Juanjo Guarnido

I love me a good detective story, and I love me some good comics, so my excitement was off the charts when I discovered Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guardino’s Blacksad comic series. Now, a quick disclaimer: I was a big fan of anthropomorphism—the personification of animals. Past childhood franchises (Winnie the Pooh, Hamtaro, Micky Mouse, Looney Tunes and the like) were great, but Brian Jacques’ Redwall book series was my jam. Seriously, I loved them and read all twenty-two(!!!) books. In adulthood though, I’ve never actively sought out the stuff. But, Blacksad has convinced me that when done well—instead of being an easily overplayed gimmick—it can be a powerful allegory for the real world, past and present. It can also be aimed at and work well for adults.