Ulises Peirón has solved, thanks to his deductive skills, the most incredible and unlikely cases. But he had never faced a mystery like this: to discover who ended up with Cardelino, the great star of the comics of the Gatera publishing house. That is the starting point of «Ulises Peirón and the plagiarism of the tribute», the work with which Javier Samper Sánchez has won the fifth edition of the Santa Isabel de Portugal Comic Prize of the Diputación de Zaragoza.
The work mixes the universe of the most popular Spanish comics, especially the Bruguera school, with classic detective stories in the style of Agatha Christie. In this crossroads between absurdity, mystery and humor, the protagonist will have to use logic and reason to unravel a case in which nothing seems to behave as it should and in which parody coexists with an affectionate look at the comic of a lifetime.
The jury has valued the project as a fresh and dynamic comic, with an attractive character design and a particularly careful expressiveness. He has also highlighted its technical quality, the level of drawing and the use of satire and humour, with literary references and nods to classic comics.
THE PRIZE
The award is endowed with 5,000 euros and includes the publication of the winning work, as well as its public presentation at an event organized by the Provincial Council of Zaragoza. The Santa Isabel de Portugal Comic Award was born with the aim of supporting the sector and recognizing the work of cartoonists, scriptwriters and illustrators from the Aragonese community.
In this fifth edition, the jury was made up of Violeta Latorre Gil, illustrator and comic book artist; Ernesto Navarro Durá, coordinator of the degree in Illustration, Animation and Comic at the Zaragoza School of Art; and José Antonio Bernal Valero, comic book artist, illustrator and graphic humorist.
THE AUTHOR
Javier Samper Sánchez was born in Zaragoza in 1973, the city where he lives and carries out his activity. He has extensive experience in the education sector and, for the last fifteen years, he has worked as a teacher of Early Childhood and Primary Education at the CRA del Ebro, located in Gelsa.
His profile combines pedagogy with a solid artistic vocation. She studied Graphic Design and Illustration at the Zaragoza School of Art and has kept her relationship with comics and graphic narrative alive through different creative projects. In addition, he is currently studying for a Degree in Geography and History at the UNED, with a special interest in the history of Aragon and classical Greco-Roman Antiquity.
Passionate about comics, illustration and historical research, Samper unites in his work three worlds that intersect naturally: teaching, art and knowledge of the past. The Santa Isabel de Portugal Comic Prize now recognizes a career marked by perseverance, creativity and love for cartoons.
