News of a new title today from indie micropublisher Radiator Comics (the folk who have been bringing us Whit Taylor’s excellent Fizzle and the equally splendid anthology series Spiny Orb Weaver) with the announcement of a collection of Dave Ortega’s Días De Consuelo. Full details in the press release below.
Radiator Comics is proud to announce we will be publishing Días De Consuelo, a 180-page collection of Dave Ortega’s self-published series of the same name.
Días de Consuelo is an intimate immigration memoir in the graphic tradition of Persepolis that connects the personal recollections of the author’s abuela (grandmother) with the storm of events that made up one of the most important uprisings of the 20th century: The Mexican Revolution.
This graphic novel introduces middle grade through adult readers to the captivating story of Consuelo, her mother Evarista, grandmother Isabel and sister Beatriz as their lives are upended apart by civil war. Días de Consuelo is also the perfect introduction to revolutionary figures like Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata, the series of uprisings that they led to put an end to centuries-old systems of oppression, and the toll that this violence took on daily life. With its expressive cartooning style, this book celebrates the Mexican-American experience in a way that has yet not been seen in the comics medium.
Días De Consuelo will be released on November 15, 2021. Radiator Comics will run a pre-order campaign through Kickstarter to fund the book. The Kickstarter campaign will run from July 12, to August 2, 2021.
Writer and illustrator Dave Ortega is originally from El Paso, Texas and now lives in Somerville, Massachusetts. Días De Consuelo is his first published graphic novel. He says, “I’m thrilled to be working with Neil and Radiator Comics who championed this story from the beginning. I am proud that Días De Consuelo is being published at a time where storytellers and advocates are working to undo the damage caused by those who benefit from the ongoing demonizing of immigrant groups.”
Radiator Comics distributes self-published and small press comics, and is run by Neil Brideau in Miami, FL. Días De Consuelo is Radiator Comics’ fourth publishing project. “Publishing Días De Consuelo is a dream project for Radiator Comics,” Brideau says. “Dave’s story of his grandmother and her family centers on the humanity that’s often glossed over in historical accounts. It’s a real privilege to be able to help get this story in readers’ hands.”
