which positions Santander as a meeting point for artists, illustrators, publishers, and enthusiasts of fanzines and the ‘Do It Yourself’ culture. The municipal representative emphasized the festival's ability to forge connections between local talent and artists from other regions and countries, as well as its commitment to training, participation, and collaboration among cultural institutions.
García Bueno remarked that this event represents “an important step in establishing ‘Caricias’ as a gathering space for the self-publishing community, where projects can be shared, new voices discovered, and connections made.” She added, “We want ‘Caricias’ to continue being a celebration of independent creativity, but also a place for learning, exchange, and experimentation. This year, we are expanding the programming, incorporating new disciplines, and taking a step further with the creation of a Fanzinoteca that will allow the festival's spirit to remain alive throughout the year.”
77 artists and a self-publishing fair as the central focus
The self-publishing fair will again be the centerpiece of the festival, gathering a total of 77 artists at La Fábrica de Creación, including 26 from Cantabria, 47 from other Spanish autonomous communities, two from Portugal, one from Slovenia, and one from Berlin. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore illustration projects, comics, independent publications, and other initiatives linked to graphic and editorial creation. Notable invited artists include Olaya Pedralbes, vocalist of Axolotes Mexicanos; illustrator Raisa Álava, who has collaborated with institutions and brands such as Artium Museoa, El Corte Inglés, and the Tour de France; Cantabrian Can Lejárraga, co-founder of Ediciones JeJe; Theo Corral, selected for a comic residency in Angoulême in 2027; Emma Roulette, contributor to publications like The New Yorker and The Washington Post; and the Libros Walden publishing house, among others.
The visual identity for this second edition has been created collaboratively by artists Astor Barnes and Can Lejárraga.
Inaugural talk, fanzinoteca, and six workshops
Among the key new features is the addition of an inaugural day on Friday, November 6, organized in collaboration with the Central Library of Cantabria. This event will feature authors Andrea Galaxina from Santander and Paula Guerrero from Bilbao, who will present their latest editorial works. The day will also mark the opening of the Fanzinoteca at the Central Library of Cantabria, a project developed in collaboration with the festival that already houses over 170 donated copies from participants of the first edition and local citizens. This new collection, cataloged and indexed by the responsible librarian Sonia Ruiz-Illintxeta, will be available for public consultation free of charge, contributing to the preservation and dissemination of independent publications.
The educational programming is another major attraction, featuring six workshops for professionals in illustration, publishing, and the general public, including adolescents and children. Highlights include an intensive workshop on illustrated personal diaries led by Theo Corral, aimed at a maximum of twelve young people aged 15 to 18, and a ‘Bitsy Box: Fanzine-video game’ workshop by Heloise Arce, which will allow participants to create small interactive video games without prior programming knowledge. Illustrator Raisa Álava will conduct a workshop on professional poster creation, while Cristina Arce will offer an activity focused on finding personal symbols as a tool for artistic expression. Additionally, the creative studio La Pera Ediciones will lead a layout workshop for print media, targeting professionals in micro-publishing and fanzines, providing practical tools and solutions for developing editorial projects. The programming will also include ‘The Shape Game’, a children's workshop by Cantabrian artist Indiana Caba, where young participants can experiment with paper fragments to create their own illustrations and produce a small fanzine.
Live music and free activities
The fair will open its doors on Saturday, November 7, from 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM, and on Sunday, November 8, from 11:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The musical programming will also feature a concert by Portuguese artist Teresa Castro and her band ‘Calcutá’. All activities will be free of charge, and specific schedules for workshops, musical sessions, and concerts will be announced in the coming weeks through the festival's Instagram profile, @cariciasfestival.
