Galicia dende a banda deseñada: unha modalidade literaria en expansión

Abstract

A brief overview of the history of comic books in the Galician language, charting the production, mediation and reception of this literary genre from the nineteen seventies to the present day. Although clearly descriptive, the paper also contains an element of systematisation, based on the few studies carried out to date on this particular brand of literature. The work begins by outlining some of the main characteristics which define this literature, and establishes a series of phases, from the earliest beginnings and first modern manifestations, to the consolidation of the genre and finally, the new approaches and innovative outlook offered by the comics published over recent years, many of which have gained national and international acclaim and have served to put Galicia firmly on the Spanish comic book map. The paper also charts the main trends of each era, both as regards works written originally in Galician and translations from other languages which have served, on occasions, to set new trends or to fill in existing gaps in the emerging Galician literary system. In short, a study of a cultural manifestation which, until recently, has received little attention or acclaim from either society or the critics, but which is clearly gaining prestige and respect and consequently, cannot stay outside the boundaries of literary criticism for much longer.