"My mom went to the newsstand, brought me a comic book, and that's how it all started."

BarcelonaAs is the case with so many comic book fans, at the beginning of Pau Valls' (Alcoy, 1985) love story with comics there is a mother buying her son one Mortadelo"He went to the newsstand, brought me a comic, and that's how it all started," recalls the Valencian cartoonist, who after self-publishing fanzines and short comics like Bigfoot –also published in France– finally makes his debut in long-form comics with The date (Windows), an absurd comedy dressed up as thriller A crime story about two seemingly antagonistic characters (a school janitor and a mobster's driver) brought together by an accident that intertwines their destinies.

Also known for his work as an illustrator—and contributor to the ARA Comic Book Journal—Valls captivates the reader with a clear, exemplary line style and an absorbing narrative that breaks the story's timeline and jumps from the present to the recent past. "I always think that if I enjoy drawing the comic, the reader will enjoy it too," he explains. "Besides, it helps me explain the psychology of the characters and understand their actions a little better." A natural storyteller, Valls also uses ellipses with great intention, demonstrating that he has learned the lessons of his admired artists. Jaime Hernandez and Jason. "I'm obsessed with ellipses," he admits. "And I really like the ones in..."Adrian Tomine"...which draws heavily on literary ellipses in the style of Raymond Carver, inviting you to complete the story."

The Valencian Kaurismäki

The reference point that Valls fully embraces in The date He is, however, a filmmaker: Aki Kaurismäki and the sad, laconic comedy of his stories about gangsters, laborers, and rockers. Like the Finnish director, Valls works with archetypal characters, stripping them bare to reveal their humanity. "I like working with archetypes because it's like taking some toys and playing at putting them in funny situations," the cartoonist explains.

Valls is aware that one thriller without social excuses like The date He goes against the grain in a comic book landscape increasingly dominated by realism. "Sometimes I'm held back by thinking about what I'm contributing to society with my story," he confesses. "And a comic with a social theme always has an easier time winning a competition or receiving grants. But, for me, comics are escapism, perhaps because I'm already very anchored to reality when I work as an illustrator." Both Valls' comics and illustrations are easily recognizable for his mastery of color. "I always try to make color not just a descriptive element, but also a narrative and expressive one," he explains. The date There's also specific work done with color to help perceive the differences between one moment and another, since it's a comic with many jumps in time."

For now, The date It has only been published in Catalan, but the idea is to publish it later in Spanish, the language in which Valls began to pitch it to publishers before joining Finestres. "It's curious, because I always do children's comics in Valencian, I suppose it's the connection with my childhood reader and because I've collaborated a lot in Camacuc “But my preferred language for adult fiction is usually Spanish,” he says, “because it’s the one I grew up with as a reader. Luckily, this will change for new generations. The fact that Daniel Clowes and Robert Crumb are now being published in Catalan [also by Finestres] normalizes the idea that comic book authors publish in Catalan.”