The works in this traveling exhibition were selected from a collection of over 1,300 ink on paper drawings and comprise fourteen complete comics published by Editorial Continente in Mexico in the late 60s through the mid-70s.

Despite the fact that comics were immensely popular in Mexico in the 1970s, the creators involved were embarrassed at being associated with the art form. Many used pseudonyms, and others refused to discuss the subject of their work. In the fifty intervening years, memories have faded, and the trail is cold. What does remain, however, are rumors of breakneck deadlines, low pay and even less respect.

Starting in the mid-70s, a combination of problems, including increasing paper costs and the availability of cheap, foreign imports such as Batman and Superman caused for a consolidation of the comics industry in Mexico. The “mini-comic” ultimately succumbed to global market forces.

As historical exhibitions go, this one is a bit mad. There is much missing: biographies of the creators, copies of the comics in their published form, and in many cases, even the publication dates of the comics. The comprehensive academic work on these works has yet to be undertaken. While we wait for an examination of their history and context, these drawings persist. We can love these works for the quality of their line and for the complexity of their stories. We can admire the comic books themselves for their delightfully lurid covers. By shining a light on these works, we can honor the commitment of their creators as we wait to hear the full stories of the storytellers.

Special Preview:
BERLIN, GERMANY, SomoS Art House
December 7–28, 2017

Full Exhibition:
HOUSTON, TEXAS, Lawndale Art Center
January 18–March 25, 2018

Traveling to:
CHICAGO, IL Glass Curtain Gallery, Columbia College
March 7  – April 19 , 2019

Between Love and Madness: Mexican Comic Art from the 1970s was organized by Associate Professor Christopher Sperandio, in participation with the students of Practical Curation (Kari Leigh Brinkley, Grace Earick, Julia Fisher, Zach Gwin, Kai Holnes, Clair Hopper, Priyanka Jain, Ilya Rakhlin, Zachary Tu, Heather Wright), an undergraduate class in exhibition design in the Department of Visual and Dramatic Arts at Rice University. Funding for this exhibition has been provided by the Humanities Research Center at Rice University, The Office of the Dean of Humanities at Rice University, and Lawndale Art Center.

 

Selected Press:
Houston Chronicle: Exhibit explores comic-book curiosities known as microcuentos
Texas Monthly: Revisiting Mexico’s Microcuentos
Arts + Culture: Between Love and Madness: Mexican Comics from the 1970s
Houstonia Magazine: Microcuentos Tell Big Stories at Lawndale Art Center
ABC 13 Eyewitness News: Art Exhibit Explores Mexican Comic Book History