DISCOVERING EGOÍSTA THE GRAPHIC NOVEL
Portals appear all over the world, first arousing alienation, fear… and then the most unexpected reactions. Egoísta is a social critique in the form of a graphic novel.
THE CREATOR
“Egoísta” is a graphic novel written and illustrated by José García with editorial design by Diana Pérez González. José is a professional storyboard and comic book artist from Mexico and worked on DreamWorks TV and Cartoon Network projects, First Second Books, Heavy Metal, Ankama Editions, and ComiXology originals. Jose has creator-owned titles such as “My 8-Bit Story” and the “Lumina Vhox” series.
THE BOOK
Egoísta is a fantasy drama tale for teens and adults. The story is told in 9 chapters in Spanish. The book was printed on high-quality paper in full color with a blank spine square bound with a soft cover. The book contains a 90-page sized 4×4 Inches (“pocket-sized”).
This first edition of “Egoísta” was published by Sequenci Arte and Jose Garcia. Sequenci Arte is a Mexican comic book contest sponsored by Pixelatl.
Pixelatl is a Mexican Association that offers a platform that supports digital content creators in Mexico, with philosophy, reviews, news, and community. Its objective is to promote the multimedia industry as an engine of economic and cultural growth. Egoísta was the winning title of the 2015 edition of Sequenci Arte and was printed in 2016 (1000 copies).
The book was offered on the Lumina Vhox Vol.1 Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign. For my notes on the campaign check “Eyes on Lumina Vhox Vol. 1”.
THE STORY
Mysterious portals have suddenly popped up all over the world. How will people react to this strange occurrence? The mainstream media, social media, and everyone else have their own theories and explanations.
Egoista is a comic book that follows the unfolding of these events, from trying to understand what’s happening to the psychological and social effects of such a massive event. Initially, the portal caused widespread confusion and fear among the population. As the story unfolds, the characters’ reactions to the portals reveal deeper truths about human behavior and societal norms.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
“Egoísta” explores social critique through an engaging story illustrated with a distinctive art style. The lettering seems too crowded at times but it didn’t bother me for this particular story. There is no action scene or beautiful landscape that gets covered, the important scenes are shown however the social media parts seem to have taken a lot of space. The font size used was good, even though the book is pocket-sized I could still read the dialogue with no issues.
Through this story, García offers a thought-provoking critique of contemporary society and how we interact with one another. The way he presents it includes the traditional comic book panels but also adds shots from social media platforms, mainly Facebook, to give you an idea of how things were communicated which makes the story more dynamic.
SELFISHNESS AND ITS CONSEQUENCES
One of the central themes of “Egoísta” is the concept of selfishness and its consequences. García uses the portals as a metaphor for how our actions can have far-reaching effects on others, often without us even realizing it.
The story challenges readers to consider the impact of their behavior on the world around them question the motivations behind their actions and consider whether these were worthy decisions. Like acting impulsively or being influenced by your environment without thinking of the consequences your actions have on your friends and family.
Another point that bothered me is that the story’s protagonists were 13- or 14-year-old girls who did not seem to have a family, guardian, or mentor. It seems like they only had each other. Yet their relationship was not strong enough to prevent one of them from choosing to walk into the unknown alone. The lack of the nuclear family and role models and the value of relationships were very present in the story, symptoms of a broken society.
WAKING UP AND BREAKING FREE
It shows different organizations and groups in society taking advantage of the situation to gain influence and power, therefore exposing the corruption that has tainted these institutions. We see examples such as the government, NGOs, the private sector, and religious groups. A church that is asking for money for membership fees is not a real church. A church is an option you have when you need a quiet place but it’s not an obligation to attend church to talk to God. I can talk to God at all times.
People know about the corruption but choose to ignore it and continue with their lives instead of demanding change. Things will never change if nothing gets done. The government gets elected by the people and works for the people in theory. Governments have forgotten their duty to serve their people and have become authoritarian and power-hungry.
The social and psychological consequences of a broken system and corruption in a society can be profound. With the influence of the corporate media and celebrities, people are pushed into a corner not knowing what to do. The first step is acknowledging that there is a problem, the next step is making a plan and taking action.
UNDERSTANDING THE CONSEQUENCES
When widespread corruption erodes trust in government institutions and undermines the rule of law. This can lead to social unrest and instability, as people lose faith in their government’s ability to protect their rights and act in their best interests.
