Albert Rose
Juan Gallego, professor of the Fine Arts degree at URJC, had the idea of proposing to his students the creation of a publication that would collect all the visual stories in comic format that they had given him as class work. He proposed it to the students, contacted the URJC Publications Service and they got to work.
"I realized that it was a shame that the amount of good work that had been sent to me was not collected in a publication," says the professor. 'Super suspense' is the title of the book in which these 12 colorful stories, a lot of imagination and talent, are housed, and it can be downloaded for free through this link.
Natalia Velarde, Yutaro Miralles and Cristina Gutiérrez have been the students who have been in charge of the layout, cover and design of the book. They themselves explain the reason for the name 'Supersuspenso': “It comes from a joke among Juan's students that is passed from class to class. When he grades tests he always puts two letters and when he failed someone he put two big S's. We thought it meant super suspense”, Natalia tells with a laugh.
“When I asked about the name of the publication, Natalia proposed 'Super suspense' and there was no further discussion, everyone thought it was a good idea”, adds Juan. It should be noted that some of the stories that appear in the book have been recognized or are in the process of being awarded comic awards, as is the case of Natalia.
Regarding his passion for comics, Yutaro explains that since he was a child he has been very fond of this art and wanted to learn to draw so that he could dedicate himself to it one day. “Years went by and I met people from the 'world' like Natalia or Juan, as well as people from outside the university. They are very cool people with whom you really enjoy working. That was what finally encouraged me to get into this.”
For her part, Natalia says that she was attracted to comics since she saw drawings as a child on television. “I've wanted to be a comic book artist ever since I knew it was a profession. The comic is the space where I feel I can express myself more comfortably”, she says.
Students and teacher highlight the narrative versatility that comics provide over other manifestations, but always with the certainty that no art is better than another. “The problem with comics is that they have always been underestimated compared to other arts and have been associated with something childish. On the other hand, comics are a vast field with which a thousand things can be told”, says Juan Gallego.
Another advantage that comics find is its easy accessibility to create. "You can set up a space opera at home with paper and pencil, you don't need a computer or a lot of equipment, that's the great advantage it has, in addition to its expressive power," concludes the professor.