During my stay in São Paulo, I was able to review Brazilian comic archives, focusing especially on works produced in that city but also exploring materials from other regions of Brazil. I visited the Gibiteca Henfil comic library, where I spent much of my time examining its extensive collection. There, I not only reviewed and digitized a large number of issues from the magazines I had planned to study—such as O Terror Negro, Gritos de Terror, O Lobisomem, and Calafrio—but I also discovered artists and comics I had not known before.

I also had the opportunity to attend a panel featuring four prominent comic artists from Brazil’s contemporary scene: Amanda Miranda, Carol Borges, João Pinheiro, and Alcimar Frazão. Among them was Amanda Miranda, one of the artists currently working on horror comics from a feminist perspective (image attached below).

Additionally, through the Gibiteca Henfil, I met several other artists who explore horror from different angles. One of them was Bianca Pinheiro, with her book Dora, as well as the creators of Beladona, Ana Recalde and Denis Mello. Both are contemporary approaches to horror featuring female protagonists who cease to be passive characters and instead drive the narrative forward. I also learned about the Brazilian horror icon Zé do Caixão and its comic adaptations by Nico Rosso and later by Laudo Ferreira.

Lastly, I attended another talk where Marilia Marz discussed the creative process behind her book Indivisível, a work of memory in which elements of horror intertwine with the historical erasure of Black memory in Brazil (image attached below).

Overall, without the support of the Edward Guiliano ‘78, PhD, Global Fellowship Program, it would not have been possible for me to delve so deeply into my research topics.