Additionally, corruption can have a devastating impact on public services, as public officials prioritize their interests over the needs of the public. This can lead to a lack of investment in essential services leaving citizens without access to necessities.
The psychological impact of corruption can also be significant, as people may feel powerless and disillusioned with their government. This can lead to feelings of anger, frustration, and hopelessness, which can harm mental health and well-being.
Overall, corruption can have far-reaching social and psychological consequences for a society, undermining its stability and prosperity. It is important to support those few who dare to fight against these corrupt systems.
THE IMPACT OF THE MEDIA
Another important theme in “Egoísta” is the role of social media in our lives. García explores how social media can both connect us and isolate us from one another, highlighting the dangers of living in an increasingly digital world.
The influence and negative effect that social media, especially TikTok and Instagram have on young kids is unmistakenly obvious. Maybe limiting their exposure to social media up to a certain age isn’t such a crazy idea.
In the story, some people believe that the portal has rights even before knowing whether they are friendly or aggressive. People wanted to take selfies with the portals, relate to the portals, and even protest for ‘portal rights’. On the other hand, you had people using portals as garbage cans.
THE POWER OF THE MEDIA
But most important is the role the corporate media has in distracting the public with low IQ trends to prevent them from focusing on the real problems. Social media is the platform and mainstream corporate media is the content generator. The media has the power to make or break someone.
In the story, we see how a renowned scientist who has worked on the concept of multiverses and maybe has the intel to uncover the portals is accused of exaggerated crimes, and with the corrupt justice system, he lands in jail and later loses his life. Likely, he didn’t kill himself. The government and its administrative branches needed him out of the way to be able to gain control over his lifetime work. Unfortunately, it was very easy to do.
REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES
This story was published in 2016 but it reflects in an exaggerated way what happened during the pandemic with the creator of the MRNA technology that was used to create the Covid vaccines and any doctor that was against the Covid response (The Great Barrington Declaration) or simply questioned the effectiveness of the vaccines.
We are talking about scientists and doctors who have received multiple awards and have published multiple papers during their careers. Their reputation was ruined online because they didn’t go along with the narrative.
Their accounts were blocked on several platforms, their work was retracted and their reputation was defamed. It took Elon Musk buying Twitter for most of them to get their message out online. If that didn’t happen maybe they could have had the same fate as the scientist in the story. In the end, they were right.
It is baffling how much power the media has in influencing people and there is no regulation or control. They can publish what they want with no significant consequences for their business. Even though they are not a publishing company they can choose to salience the users that questioned the narrative. The Twitter Files and Facebook Files showed how far these social media companies went to demonstrate that they are in line with the imposed narrative by government institutions.
MORE ABOUT EGOÍSTA
These were the themes that got me thinking the first time but the more you revisit it, the more you uncover. Each chapter of “Egoísta” explores a different theme, ranging from the impact of social media on our lives to the consequences of our actions on others. Depending on your personal life journey, your perspectives on the themes and topics will vary.
It’s a remarkable book that can foster discussions in high schools, colleges, or at home. However, it appears that in recent years this type of realistic, thought-provoking material and the encouragement of critical thinking are becoming scarce in educational institutions. Which is why books like these are so important to preserve.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Egoísta is a graphic novel that delves into the intricacies of human behavior and society through a series of interconnected stories. It is the first of his kind that I encounter. The most popular graphic novels are the superhero and horror stories. Egoísta is a thought-provoking and visually captivating work that provides a distinctive viewpoint on modern society.
By examining themes like selfishness and the influence of social media, García encourages readers to reflect on how their actions can affect the world around them. It is an extremely relevant story to hear when the world seems upside down. The good is bad. The bad is good. History and facts in science are ignored and replaced with current-day assumptions and hypotheses. There are no limits to what a child can consume online. Mental illness and other diseases are not treated instead they are amplified.
Through the exploration of many themes, Egoísta challenges readers to think critically about their behavior and the broader societal implications of their actions. It provides a unique perspective on contemporary society and offers a compelling narrative that is both engaging and thought-provoking.
Hopefully, the book will soon be available for sale at josegarciaartworks.com. This is a great book to have at home, on the go, in schools, and in libraries.
Interested in more titles? Check more GRAPHIC NOVELS from the “EYES ON” series wherein I documented my experience with supporting crowdfunded entertainment and shared my notes on the products I received.
My notes are all set. Let me know what you think.
See you on the next page!
