Between Comics and Cinema. Óscar Aibar: "When Speaking of Comic Book Adaptations, People Think It’s Easier Because They are Drawings, But It Is As Complex As Adapting a Novel"

Abstract

Óscar Aibar (Barcelona, 1967) is a film director, but before he was also a cartoonist. Consequently, his work as a filmmaker has always shown interest in the dialogue between these two media, from his first film and adaptation of the comic Atolladero —that he co-authored with Miguel Ángel Marín—, to the tribute to Manuel Vázquez and the masters of Bruguera in El gran Vázquez. In this interview, Aibar not only analyzes the comic industry in Spain and his own experience within it, but also offers his opinion on European and American comics, talks about his personal references and reports on his career behind the camera, emphasizing the adaptation process from paper to screen. He also reflects upon some of the recent examples of French and American films that have adapted comics and draws a negative picture of the Spanish film industry.