Juan Diaz-Canales (Madrid, 1972), cartoonist and screenwriter, participated last day 2 in the Comiqueras de Fnac Conference. He was one of the many great names who signed copies of his works and greeted the admirers and the general public who packed the Callao store. One was me and I was happy just to be able to see it.

Any fan of comics and graphic novels knows that Diaz-Canales as a screenwriter and Juanjo Guarnido as a cartoonist Are the parents of one of the most charismatic and successful characters of the genre: John Blacksad, That taciturn detective in 50s America with black cat fur. But Díaz-Canales has his own graphic novel, How water travels, and also signs the script for the new installment of Short Maltese. Let's review his work.

I'm from the old school. Of those we learned to read with comics instead of adapted anglicisms. We learned with the teachers Ibáñez and Escobar, Segura, RAF, Vázquez, Purita Campos... And then we become fond of Thursday. I also read those of Marvel and DC Comics, who gave them to my little brother. Anyway, we were still very politically incorrect. Or not. My brother did not read Esther and her worldBut I did adore Wolverine already.

Later one becomes more fond of the book and leaves the sandwiches for a snack, but does not stop taking a look at what is coming out and is reaching a much more recognized and prestigious status. One day you get older, you take for the black genre and then you find yourself a very dark cover with a feline smoker look. You flip through the album and you see the spanish names that sign some spectacular vignettes and a story as classic as it is attractive. Of the most yours. In short, I was irretrievably conquered.

Blacksad

John Blacksad is a private detective in the most classic tradition of the black genre and his stories are set in America in the 50s. Lonely, ironic, with a mysterious past and unorthodox methods. He goes on his own, but he has a friend in the Police. Y it is a black cat who does not like milk. Because the world where he lives is from anthropomorphic animals.

The series consists of 5 volumes so far they also meet in Integral Blacksad (2015). There is also a Making of the first title. Y the award list (for best album, authors, drawings, edition ...) that he has achieved is endless. From the prestigious Angouleme Festival or Eisner and Harvey up to several of Barcelona Comic Fair. But above all he has obtained the award of a very numerous faithful and dedicated public to the cases, dialogues, characters and environments that portray an era and society with enormous power of attraction.

Reminiscent of a Disney tone in its aesthetics both Guarnido and Díaz Canales soon clarified that their influences there were more classic fables. And of course Channel dialogs are not very kid-friendly.

I. A place in the shadows

The beginning is what every good black story must have: the discovery in a great mansion of the corpse of an actress, former lover from Blacksad, they will relive the detective the days he spent with her. The investigation takes a tour of the typical film producers, romantic scriptwriterssympathetic police chiefs (Great that German shepherd who is Commissioner Smirnov), thugs from underworld that can only be lizards, blackmails, dark millionaires… The final is also canonical and does not make concessions.

Was debut . applauded but also with criticism, as if it was foreseeable, of history with a great classic aroma but a thousand times told. Not enough reason for immediate success and staunch followers.

II. Arctic Nation

La disappearance of a girl takes Blacksad to a town where he finds himself in deep trouble racism (clear nod to the Ku Klux Khan) and violence. Wealthy and inbred classes, ethnic separation and corruption at all levels, murders ... Everything and everyone in that small community is not what it seems. And what marks the plot is seeking revenge.

Here we meet one of the characters that will accompany Blacksad in the following stories: the journalist and photographer Weekly, nosy skunk that the serious cat will not be amused but will end up appreciating.

III. Red soul

Blacksad's reunion with an old acquaintance from his past introduces him to the world of artists from all walks of life who share leftist ideas. The Cold War paranoia about nuclear terror and communism is impeccably portrayed. Also the betrayals and some other sin of the past. Even maybe love.

IV. Hell, silence

This time we're going to New Orleans. Jazz, voodoo, sordid environments, failure, drugs. Weekly convinces Blacksad to search for a musician who has disappeared. The madness in the atmosphere of the Tuesday grass it will complicate everything. Blacksad will be about to lose his life, but someone very special will appear to save him.

V. Yellow

Blacksad, tired of so much violence, decides to take some time before going home. A stranger, grateful for a favor from Blacksad, hires him to drive his car, a Cadillac Eldorado, from New Orleans up to yellow.

But those southern highways are unpredictable, and you'll have to unwittingly cross the country to solve the murder of a movement writer. bean knit, cultural movement in full swing. Bikers, lawyers, cursed writers, a circus of ambiguous characters ... And we will know something more about the blacksad family.

More from Díaz Canales

How water travels

Following the success of Blacksad, which promises to continue with more titles, Díaz Canales' career has continued with your own graphic novel, How water travels, where he is in charge of both the script and the drawing. The black and white of bullets and texts has a narrative in a black and social key, set in today's Madrid. Between manners and the thriller urban with some fantastic element, his expressionist aesthetic shows a reflection on life and death through three members of a family from different generations.

Niceto, 83, and his friends of the same age are dedicated to retail and stolen merchandise trafficking. But what's a hobby turns into tragedy when Niceto's companions begin to appear dead in strange and violent circumstances. When Niceto disappears, his son Román and his grandson Álvaro will look for him throughout the city and must solve the odd inexplicable mystery.

Short Maltese

Un milestone more for Díaz Canales: sign the Lines of Under the midnight sun, the last title in a series as mythical as that of Hugo Pratt. He and the also Spanish Rubén Pellejero maintain the spirit of Pratt to tell another adventure of possibly the most famous sailor in the comic.

This time we find Corto Maltés crossing the huge frozen expanses of the Great North, between the United States and Canada. He carries a message from his friend, the famous writer Jack London, a letter destined to a love of youth. In exchange for delivering her, London has promised her a new adventure in which she is involved a mysterious treasure.

Ultimately

That Díaz Canales not only is on Olympus of the greats of comics and graphic novels, but promises to stay there for a long time. And keep going up. Why not?

The most regrettable: that as always in this Iberian peninsula, let's continue light years from the more general recognition that artists like Canales deserve, whose career and most important successes have been achieved outside our borders. Good thing than that seems to be changing. So be it.