Carmen Barbará


Carme Barbará Geniés, known professionally as Carmen Barbará, is a Spanish comics artist and illustrator. Her most famous character is the reporter, who revolutionized the image of women in Spanish cartoons, breaking from their traditional romantic roles.

Biography

Carme Barbará Geniés was born in Barcelona into a family whose members were very fond of drawing and painting.
Before becoming a cartoonist, her favorite comic was Tim Tyler's Luck, and she also bought the magazines ', ', ', and El Hombre Enmascarado.
At age 14 she began drawing for a publication set up by a schoolmate. Then in the mid-1950s, she went on to publish fairy tales for Ediciones Alberto Geniés, owned by her cousin.
Her next creation was the character of Luisa in the magazine ' for Editorial Plaza.
She drew for and their comics Mis Cuentos, Alicia, Cuentos de la Abuelita, and . For Editorial Bruguera she drew Sissi and Cuentos Rositas in their women's publications, and Cuentos for girls.
Starting in the 1970s, she focused on illustration. She drew for the strips Claro de Luna and Romántica i Marilin. It was also for this publisher that she drew, with scripts by Roy Mark, the series Mary Noticias.
Through agencies she worked for the international market: Scotland, France, England, and Sweden.

''Mary Noticias''

Carmen Barbará's most famous comic is , published from 1962 to 1971 for Ibero Mundial. Its title character revolutionized the image of women in cartoons, breaking from their traditional romantic roles. Mary works as a television reporter. Her freedom of movement was of some concern to censors of the day.
The strip began on 21 June 1962 and 484 issues were published.

Style

Barbará's style evolved from the "sappy softness" of the "marvelous comic" to the harder realism of romance comics.

Personal life

Married with two sons, Barbará worked at home for years while taking care of them. She retired at age 65 in 1998.

Work


YearTitleWriterTypePublication
1951SerialCarmencita
Colección Azucena
1953LuisaSeriesFlorita
1955SerialMari Tere
1955SerialAlicia
1956SerialRosarito
1956Pinky
1956SerialTres Hadas
1956SerialGraciela
1958Yo te contaré...SeriesFlorita
1958SerialMarta
1958SerialPrincesa Carolina
1958SerialLindaflor
1962CaterinaSilvia DuarteShort comicClaro de Luna #174
1962Mary NoticiasRoy MarkSerialIbero Mundial
1964Mary Noticias ExtraRoy MarkSerialIbero Mundial
1964SerialCuentos Rosita Bruguera