Abstract
20 page comic visually reinterpreting Juan Rulfo’s tale “Pedro Paramo. Rulfo's tale is about the town of Comala, a once colorful town in Mexico which has deteriorated over the years into nothing but a memory. Juan Preciado is tasked by his dying mother to visit Comala and find his father to confront him for all the pain which he has caused her. Ultimately it is a tragic tale of searching for hope where there will never be any. Juan Preciado encounters the forgotten souls of Comala who share their memories of their town with him. It is through these stories that Juan learns the history of Comala and of his father, Pedro Paramo, who he went searching for. Storytelling is a valued practice within Mexican culture and as a result many Mexican Peoples deeply value the history of their country. Through creating this comic and studying the Mexican Muralist movement, which visually tells the story of Mexico, I intend to explore the relationship between imagemaking and storytelling in Mexican Culture.
Artist Statement
Eduardo Soto is a Mexican Illustrator currently based out of Portland Oregon. His work looks back at the magic that has existed in Mexico since before its colonization. Through the act of sequential and non sequential storytelling influenced by the literature of the Mexican Revolution, Eduardo brings forward the aesthetics which have existed on this land for centuries and centuries. Starting with the practices of the indigenous peoples of Mexico, leading to the artwork of the Mexican Muralist Movement, and the literature which followed; These are key influences in Eduardo’s work.
