"Parents are the main ones responsible for what their children read"

“Some parents still distrust comics because they consider them just a distraction. They see them as simple entertainment with no cultural value. For them, what their son or daughter should read is a book with only letters. Period. This prejudice must be overcome. In other countries, like France, there is a totally different view and comics are a highly valued and prestigious genre,” argues Júlia Rubau, who won the Carnet Jove de Còmic 2024 award with the adventure album The Mystery of the Pink Geode (Astronave), whose Spanish translation was released this summer. Usually, the opposite happens, because even though a large part of the comic industry is concentrated in Barcelona, the publication of original comics in Catalan remains scarce. “I was very excited that it was published directly in Catalan, but it was thanks to the award. Right now, it's not possible to make a living from comics in Catalan. I believe that, among other things, we need to improve the promotion of works by doing more presentations throughout Catalonia and not just in Barcelona,” proposes the author.

Rubau is in close contact with her potential readers because for months she has been working at the Sendak children's and young adult literature bookstore. “I'm not closing myself off to anything, but so far the stories that come to me are aimed at children between 8 and 12 years old. It's a complicated age group, partly due to the lack of new releases compared to other ages. Furthermore, children of the same age can read very different things. As an author, I enjoy writing and drawing tender and naive stories where it's easy to perceive a nostalgic look towards the world of childhood, a world that greatly attracts me”.

Currently, given the profusion and popularity of books in genres like dark romance or those signed by youtubers simply to make money, Rubau acknowledges that it's difficult for quality works to get the recognition they deserve: “In my bookstore, we try to avoid these trends, but there are many people who only look for books by influencers. Parents are responsible for preventing this. I think it's their job to promote good reading habits at home and educate their children to go beyond fleeting trends. It seems very clear to me that parents are primarily responsible for what their children read. And to start, they should ensure they read. A bookseller's professional advice can always be useful if they are lost”.

Without a 'comic' vocation

Rubau did not think she would dedicate herself to comics, not even when she enrolled at the Joso school, a reference center for training in this genre. “I had a bad experience in one of the comic classes at the school. I wasn’t too interested, nor did I like the work I presented. I remember thinking then that I would never dedicate myself to this. But then I had a teacher, Toni Fejzula, who made me see comics in a different way. I learned a lot with him and decided to try it,” explains the illustrator.

Generationally, Rubau belongs to a generation of authors who work with digital tools that allow for cleaner and more perfect finishes. Despite this, she confesses that she is eager to return to a more artisanal experience: “I would like to try working with more traditional materials, the kind that stain your hands. In a time marked by artificial intelligence, it is possible that craftsmanship will be valued more again.”