Viva La Historieta: Mexican Comics, Nafta, and the Politics of Globalization (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781604731262)

Viva la historieta! critically examines the participation of Mexican comic books in the continuing debate over the character and consequences of globalization in Mexico. The focus of the book is on graphic narratives produced by and for Mexicans in the period following the 1994 implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), an economic accord that institutionalized the free-market vision of relationships among the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Eight chapters cover a broad range of contemporary Mexican comics, including works of propaganda, romance and adventure, graphic novels, a corporate "brand" series, didactic single-issue books, and a superhero parody series. Each chapter offers an examination of the ways in which specific comics or comic book series represent Mexico's national identity, the U.S.'s influence, and globalization's effects on technology and economics since the passage of NAFTA. Through careful attention to how recent Mexican comics portray a changing nation, author Bruce Campbell reveals a contentious range of perspectives on the problems and promises of globalization. At the same time, Campbell argues that the contrasting views of globalization that circulate widely in Mexican historietas reflect a still unsettled relationship between Mexico and its superpower neighbor.

Author: Bruce Campbell
ISBN-10: 1604731265
ISBN-13: 9781604731262
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi
Language: English
Published: 02/03/2009
Pages: 246
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.80h x 5.90w x 0.80d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 08/01/2009