Power Paola

Power Paola
Power Paola in Querétaro, México, 2016.
Born	Paola Andrea Gaviria Silguero June 20, 1977 Quito, Ecuador
Nationality	Colombian, Ecuadorian
Area(s)	Cartoonist, Writer
Notable works	Virus Tropical Todo Va a Estar Bien Diario

Power Paola (born Paola Andrea Gaviria Silguero; June 20, 1977)[1] is a Colombian-Ecuadorian cartoonist.[2] She is the author of graphic memoirs Virus Tropical (2011), Por Dentro (2012), Diario (2013), qp (2014), Todo Va a Estar Bien (2015) and Nos vamos (2016).[3][4] Her work deals with themes of sexuality, feminism, family, and personal identity.

She is a member of the international comics collective Chicks on Comics.[5]

Biography

Early life

Paola Gaviria, known by the pen name Power Paola,[2] was born in Quito, Ecuador. During her mother's pregnancy, a doctor insisted that she was not pregnant but was the victim of a "tropical virus."[6] Her family moved to Cali, Colombia when she was 13, and she studied at the Fundación Universitaria de Bellas Artes in Medellin, where she cofounded the art collective Taller 7.[7] She describes herself as a "nomad" and has since lived in Sydney, Paris, San Salvador, and Bogota, though she now lives in Buenos Aires.[8]

Comics

Power Paola initially worked as painter, then started reading the work of comics artists like Marjane Satrapi and Julie Doucet.[9] She started drawing comics at age 27, to entertain herself and document her life while working in a kitchen in Sydney.[6] She initially self-published her comics on Flickr and as print zines.[10] In 2011, Argentinian publisher Editorial Comun published her memoir Virus Tropical, which tells the story of Paola's childhood growing up as a rebellious daughter in a conservative Colombian family dominated by strong women.[11] The book was met with critical praise and republished in English and French by Random House / Mondadori. Critics have noted her loose drawing style and intimate voice, and her "characters favors caricature over quasi-photorealism."[2] Of Virus Tropical, reviewer said, "Using a strongly expressive naïve style, Paola creates a very personal comic, with a clear feminine voice, that is a standard bearer of the comic of those latitudes." Reviewer Abril Castillo Cabrera compared reading the book to visiting a therapist, writing that Power Paola creates "an atmosphere that we can access, a story with a beginning and a closing, an elaboration of her life and a bridge that tends to the lives of others who read it."[12]

Her work was shown at Fundacion PROA in Buenos Aires as part of the Chicks on Comics exhibition "Long Distance Relationship" in 2017.[13]

Virus Tropical became a movie in 2017.[14][15][16][17]

Bibliography

• Virus Tropical (2010) ISBN 9789872457891, OCLC 798340878
  • English translation Virus Tropical (2016) ISBN 9781937541231, OCLC 923554440
• Por Dentro (2012) ISBN 9789588568232, OCLC 857585649
• Diario de Power Paola (2013) ISBN 9789872787516, OCLC 883407717
• QP, 2004–2012 (2014) ISBN 9789588568362, OCLC 883125654
• Todo Va a Estar Bien (2015) ISBN 9789588568492, OCLC 913076208
• Nos vamos (2016) ISBN 9789588568577, OCLC 982083695

References

1. Iannini, Sergio Camacho (14 May 2014). "Power Paola, la historietista que dibuja su vida" [Power Paola, the cartoonist who draws her life]. El Tiempo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
2. Zayas, Iván Pérez (May 2018). "Life Through Graphics: Power Paola's Graphic Novels". Latin American Literature Today. No. 6. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
3. "Power Paola". Goodreads (in Spanish). 31 March 2017. Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
4. "Update 3: Powerpaola of Virus Tropical Interview · Spring Collection". Kickstarter. Retrieved 2019-02-25.
5. "Chicks on comics". chicksoncomics.tumblr.com. Retrieved 2017-03-31.
6. "Powerpaola: 'Empecé a dibujar historietas para burlarme de mi propia vida'" [Powerpaola: 'I started drawing comics to make fun of my own life']. TN (in Spanish). 11 June 2011. Archived from the original on 24 April 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
7. "Power Paola". La Editorial Común (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
8. Lam, Martin Lopez (9 October 2012). "Paola Gaviria, Powerpaola". La Sensación Gráfica. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
9. "Entrevista con PowerPaola" [Interview with PowerPaola]. Entre comics (in European Spanish). 17 April 2013. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
10. Glidden, Sarah (5 November 2013). "Drawn Interview With Power Paola". sarahglidden.com. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
11. Vilches, Gerardo (18 April 2013). "Virus tropical (Powerpaola)". Entre comics (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
12. Cabrera, Abril Castillo (3 August 2015). "Powerpaola Dibujos nómadas y autobiografía ficticia". Límulus (in European Spanish). Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
13. "Chicks On Comics - Exhibiciones". Fundación Proa (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2017.
14. Young, Deborah (20 February 2018). "'Virus Tropical': Film Review | Berlin 2018". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 11 February 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
15. Kiang, Jessica (22 November 2017). "Film Review: 'Virus Tropical'". Variety. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
16. Castillo, Monica (13 March 2018). "Power Paola On Turning Her Coming-of-Age Graphic Novel Into an Animated Movie". Remezcla. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
17. "Virus Tropical (2017)". IMDb. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2019.