El Zueco

In THE CLOG, the reality of the Spanish Civil War of 1936-39 is transformed into an illustrated book. In this case, the focus is on the collateral damage it causes, especially to children. The protagonist's world is shattered: family security, games, school, and learning are erased in an instant, and violence erupts in his surroundings. Horror and fear cloud the boy's dreams and fuel his nightmares. Silence reigns around him. The loss and the anguish it brings pervade the book: the teacher, his friends, the temporary absence of his father… until death claims everything. To cope with this situation, the protagonist evokes the pre-war era or escapes through stories, to the point that, innocently, he confuses war and the sounds of celebration with a fatal outcome. Reality and fiction intertwine in Antón Fortes's dramatic text and David Álvarez's poetic graphite illustrations, inviting the reader to unravel multiple interpretations with a unique style and undeniable quality. A deeply moving book that reclaims historical memory and reveals the essence of war with the hope of eradicating it.