Pep Brocal, professor of the Postgraduate Diploma in Illustration for Children's and Teenagers' Publications at EINA, has won the first edition of the ARA Award for comics in Catalan with the comic strip Caritat del Río, a biographical profile of one of the most fascinating Catalan characters of the 20th century, the revolutionary fighter, Soviet spy and mother of Trotsky's assassin, Ramón Mercader.
"I am very happy to inaugurate the first ARA Non-Fiction Comic Award in Catalan. Comics, language and non-fiction are in my opinion three aspects of culture that need to be pushed and supported. That's why I think this prize was strategic and very necessary", Pep Brocal told EINA.
He also explained his reasons for applying for the prize: "I decided to participate because I had a stimulating goal during the days of confinement and ultimately thought positively during a rather depressing scenario. But also as a professional challenge, since I had never done a strictly non-fiction comic before. Non-fiction encompasses a lot of very diverse narrative possibilities, but I chose the biographical genre, to have a well-defined framework from the beginning".
And he has detailed the reasons for choosing the character of Caritat del Río: "From that point on, everything was about finding a historical character with enough interest and who had not been excessively treated before. And I also imposed that she be a woman. Almost immediately I came across Caritat del Río and once I had found it I was clear. From then on, all I had to do was work, and I must confess that it was hard in terms of documentation and planning, cartoon by cartoon... but also, I admit, very stimulating. I think, after this experience, that I will like to go through non-fiction again in the future.
Congratulations Pep!
"Caritat del Río" - Pep Brocal