Diego Agrimbau on publishing in Fierro

¿E intentaste publicar muchas veces en Fierro?

Y publico en la Fierro. En la Fierro tuve bastantes desencuentros. Yo me entero de la Fierro antes que saliera, y ya empezamos a mandar cosas. Logramos publicar en el número 4. Ya les había llevado Bertold, pero me dijeron que no era para la Fierro, y creo que tenían razón. Entonces hicimos una historieta que salió en el 4. Entonces pensé erróneamente que si publiqué ésta, voy a publicar más. No. Ippóliti no quizo seguir haciendo cosas para la Fierro porque el pago no era el mismo que en Europa, entonces me empecé a contactar con varios dibujantes. Pasaban los números y no pasaba nada. En ese momento estaba trabajando con Totino Tedesco haciendo porno. Y le digo que estoy cansado de hacer eso, entonces se los presento a los de la Fierro. Y mandamos Vida y Obra de Simón Cortinas, que finalmente la aceptaron. Pero para entonces la Fierro ya andaba por el número 23 de Fierro. Luego escribí algunas críticas a la Fierro en mi blog, sin sospechar que me traerían varios problemas con colegas a los que admiro mucho. Tiempo después, le pidieron una historia corta a Lucas Varela. Entonces le paso el guión de Afasia, que fue muy bien recibida, por suerte. Y volvimos a colaborar juntos casi un año más tarde, con Claustrofobia. Hasta que en el año 2010 me escribe Lautaro (Ortíz) para decirme que iba a haber una reunión de guionistas de la Fierro -¿qué me va a llamar a mí que publiqué cuatro historietas?- a la que voy y están Sasturain (el director), Lautaro, Trillo y Pablo de Santis. Me dicen que quieren relanzar la Fierro con mayor preponderancia de las historias.

Y ahí empiezan las series que salieron en diciembre, Cielo Alto que hago yo, Tristeza de Reggiani, Justicia Poética de de Santis, Sasha de Trillo… ahora hago una con Pietro que es un gran dibujante medio perdido en el panorama actual… Así que finalmente pude hacer una serie en la Fierro.

Have you tried to publish in the magazine Fierro many times?

I publish in Fierro. I’ve had quite a few disagreements with Fierro. I found out about Fierro before it came out and I started sending things. We were able to get published in the 4^th issue. I’d already brought them Bertold, but they said it wasn’t for Fierro. I think they were right. So we made a comic that came out in the 4^th issue. So I thought erroneously that if I published this, I would publish more. No. Ippóliti didn’t want to keep on doing thins for Fierro because the pay wasn’t the same as in Europe, so I began to contact other artists. The issues passed and nothing happened. In this moment I was working with Totino Tedesco making porn. And I said I was tired of doing that, so we presented ourselves to Fierro. We sent “The Life and Work of Simón Cortinas,” which they finally accepted. Fierro was going on issue 23. Later I wrote some critiques of Fierro on my blogs, without suspecting that they would bring problems with colleagues I very much admire. A while later, they asked for a short comic from Lucas Varela. So I passed him the script for “Aphasia,” which, luckily, was very well received. And we collaborated again almost a year later, with “Claustrophobia.” Until, in 2010, Lautaro [Ortiz] wrote me to tell me that there was going to be a meeting of writers at Fierro—why would he call me, who’s only published four comics? I went and Sasturain (the director), Lautaro, Trillo and Pablo de Santis were there. They told me that they wanted to re-launch Fierro with a greater prevalence of stories. And from there started the series that came out in December, “Cielo Alto” that I write, “Tristeza” by Reggiani, “Justicia Poética” by de Santis, “Sasha” by Trillo…now I’m doing one with Pietro who is a great artist sort of lost in the present scene…so I was finally able to do a series in Fierro.

A Very Fierro Week

Rocketbooks Comic Fair and the Parque Centenario

On Saturday I went to Rocketbooks, a monthly fair that features used comics imported from the United States. The tiny room was boiling hot, filled to the brim with fan boys and superhero comics. It was the closest thing to hell I have encountered yet on this earth. (Kidding! Argentine fan boys are much more interesting and attractive than their USA counterparts.) I recommend this place for Argentines that like superheroes and enjoy looking through boxes of comics. Even though I ended up buying some second run Fierro comics at a reasonable price, I probably won't go back. It isn't my scene.

Afterwards, I went with Guillermo (a classmate from Diego’s workshop) to the fairs at Parque Centenario and found...a whole new genre of comic. As a child, Tintin fascinated me. The plots, drawings, and characters helped form a love of comics that lasts until this day. So naturally, when I came across La Vida Sexual de Tintin, a porno comic featuring all the characters from the series paired off in interesting ways, I bought it. I haven’t read it yet, but I’m sure it’ll be traumatizing!

Fierro a Fierro

The University of Buenos Aires Social Sciences

On Monday, I went to an exhibition of pages and covers from the magazine Fierro, curated by Laura Vazquez, my adviser and teacher. The pages were not originals, but blown up, printed, and mounted. Usually, when I go to exhibitions, I get involved in a conversation within minutes of arriving and don’t get to actually see the artwork. Well, I got half way through the show when my friend Hernán saw me and invited me over to talk.

Remember that story about the six men in the cabin in Lobos? Apparently that story has become legend in the Argentine comics world. Anyway, most of those men were there and I got to hear them speak about their work during the show’s opening presentation. Diego Agrimbau, the moderator, asked the group of artists and writers if they had read the first run of Fierro and how they felt about publishing in the second run. As children or young adults, most of them had read the Fierro, but only a few dreamed of publishing their stories in the magazine. An interest in comics from a young age was a unifying factor. Facial hair was the other common bond. A word of advice to all the young men out there: if you want to publish in the Fierro, a beard/moustache/goatee is a must.

From left to right: Angel Mosquito, Max Aguirre, Federico Reggiani, Calvi, Dante Ginevra, Gustavo Sala, and Diego Agrimbau