As a cartoonist, I was intrigued and excited to read on World Net Daily (a right-wing news site) that “The government of Mexico is raising eyebrows with a new comic book offering advice on how to cross the border into the U.S. illegally.” (Hat tip: Animate Matters).
Imagine my disappointment when I did a little searching and discovered that the comic book in question is really more of a prose pamphlet with comic-book-style illustrations. Doesn’t World Net Daily realize that to be a true comic book, the pamphlet would have to feature images in deliberate sequence forming a narrative?
Scroll to the bottom of this page to read the pamphlet (translations are included). To my eye, the illustrations seem to have a strong Neal Adams influence, with touches of Al Williamson as well (look at the folds on the Dad’s blue shirt in the page on domestic violence, for example). A bit too much superhero influence – look at how overly buff the shirtless guys crossing the river are, for example, or the woman’s ridiculously tight dress on the “you have rights!” page.
Still, a good first effort. I hope the Mexican government expands into publishing full-fledged comics in the future.
Check out
http://www.qando.net/details.aspx?Entry=789
for a wrong translation that’s pretty funny.
Remember, always be on the lookout for large-breasted women in tight dresses.
The funniest line in that link, for me, was the seemingly unintentional irony of “I leave it to your imagination to consider how the world would react to the government of the United States publishing a guide on how to break the law in another country.” Yes, just imagine!