NICOLÁS VERDEJO
COMMISSIONED AND EDITED BY ANA MARÍA LEÓN
Ana María León: While The Funambulist has made use of the graphic novel, for this special issue I chose Nico Verdejo’s use of this format as a form of political activism with particular resonance in Chile. In both form and content, this graphic narrative echoes prior activisms, mobilizing small tactical actions against broader hegemonic powers. The work of the Black Cats, illustrated here, is part of a longer history of community organizing that harkens back to the presidency of Salvador Allende. The use of the graphic novel is also part of this history: scholars used popular comics to support Allende’s socialist project, activists printed mini-zines against the dictatorship. Journals like those—and like this one—point to the political power of words and images.
