"Wrinkles" by Paco English Roca is a punch in the face to all those who think that comics are something for children, a pastime for boys diverted grown worse, a sterile pastime for-nothing. English author's latest work, winning major awards in the comics is that the recent Barcelona Lucca Comics, is one of many demonstrations of how ignorant and most people (even famous) that on TV or in newspapers Sparla comics and magazines, tipping the scales in unfortunate speculations and dispensed free of charge and baseless criticism of this fantastic medium of expression, criticism that does not prove anything except their tendency to talk about topics that obviously do not know at all.
"Wrinkles" is a small gem. Roca
with a disarming simplicity can achieve a 'work engaging, thought-provoking, which catapults the reader into the story by putting it in front of himself, naked, without justification, without masks.
To do so makes a rather unpopular choice.
"The heroes are all young and beautiful" ... and in fact the characters of the book are all of the old with the best years of life behind us and the terminal horizon.
The general public loves the adventure, the characters strong and determined to embark on business titan, the characters who "suck the marrow of life" those who conduct subversive, the "damned" who do not conform to the rules of society.
You will not find any of this in wrinkles.
The protagonists were parked by their relatives in a nursing home where they can be provided to them "the best care." Often all these good intentions, "we do it for your own good" are not so obvious and the removal is more of a not wanting to see a depletion of patience, a lack of time, an abandonment. It can be seen even from the few visits that many of the old people receiving home care, resulting in a barely concealed sadness hidden behind these timid attempts to convince the self- "No matter if they are or not," "I do not want to be a burden for them."
The main character is Emily. There was immediately slammed in his face the situation in the two pages of the comic: Emilio, director of a bank, is talking to a young couple who will not grant a loan because of their precarious economic condition ... but ... there is something wrong, the guy says weird things after a while ... 'Emilio finally becomes aware that it is not behind his desk but in bed, in front of his son and daughter who try to get him to eat dinner.
In two pages show with all the extraordinary strength expressive power of the comic, two pages you can already say everything you can to explain anything to the reader.
Emilio is then brought to this nursing home, where he met several of the "tenants" and is in contact with many different people.
's still lucid enough to feel in a privileged position in front of many of his new "friends", he realizes that there are people making very bad, it is surprising that in there you do not do nothing but sleep, think I'm only losing a few rounds like normal for his age.
Humanity This is the most uneven: there is her roommate, certainly the better off, that seems a bit 'villain (who will read the comics will know if it really is), that pin money to others and complains about the monotony of the non-life. There is a lady who wanders the corridors every day and try to get to the front desk to call her children, but then promptly forget what has been done once they arrive at their destination. There is a former radio host who can not help but repeat what feels like a parrot. Another lady who is afraid of being alone and being abducted by aliens as well, and still another who steals from the table sachets of ketchup, tea, sauces, etc etc that his eyes seem precious treasures donate to her nephew when she will visit, then there's the lady who always looks out the window thinking to travel directly to Istanbul on the Orient Express, a dull, dirty old man, an old woman who no longer recognizes her husband, who comes to visit every day and is believed to be married to another guest house care, there is a young couple formed from an elderly Alzheimer's patient in an advanced stage and his wife who take loving care of him, convinced that there is an old still be a soldier, another who speaks only of his old medals won in track and field championships.
All have their stories, all in the past have lived their glories, all probably would never have imagined being in that situation. When you're young you do not think, you do not want to think, you are afraid of imagining a future like that.
But they still have a consolation, they are on the ground floor of the clinic concerned. Even if they are in better shape, if their life is punctuated only by meals and time of medication, if it takes all the time remaining asleep, they still manage to move on their own, are enough to carry at least the transparency measures most basic. The staircase leading to the first floor is a bit 'the terror of all. We know that once crossed you will never go back, we know that there is also something to be feared più della morte. Al piano superiore c’è infatti il reparto per gli “assistiti”, per coloro che non sanno più prendersi cura di sé stessi, che non riescono a mangiare, a vestirsi, a fare un discorso.
Emilio piano piano peggiora sempre più. E’ malato di Alzheimer, la coscienza di ciò e la paura di fare la fine dell’esempio che ha sotto gli occhi ogni giorno probabilmente lo terrorizzano. La sua parabola discendente è però irrefrenabile. Viviamo assieme a lui i peggioramenti, si inizia col non riconoscere una palla, poi con lo svegliarsi nel cuore della notte per radersi ed andare al lavoro, poi con il vestirsi con abiti invertiti (maglione sopra la giacca) e rovesciati, poi ci si scorda il nome di chi ti sta vicino, si dimentica il nome di tutte le cose finchè è tutto una tavola bianca.
Il fumetto però non è triste. Certo il tema trattato non è allegro, ma il tutto viene presentato in maniera intelligente, non si insiste troppo, non si accentuano le situazioni, non si fanno commenti moralisti, si rappresenta semplicemente tutto com’è, prendendosi il gusto di dare un’opinione con la sola forza delle immagini, con un’ espressione dei volti, con un gesto elementare. Non si scade assolutamente nel patetico insomma.
Roca affronta un tema delicato come la malattia da Alzheimer con arguzia e perizia, alcune immagini fanno quasi sorridere nella loro sweetness, even if you are faced with the drama of a man who is losing everything. They
tenderness attempts to deceive and Emilio Michele nurses and doctors, tried everything to try to look even fit enough to avoid the dreaded transfer upstairs. As no compassion, passion, emotions, have fun with them in their clumsy escape from the clinic, in their desperate attempt to feel alive, to reject the destiny which have arisen, to do something that is expected of them, to demonstrate to all their dignity as persons, their inner strength that would be an example to many young people in their full force.
recommend everyone reading this book (see also final positive message!), not only to fans of comics. 'S one of those works that make you think, investigating issues that we always neglect justified with the most trivial of excuses, a comic who can not leave anyone indifferent.
close with a salute to Paco Roca nice that I had the opportunity to meet in Lucca, helpful and friendly person, as well as very talented author.
PS: carry what is written on the cover of the book: "The minds of some men is like a library where books are accastano in the mountains of yellowed paper, filled with dreams and fantasies. The wear and tear of a lifetime covers them wrinkles, and some see the letters delle loro pagine dissolversi, foglio dopo foglio, finchè diventano completamente bianche. Malgrado questo, le più intense emozioni sopravvivono, preservate come un tesoro nascosto in un'isola lontana".
Dimenticavo... Pubblicato da Tunuè, prezzo 12.50 euro.Un po' più di un centinaio di pagine, a colori, carta patinata.
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