Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: New Books Network — New Books in Critical Theory
Episode: James Scorer, "Latin American Comics in the Twenty-First Century: Transgressing the Frame" (University of Texas Press, 2024)
Date: November 4, 2025
Host: New Books
Guest: James Scorer

Episode Overview

This episode features James Scorer discussing his new book, Latin American Comics in the Twenty-First Century: Transgressing the Frame. The conversation explores how comics from Latin America intersect with issues of identity, nationhood, memory, precarity, and transnationalism. Scorer draws on contemporary trends, diverse media forms (magazines, zines, blogs, graphic novels), and new networks that redefine what “Latin American comics” means in the 21st century. The episode highlights both the unique qualities and shared threads of comics cultures across the region, as well as their responses to political, social, and environmental challenges.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Inspiration and Background

[03:10–07:20]

• Scorer’s Entry into Latin American Comics:
  • Scorer identifies as a "Latin Americanist," initially working more with urban imaginaries (literature, film, art, urban politics) before examining comics directly.
  • Early work included an article about Tintin in Latin America and a study of graphic biographies of Che Guevara.
  • Collaboration with Paolo Drino and Jorge Catalá Carrasco led to the edited collection Comics and Memory in Latin America, sparking a deeper exploration of the region’s comics.
  • Fieldwork and grants (like those from Leverhulme) facilitated systematic study, especially on the post-2005 comics landscape in Latin America.
  • Quote:

    "I subsequently obtained a grant from the Lever Hume to run an international network on Latin American comics and the city. And I guess aspects and elements of things that I was looking at during that period feed into this book..." —James Scorer [06:30]

Defining “Latin American Comics” and the Scope of the Book

[07:20–13:41]

• Conceptualizing Latin America:
  • Scorer notes the ambiguity and politicization of the term “Latin America”—sometimes a progressive rallying point, sometimes a term that glosses over difference.
  • The book is not encyclopedic; it focuses on trends crossing national boundaries rather than covering every country equally.
  • Mexican and Brazilian comics, while major players, are less central in his study due to their distinct production networks during the study’s focus period.
  • Past analyses centered on comics as national identity expressions. Scorer observes a 21st-century turn toward transnational solidarity and collaboration, especially fostered by digital platforms.
  • Quote:

    "In a region as diverse as it is... there are some players who tend to dominate... But I was interested in this new body of work and group of creators who were definitely interested in exploring these kinds of transnational connections..." —James Scorer [11:51]

Case Study: Argentina and Its Comics Traditions

[13:41–18:00]

• National vs. Transnational Focus:
  • Argentina’s Fierro magazine exemplified the assertion of a national comics tradition, often male-dominated and exclusive.
  • Contrasts with Peruvian and Colombian comics, which exhibit more self-reflection about “national” comics and embrace cross-border influences.
  • Transnational, feminist and countercultural magazines like Clitoris (Argentina, four issues) and Femiñetas (run by an Argentine living in Spain) challenged traditional male-dominated narratives and fostered international collaborations.
  • Quote:

    "Clitoris did a lot in terms of showcasing that kind of work and thinking about comics beyond a kind of purely national... framework..." —James Scorer [16:37]

Zine Culture and Modes of Production

[18:00–23:23]

• Zines vs. Formal Publications:
  • In Latin America, even “formal” comics publishing is often precarious and small-scale, blurring boundaries with zine/DIY culture.
  • Zines in the region are less about critiquing a dominant industry (unlike in the US/Europe) and more about offering alternatives to consumerism and neoliberalism.
  • Artists like Lucia Bruta and Inu Waters use zines to experiment with value, waste, and materiality.
  • The rise of digital platforms made paper zines a deliberate, materialist choice, fostering unique, sometimes ephemeral or semi-archival works.
  • Quote:

    "Producing a zine was also something about... the kind of materiality of the zine and how that circulated and the kind of exchanges that would take place at zine fairs..." —James Scorer [24:13]

  • Memorable Moment:
    Discussion of zines coming with “baggies of bits and pieces... almost valueless but unique pieces of cultural creation” [24:18].

