Russia-Ukraine War: the story of the Argentine cartoonist behind the comics about Volodimir Zelenski

Pablo Martinena is from Catamarca, lives in the provincial capital and draws “forever”. Over the past few hours, his name has become important in being the illustrator behind a comic starring Volodimir Zelenski, the Ukrainian president who resists Russian aggression.

“All my life I’ve been with the illustration”Martinena explained in a conversation with LN+.

However, the most important professional leap came in the 2000s, when he began showing his creations to various publishers.

So it got the attention of TidalWave, a publisher from Oregon, USAwhere they decided to take him.

After more than two decades of work with that company, Martitena was instructed to describe “Political Power: Volodymyr Zelensky”a new edition of the line of political character comics published by the company.

“I’ve worked with this publisher that suggests biographies in comics format, of people going beyond different fields, like culture, politics, sports, royalty,” he said.

From that work, he had to describe some relevant historical figures. “I have continued working with them since 2000 and have made a living Nelson Mandela and the Princes of Englandamong others, “he said.

Regarding the striking format, which is beginning to force biographies of hundreds of pages, Martitena testified that “it is becoming very relevant.”

“The ones about Mandela are in U.S. universities for dissemination and consultation. Besides, they are timeless titles,” he said.

In that sense, he added that “they use it for access by people of different ages and they make inquiries and comments and they have a basis” in the lives of the characters.

“I do everything from Catamarca,” he said in the interview, wearing headphones and barely lit by the dark nightstand. “I saw in comics a way to talk to people.”

Finally, when asked about his personal views of the Ukrainian president, the cartoonist reviewed him as “very dynamic, with energy”.

“You have to know how to go from what he did (he was a comic actor) to a political sphere. Seems like a hemisphere change“, he concludes.