Teresa Valero retrata el «glamour» y las sombras de Franco en los años 50 en su contraparte: «Rana permanece abierta»

cartoonist Teresa Valera turns to the world of comics with the second volume of «Contrapas» (Norma editorial) in which the «glamour» of Francoism in the 1950s is portrayed, without forgetting the social problems that characterized that time, such as corruption, inflation, and the early labor and student conflicts.

«Everything was very beautiful in the 50s, the costumes of women and men, the cars were wonderful. The regime tried to give a glamorous image of what was happening, but not everything was beautiful. Women couldn’t study and they knew all of this,» she said at the press conference held at the Omega Center Library (Madrid).

The writer recalls that this «profound» era in Spain’s history still feels somewhat alive because «the wound is still open.» This time, «Homologue. Greater with repair» is set in Madrid in 1956 and focuses on the censorship at that time, as it was the most popular art form alongside football and bullfighting.

–In cinema, there was a lot of effort to control entertainment in order to manage people’s habits and morals. But this changed when Hollywood’s influence grew, requiring a certain level of openness with religious freedom and other issues,» she said.

Valero acknowledges her interest in addressing the «contrasts» of the 1950s, exploring how society’s life was intertwined with the regime and how the lives of those who «truly survived» leaving rural areas.

One of the issues tackled in the comics is institutionalized corruption. In this regard, Valero highlights a real case of urban speculation where a sister of Francisco Franco knew how to obtain «impressive compensations» for land that didn’t exist. –She had a special talent for maintaining certain properties. There were lands that would expire, and they knew how to get impressive compensation for something that never existed and they hadn’t purchased. Carrero Blanco himself said that this lady’s voracity was insatiable,» she revealed.

These new comic lanes took four years of work, a period Valero recognizes as a «great investment of time and energy,» and therefore, the volume will conclude with the third installment. –I will stop at the third for my health. It’s a significant investment of time and energy for me. I work many hours. The first year you lose everything in travels, but you don’t feel like working. The rest is cutting stone, and there are many hours. I need to focus on easier things,» she said.

When asked about the current state of the industry, Valero states that there is a «great moment of creativity» in the industry, but authors still face precarious conditions.

–Publishers, bookstores, or distributors can take a percentage of many books that come out at the same time. In contrast, authors only receive a percentage of the profits from their book. If you work on a project for one to four years, the book often goes quickly through bookstores due to high competition. There is a lot being published,» she said.

The writer emphasizes the «great disproportion» that exists between creative work and exposure time, although she notes that she is fortunate because her first «Contrapas» is still available in some bookstores. «It’s very strange because it came out almost five years ago and still receives royalties,» she points out.

However, she regrets that Thick creators work –solely for the love of art.» At the same time, she appreciates that the Ministry of Culture and the comic sector are «shoulder to shoulder,» for those who advocate not forgetting to improve authors’ conditions because «they are the ones ultimately responsible for the works.»

cartoonist Teresa Valera turns to the world of comics with the second volume of «Contrapas» (Norma editorial) in which the «glamour» of Francoism in the 1950s is portrayed, without forgetting the social problems that characterized that time, such as corruption, inflation, and the early labor and student conflicts.

«Everything was very beautiful in the 50s, the costumes of women and men, the cars were wonderful. The regime tried to give a glamorous image of what was happening, but not everything was beautiful. Women couldn’t study and they knew all of this,» she said at the press conference held at the Omega Center Library (Madrid).

The writer recalls that this «profound» era in Spain’s history still feels somewhat alive because «the wound is still open.» This time, «Homologue. Greater with repair» is set in Madrid in 1956 and focuses on the censorship at that time, as it was the most popular art form alongside football and bullfighting.

–In cinema, there was a lot of effort to control entertainment in order to manage people’s habits and morals. But this changed when Hollywood’s influence grew, requiring a certain level of openness with religious freedom and other issues,» she said.

Valero acknowledges her interest in addressing the «contrasts» of the 1950s, exploring how society’s life was intertwined with the regime and how the lives of those who «truly survived» leaving rural areas.

One of the issues tackled in the comics is institutionalized corruption. In this regard, Valero highlights a real case of urban speculation where a sister of Francisco Franco knew how to obtain «impressive compensations» for land that didn’t exist. –She had a special talent for maintaining certain properties. There were lands that would expire, and they knew how to get impressive compensation for something that never existed and they hadn’t purchased. Carrero Blanco himself said that this lady’s voracity was insatiable,» she revealed.

These new comic lanes took four years of work, a period Valero recognizes as a «great investment of time and energy,» and therefore, the volume will conclude with the third installment. –I will stop at the third for my health. It’s a significant investment of time and energy for me. I work many hours. The first year you lose everything in travels, but you don’t feel like working. The rest is cutting stone, and there are many hours. I need to focus on easier things,» she said.

When asked about the current state of the industry, Valero states that there is a «great moment of creativity» in the industry, but authors still face precarious conditions.

–Publishers, bookstores, or distributors can take a percentage of many books that come out at the same time. In contrast, authors only receive a percentage of the profits from their book. If you work on a project for one to four years, the book often goes quickly through bookstores due to high competition. There is a lot being published,» she said.

The writer emphasizes the «great disproportion» that exists between creative work and exposure time, although she notes that she is fortunate because her first «Contrapas» is still available in some bookstores. «It’s very strange because it came out almost five years ago and still receives royalties,» she points out.

However, she regrets that Thick creators work –solely for the love of art.» At the same time, she appreciates that the Ministry of Culture and the comic sector are «shoulder to shoulder,» for those who advocate not forgetting to improve authors’ conditions because «they are the ones ultimately responsible for the works.»