Interview with Patricia Pérez and Julio Santos, the creators of Txano and Óscar

Patricia Pérez, illustrator, and Julio Santos, writer, are the creators of the saga of children's books starring Txano and Oscar. Bestseller among the youngest readers of the house, the series already has seven titles, the last one The Tomb of the Tiger Emperor. Many Thank you for the time and kindness for this interview.

INTERVIEW WITH PATRICIA PÉREZ AND JULIO SANTOS

• ACTUALIDAD LITERATURA: Do you remember the first book you read? And the first story you wrote or drew?

Julio Santos: Well I don't really remember the first one, but the books of The five they are among the first. Before I imagine that I would read stories and picture books, but I don't remember those.

Patricia Perez: The first story that I wrote and drew  it was in EGB about a girl that one became a friend chipmunk on a desert island.

• AL: What was that book that impacted you and why?

JS: I have been impacted by many books and of very different kinds, depending on what stage of my life they have reached. As a child were the books of adventure (what of The five and other collections). Older I was very impressed by a book of one Argentine family which was like the spark that lit the fire of our adventure family traveler. Is named Catch your dream.

Later in the trip I read a lot, but an adventure book came to me especially for whatever reason (The last cat, by Matilde Asensi) and also a series of crime novels (John verdon and his stories of retired detective Dave Gurney).

PP: I was impressed The pillars of the earth, especially the part of absolute poverty and despair when losing the family.

• AL: And that favorite writer? You can choose more than one and from all eras.

JS: Lately leo more crime novel than adventures, but I like both equally. The aforementioned Jonh Verdon comes to mind, Fernando Gamboa, Ibon Martin, Eva G. Saez de Urturi, Michael Santiago. I just started with a series of youth novell from Peter Urvi and I am loving recovering that mystical-magical adventure point in the purest Tolkien style.

PP: It is difficult to decide. Favorite writers have been by seasons. But they have been both of novel and comics.

• AL: What character in a book would you have liked to meet and create?

JS: I'm not a very mythomaniac when it comes to characters. I have more weakness awarded by the creación a complete universe in which I know many more things than are told in history.

PP: I like the characters where they are, inside his book. But yes there are many places that they describe in books that I would like to know.

• AL: Any hobbies when it comes to writing, reading or illustrating?

JS: When I finish a book what has liked, I need two or three days without reading until I start with another. It is like a show of respect to the author and give the opportunity for the story to find repose before starting another.

When writeI like to do it by listening Epic music. I use the music of soundtracks because they don't distract me and put me in a situation.

PP: For to illustrate I usually wear music Or any podcast of which I follow. In order to read the truth is that I don't need it nothing. I become "deaf" to the world outside the book.

• AL: And your preferred place and time to do it?

JS: I have no hobbies regarding the site. May l write anywhere comfortable even with people around. I wear the auriculares and isolate myself. During the travel around the world I wrote in hundreds of different places, in most cases, cafes or libraries. Regarding the moment, I prefer to write in the mornings, but at this stage of my life, I have to do it for the afternoons for work reasons.

PP: I am from nocturnal habits, which is not very healthy, but it is when everything is calmer. Although if it comes to reading, any time is good.

• AL: More literary genres that you like?

JS: I have already commented that I like adventure and mystery books and crime novels a lot, but the boobs I also like when it is well built.

PP: I like everything, but I enjoy a lot romance novel. The last of this genre that I really enjoyed was All the promises that we broke by May Boeken. Even if now I'm hooked on a policewoman Sake of revengeby Natalia Gómez Navajas.

• AL: What projects do you have in sight?

JS: The most immediate project is to continue growing the collection of Txano and Óscar until reaching a first season of 12 numbers, but we have other  quite warm and some more in the portfolio waiting your moment.

• AL: How do you see the publishing scene for as many authors as there are or do you want to publish?

JS: It is complicated, but not more than at other times. When the only way to publish was a publisher, far fewer people decided to write. Now publishing is quite simple, but it is useless if you are not sure that writing is not going to be enough and you are going to have to do many more things. And I don't even tell you if your goal is live from writing. In that case a long hard road, but possible.

• AL: What is the moment of crisis that we are experiencing assuming you? Can you keep something positive or useful for future stories?

JS: We have to recognize that, for the moment, the pandemic it has not been a problem for our plans, beyond the fact that we cannot make presentations in bookstores, schools or cultural centers (which is something we love). As our books are both on paper and digital, in moments of confinement it worked very well in digital and then the paper was recovered.

We just recently launched the seventh book and, in the absence of official figures, the feeling is that it is working very well. I believe that in the field of children's literature, the paper continues to send, but the inability to go to bookstores or libraries during the past year made many discover that digital also exists in children and gave us a little push.

Por el momento I do not plan to integrate the situation into any story, but I'm sure that right now there are a lot of writers creating stories in which the pandemic is one more element of the work.

PP: Emotionally takes its toll. I think we will need some time and perspective to appreciate this moment in its proper measure.