BOLIVIA: Marvel's new half black, half Latino Spiderman is a hot topic of discussion at Latin America's largest independent comic book fair

Record ID: 575431

  • Title: BOLIVIA: Marvel's new half black, half Latino Spiderman is a hot topic of discussion at Latin America's largest independent comic book fair
  • Date: 4th August 2011
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF COMICS BY LATIN AMERICAN ARTISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VIGNETTES AT ALTITUDE FAIR, MAURICIO SALAZAR, SAYING: "After nine years Vignettes at Altitude has a certain fame and recognition amongst Latin American artists, who come to visit. One of our invitees is telling stories and legends about what happened at Vignettes at Altitude." VARIOUS OF FANTASY SCULPTURES VARIOUS OF PERUVIAN COMIC ARTISTS ALEJANDRO AMEZQUITA TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO SCULPT PEOPLE IN EXHIBITION COMIC BOOK OF ANDROID WOMAN (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZILIAN COMIC ARTIST, LAERTE COURTINHO, SAYING "I was really impressed by what I saw. From what I saw in internet there is some great stuff being produced here and it is especially good because [the fair] concentrates on the author and it is a festival that hasn't been touched yet by industry, the market or the big publishing houses. That is why it has such a good and rich character." VARIOUS OF SPIDERMAN COMICS AND PRODUCTS ON DISPLAY CLOSE-UP OF SPIDERMAN FIGURE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) SPIDERMAN FAN, MARCO TINTAYA, SAYING: "Spiderman is focused on a personality that is, in inverted commas, white. But now we see a Spiderman that is Latin and black. It means that Spiderman has spread over the whole world and Spiderman, the comic, is trying to bring people together. I think it is incredible news." FANS SELLING COMIC BOOKS CLOSE OF SPIDERMAN COMIC VARIOUS OF ANNOUNCEMENT IN COMIC OF NEW SPIDERMAN HERO (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ARGENTINE COMIC ARTIST, SALVADOR SANZ, SAYING: "I think that this racial change in such an American character like Spiderman - who has the colors of the American flag in his clothes - is really interesting. Today, the United States has a black president and maybe it is a way of changing the faces of the readers. To get to other types of readers." PEOPLE LOOKING AT COMICS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN FAIR
  • Embargoed: 19th August 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Bolivia, Plurinational State Of
  • Country: Bolivia
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA1CJU02PMAXV8AK0FPMO60RFWU
  • Story Text: Even at the nosebleed altitudes of the Bolivian capital, comic book fans can be found en masse.
    The Vignettes at Altitude fair is the biggest, independent comic book festival in Latin America and is located in La Paz city at 3,650m (11,975 feet) above sea level.
    Comic fans and artists come from across the region to see what is new on the local art scene and from countries including Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay and Paraguay.
    "After nine years Vignettes at Altitude has a certain fame and recognition amongst Latin American artists, who come to visit. One of our invitees is telling stories and legends about what happened at Vignettes at Altitude," Vignettes at Altitude fair organizer, Mauricio Salazar, said.
    Amongst the discussion of superpowers and heroes spandex, are five days of sculpture and storyboarding classes, panel groups on Japanese Manga and fantasy writing.
    Several new Bolivian comics will also be launched during the fair.
    International visitors say it is an impressive line-up.
    "I was really impressed by what I saw. From what I saw in internet there is some great stuff being produced here and it is especially good because [the fair] concentrates on the author and it is a festival that hasn't been touched yet by industry, the market or the big publishing houses. That is why it has such a good and rich character," Brazilian comic artist, Laerte Courtinho, said.
    Also making waves, or making webs rather - a new international star.
    Marvel Comics unveiled on Wednesday a new Spider-Man for the era -- a half-black, half-Latino named Miles Morales.
    The new Spidey, who lives in Brooklyn, replaces longtime comic-book favorite Peter Parker, who was white, hailed from Queens and was killed in Ultimate Spider-Man Issue 160 in June.
    Latin American fans were surprised but pleased by the news.
    "Spiderman is focused on a personality that is, in inverted commas, white. But now we see a Spiderman that is Latin and black. It means that Spiderman has spread over the whole world and Spiderman, the comic, is trying to bring people together. I think it is incredible news," Marco Tintaya said.
    Like Parker, Miles is a nerdy, awkward working-class kid from the outer boroughs of New York.
    But Parker was an orphan raised by his aunt and uncle in a traditionally white section of Queens.
    Miles' parents -- his mother is black, his father Latino -- are still alive, and reside in more racially diverse Brooklyn and play key roles in his story.
    "I think that this racial change in such an American character like Spiderman - who has the colors of the American flag in his clothes - is really interesting. Today, the United States has a black president and maybe it is a way of changing the faces of the readers. To get to other types of readers," Argentine comic artist, Salvador Sanz, said.
    There are certainly hundreds of readers at the Vignettes at Altitude fair, who may be part of the market Marvel is trying to reach.
    Vignettes at Altitude runs until August 6.
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