Arts Bazar 2024: A Celebration of Creativity at CASUL

On Saturday, June 29th, La Casa Universitaria del Libro (CASUL) opened its doors once again for another edition of Arts Bazar. The event showcased an impressive array of creations, including comics, illustrated fanfics, copics, fanzines, graphic novels, and printed illustrations in serigraphy, risography, and posters with various finishes: matte, glossy, and holographic. The bazaar also featured an assortment of items like mugs, pens, pins, collectible cards, and many other products. A unique aspect of this event was that, in most cases, the artists and creators of the displayed works were also the exhibitors, providing an opportunity to ask them directly about their pieces and projects.

CASUL is located in Roma Norte, on Orizaba Street. This venue organizes events, courses, workshops, and other activities open to the public. The contrast between the colonial house with its wooden floors, high ceilings, and large windows and the modernity of Arts Bazar created a harmonious atmosphere where the old met the new. The event was spread across three rooms, two of them circular, resulting in a round exhibition where attendees had to see all the tables to enter and exit. A podium was also available for presentations of graphic novels, such as “Regueiras” by Eterno Femenino Editorial, discussions like “Perspectives and Challenges of Self-Publishing Comics in Mexico” by Virus Visal, and “Creative Process of the Project The Importance of Being Mexican” by Ric Velasco, as well as workshops and presentations of new editorial projects.

Decomixado Comic & Toy Store , one of the most important comic stores due to its extensive catalog of new titles and collectible, rare, and discontinued items, was present with a wide range of comics, some even in protective acrylic cases for collectors. Sharkius brought comics and graphic novels for all ages with diverse themes such as superhero stories like the independent Mexican comic “Códices infinitos,” comic strips, LGBT+ love stories, and even the story of siblings who disappear after entering a cave from which a witch was said to have emerged 100 years earlier to terrorize the town, a tale found in “Sábado negro” by Tiras sin Sentido.

Asfalto presented a series of graphic novels and fanzines with darker themes, offering a perspective of a possible post-apocalyptic world filled with humanoid figures. In a similar post-apocalyptic vein, Joshua Hernández’s “Ecatepunk” draws inspiration from the movie “Mad Max” and punk culture to tell a story of what might happen after the near-extinction of humanity, suggesting that certain social conditions, inequalities, and violences would persist as they are inherent to humanity. Arturo Piña explores twisted human issues in several of his fanzines such as “Mente D’Mente” and “La taxidermista,” where death lurks despite seemingly harmless situations. In contrast, Gnomariana showcased the two volumes of her comic strip series “Red Flags,” depicting small moments of modern romantic relationships, while Dacachi exhibited three of his graphic novels, each featuring beautiful illustrations that you could purchase individually as a set of collectible cards.

Arts Bazar successfully gathered a diverse array of artists, demonstrating that creativity knows no bounds and manifests differently in each of us. Presenting at CASUL added an extra appeal, making it a great excuse to visit the Roma Norte neighborhood on a weekend. Undoubtedly, attending this event requires setting aside a good part of the day, as it is definitely worth exploring all the tables.

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