Nonfiction Comics, Archiving, and Memory

[26:36–32:55]

• Comics as Historical and Political Intervention:
  • Nonfiction comics are crucial in the region, often responding to extractivism (environmental devastation) and reworking political memory.
  • Examples:
    • Jesús Cossío’s graphic adaptation of the Peruvian Truth Commission report and webcomic La guerra por el agua (The War Over Water), addressing slow violence and environmental conflict.
    • Ignacio Minaverry’s Dora series, blending themes of Nazism, Holocaust memory, and global networks of archives.
  • Comics often function as both representations and counter-archives, interrogating what gets remembered or omitted from history.
  • Quote:

    "Comics maybe as counter archives... the kind of aspiration to order of the archive... but then also how comics engage with ideas of disordered archives." —James Scorer [31:30]

Comics, Contagion, and the COVID-19 Pandemic

[32:55–37:46]

• Adapting to Crisis and Social Shifts:
  • The COVID-19 pandemic shifted how the comics community functioned—physical spaces (festivals, fairs) suffered, but online exchanges flourished.
  • Comics and blogs documented lived experiences under pandemic conditions, with some creators producing autobiographical or reflective narratives about disease, immunity, and social relations.
  • Scorer relates the pandemic themes—of contagion, exclusion, and fear of the Other—to broader social and political issues, including transnationalism and responses to migration.
  • The book itself, he notes, is a "response to the kind of discourses... circulating around Brexit and... fear and the management of fear around others..." [36:40]
  • Quote:

    "The pandemic made us all think about that. How we engage with people, how we interact... but also how we avoid people, how we protect ourselves from people..." —James Scorer [36:10]

The Book’s Richness and Looking Ahead

[37:46–39:43]

• The host emphasizes the book’s depth and visual documentation, making it uniquely engaging for readers seeking to go beyond abstract analysis.
• Translation and Outreach:
  • Scorer regrets the limited translation of Latin American comics but hopes his book encourages more exposure to this vibrant field.
• Ongoing and Future Work:
  • Scorer is finishing an edited collection on comics and racialized identities in Latin America, including more work by and about Latin American artists.
  • Next, he plans to “look at tree stories in Latin America,” exploring the use of trees, wood, and related motifs by visual artists to address environmental and political issues.
  • Quote:

    "...my plan is to sort of look at sort of tree stories in Latin America and thinking about how artists are using trees... as part of a way into intervening into issues around society, politics, and the environment." —James Scorer [40:21]

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On the Appeal of Comics:

  "On a kind of very simple level, I guess I was just kind of keen to get into that." —James Scorer [07:00]

• On Definitions and Limitations:

  "I'm not kind of—I never set out to be encyclopedic. What I was trying to do was say that here's a trend, a series of trends... cutting across different national contexts..." —James Scorer [10:30]

• On Zine Materiality:

  "Producing a zine was also something about... the materiality of the zine... the kind of exchanges that would take place at zine fairs..." —James Scorer [24:13]

• On Nonfiction's Role:

  "Nonfiction comics functioning as... pedagogical tools to instruct people about everyday realities... and as a kind of sociopolitical intervention..." —James Scorer [27:55]

• On the Pandemic and Community:

  "The Pandemic did have a big impact on physical meeting spaces and... publications ... But clearly it also enabled a lot of fertile conversations... online." —James Scorer [34:47]

Important Timestamps & Topics

• 03:10–07:20 — Scorer’s academic journey into Latin American comics
• 07:20–13:41 — Defining “Latin American comics”, national vs. transnational
• 13:41–18:00 — Case study: Argentina, magazines, feminist interventions
• 19:00–23:23 — Zine culture, precarity, and value systems
• 26:36–32:55 — Nonfiction comics, extractivism, memory, and archives
• 32:55–37:46 — Comics as pandemic narrative, political economy, and community impact
• 39:43–end — Book’s legacy, translation, future projects

Conclusion

James Scorer’s Latin American Comics in the Twenty-First Century is a vital, deeply informed exploration of a vibrant comics culture. The episode is rich with insights about national and transnational identity, memory, resistance, and the unique media forms blossoming across Latin America. Scorer brings a balance of scholarly depth and personal enthusiasm, inviting listeners (and readers) to discover a field that is still largely underrepresented in English-language scholarship but is profoundly relevant to global conversations about politics, art, and community.