Foto de Eduardo Margareto

Can two very different people in the artistic field work together in a continuous, respectful, and peaceful way over time? And what if they are also a couple?

This is probably the question we’ve been asked most often since we started collaborating professionally. In truth, the hardest part isn’t living together, or fairly dividing tasks, or taming the ego, but rather achieving a sum of capabilities based on mutual respect and admiration. One’s work cannot be understood without the other, because we each bring complementary visions to the use of drawing, color, and script—without interference and with total creative freedom.

Creating an exceptional and original piece of work depends not only on effort, but also on research and study—and it’s not always achieved. We mustn’t forget that drawing is knowledge and, as such, it demands a constant search for new ways of representation and communication. And when we say “exceptional,” we’re not referring to impact ratings or sales figures, but to the ability to jointly bring a creative and innovative process to completion and to communicate it to the reader with the utmost respect for the medium. That is our ultimate goal: the audience. And our greatest challenge: the market and its demands, which we certainly cannot ignore.

Moreover, the publishing world and its serialized nature allow us to reach a wide audience who can access each work at an affordable cost—and many others who benefit from lending, exponentially increasing the number of readers and the work’s reach.

Illustration and comics are mass communication media with a popular and therefore democratic character, accessible to everyone. That’s why we understand the importance of taking care of not only what we do but also how we do it—avoiding stereotypes and repetition, always prioritizing originality.

Achieving this without falling into economic constraints pushes us to seek strategies that allow us to strike a difficult balance, often through implementing unconventional techniques and formats within the publishing sector. What could have been a short-term obstacle has instead become a hallmark of our work—one that has made it both recognizable and respected, while preserving each of our creative independence and freedom.

Whenever we begin a new project, we always ask ourselves what we can contribute that’s different, something that will surprise our editors and art directors. We try to propose what they don’t expect, within an aesthetic they do expect. It’s not so much about changing style as it is about offering original ideas, compositions, or staging that identify us as authors and showcase our uniqueness.

Many things have changed since we started out. New technologies have taken over and, in many cases, replaced traditional techniques, which often pose greater editing challenges. Our adaptation to these technologies has been gradual, and it has allowed us to evolve aesthetically—towards a style that is increasingly synthetic and geometric, and toward digital coloring that prioritizes narrative clarity and better reproduction.

However, we are well aware that the true instrument is still ourselves—our experience and artistic maturity—not the medium or technique.

As a creative couple, we are the union of two unique ways of thinking with a single purpose: to convey an idea through the use of our own shared language.

Sergio García Sánchez (Guadix, Spain, 1967) studied Fine Arts at the University of Granada, where he currently teaches as a Full Professor.

He is an artist, cartoonist, and illustrator. His work has been featured in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Dënoel, Norma Editorial, Dupuis, Toon Books, Fantagraphics, Dargaud, Delcourt, Glénat, Dibbuks, Actes Sud; El País Semanal, El País Babelia, Eme21, Grupo Correo; Ediciones SM, Ediciones Santillana, and Edebé. He is currently represented by Galería Cayón in Madrid.

His work was awarded the National Illustration Award of Spain in 2022, among other recognitions.

He has also participated in numerous exhibitions in Paris (Musée National Picasso), New York (Society of Illustrators), Washington (Exhibition Hall of the Spanish Embassy), Angoulême (Musée de la Bande Dessinée), Brussels (CBBD), Frankfurt (Frankfurt Book Fair), Madrid (National Library of Spain, Thyssen Museum, ARCO and ESTAMPA Art Fairs), and Granada (José Guerrero Contemporary Art Center and Crucero del Hospital Real).

Lola Moral (Montalbán de Córdoba, Spain, 1964) studied Fine Arts at the University of Granada and holds an Advanced Degree in Plastic Arts and Artistic Ceramics from the Val del Omar School of Art in Granada.

She is a multidisciplinary artist, colorist, and scriptwriter. She has worked for Dënoel, Norma Editorial, Dupuis, Toon Books, Fantagraphics, Dargaud, Delcourt, Dibbuks, Actes Sud; The New Yorker, El País Semanal, El País Babelia, EME21, Diario Ideal, Grupo Correo, Ediciones Santillana, among others.

She has participated in numerous exhibitions in Washington (Exhibition Hall of the Spanish Embassy), Frankfurt (Frankfurt Book Fair), Jaén (Provincial Museum), Cádiz (Cádiz Museum – Casa Pinillos), Valdepeñas (Municipal Museum), and Granada (Crucero del Hospital Real, Sala Gran Capitán, Andalusian Library, Galería Arrabal & Cía, Cuarto Real de Santo Domingo, Carmen de la Victoria, Lateral, Galería La Raíz, and El Silo Eléctrico).