El Eternauta

"El Eternauta" is a science fiction comics series created by Argentine comic strip writer Héctor Germán Oesterheld initially with artwork by Francisco Solano López. It was first published in "Hora Cero Semanal" from 1957 to 1959.

ynopsis

The story begins with an extraterrestrial invasion to Earth. A deadly snowfall produced by the invaders covers Buenos Aires wiping out most life in a few hours. Juan Salvo, along with a couple of friends (Favalli and Lucas), his wife, and his daughter remain safe from the lethal snowflakes thanks to the protection of Juan Salvo's home and the cleverness of Favalli. They soon get organized in order to survive the snowfall, making special suits to leave the house protected from the snow, and gather supplies.

They soon find out the true nature of the strange phenomenon and join an improvised resistance army to fight the invaders back. They march to the country's capital city having to fight on different occasions against giant insects, a humanoid species with dozens of fingers on each hand (Manos "Hands"), giant elephantine beasts, capable of knocking a building down, and even other men who were captured and enslaved. As it turns out, these creatures are just pawns, remotely controlled through implants by the real invaders, "Los Ellos" ("Them") also referred as "The Cosmic Hate", who remain hidden, controlling everything from the distance.

After a few victories, the resistance is finally ambushed and reduced to just a few men. They split, and Juan Salvo tries to escape with his wife and daughter using one of the alien spaceships, but he accidentally triggers a time traveling machine in the craft. As a result, the three are lost in separate time dimensions known as "continuums". Juan Salvo begins to travel through time seeking for them, thus getting the name of "Eternauta".

Publications

The "Eternauta" first appeared in "Hora Cero Suplemento Semanal" on September 4, 1957.Cite web|last=Dan Dare|title= Francisco Solano López |url=http://www.dandare.info/artists/lopez.htm] Quickly becoming a success, the serial publication ran until 1959 and was reissued in 1961 in a dedicated magazine, "Eternauta", published by Editorial Emilio Ramírez.

In 1969, Oesterheld rewrote "El Eternauta", with changes to the story, more political references and more violent. It became an open critique of dictatorial regimes and United States' imperialism. This version featured artwork by Alberto Breccia who drew the story in an experimental and unique style diverging from the original expression. It was first published on May 29, 1969 in the weekly "Gente". The following years the series was also published in several European magazines such as "Linus", "El Globo", "Alter Alter", "Il Mago", "Charlie Mensuel" and "Metal Hurlant".Cite web|last=Dan Dare|title= Alberto Breccia |url=http://www.dandare.info/artists/abreccia.htm]

In December 1975, "Eternauta II" began publication for Ediciones Record in "Skorpio", Oesterheld resumed the story, again with artwork by Solano López. Prompted by the disturbing political events during the period, the script became openly critical of the current dictatorship and Oesterheld himself became a narrating character within the story. Having joined the banned organization Montoneros, Oesterheld wrote the chapters from hidden locations until his abduction in 1977.Cite web|last=Dan Dare|title= Héctor Germán Oesterheld |url=http://www.dandare.info/artists/oesterheld.htm]

The saga was since continued after Oesterheld's death. A third part, "El Eternauta, Tercera Parte", published in 1983 was met with moderate success, and was critiziced for being just another sci-fi comic instead of a real continuation of the series. Later chapters "El mundo arrepentido" and "El Eternauta, El regreso " feature artwork by Solano López.

By Oesterheld

*"El Eternauta" (1957) by H.G. Oesterheld (script) and F. Solano López (art)
*"El Eternauta, segunda parte" (1976) by H. G. Oesterheld (script) and F. Solano López (art)
*"El Eternauta, remake" (1969) by H. G. Oesterheld (script) and A. Breccia (art)

By others

*"El Eternauta, tercera parte" (1983) by Alberto Ongaro (script), Mario Morhain and Oswal (art)
*"Eternauta, el mundo arrepentido" (1997-1998) by Pablo Maiztegui (script) and Solano López (art)
*"El Eternauta, el odio cosmico" (1999) by Pablo Muñoz, Ricardo Barreiro (script), Walther Taborda and Gabriel Rearte (art)
*"El Eternauta, el Regreso" (2003 - 2006) Pablo Maiztegui (script) and F. Solano López (art)

Analysis

The most remarked characteristic by different comic book artists and members of the specialized press is the amplitude of subtle interpretations, veiled references and double readings (many being involuntary by the author) which can be made into the comic. Oesterheld himself, for instance, indicates that the protagonism of the work always befalls a group of people - sometimes bigger, sometimes smaller - something he terms a "group hero" or "hero-in-group" and which he considers more valuable than the traditional individual hero who triumphs without any help from others. ["Now that I think about it, I believe that perhaps it is because of that lack of a central hero, that "El Eternauta" is one of my stories which brings me more pleasure to remember. The true hero of "El Eternauta" is a collective hero, a human group. And so it reflects, even if it wasn't my intention, my inner feelings: the only valid hero is the hero "in group", never the individual hero, the lone hero" - Citation
last = Oesterheld
first = Héctor Germán
title = El Eternauta, 50 años
year = 2007
publication-place = Buenos Aires
publisher = Doedytores
id = 978-987-9085-26-04.]

The most frequent commentary refers to the invaders and their methods as veiled references to the various military-led coup d’états which occurred at the time in the country. ["you didn't had to be an exhaustive metaphor looker to associate the military junta with the "Ellos"" - citation
last = Trillo
first = Carlos
title = Eterno resplandor.
date = 2007-04-20
nespapaper = Diario Clarín
url = http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/04/20/conexiones/t-01403713.htm] In this regard, the three versions written by Oesterherld (the first part, its remake and the second part) coincided with the de facto governments of Pedro Eugenio Aramburu, Juan Carlos Onganía and the "Proceso de Reorganización Nacional" respectively.

Is has also been highlighted that, except for the "Ellos", none of the invaders are truly evil, they are but noble beings forced to comply the orders of others. This aspect has been cited as a critique of war in conceptual form ["Este sensible Mano que dirige ocasionalmente las operaciones de limpieza en un confín de la Tierra y el Universo llamado Barrio de Belgrano, en Buenos Aires, no tiene nada, particularmente, en contra de Juan Salvo o Franco. Y sin embargo trata - y debe hacerlo- de aniquilarlos. No es diferente a cualquier situación de las historias de Ernie Pike" - citation
last = Sasturain
first = Juan
title = Oesterheld y el héroe nuevo
year = 1985
newspaper = El libro de Fierro / Especial Oesterheld
volume = Annual supplement
issue = 1] or an allegory of class struggle. ["La explotación de unos seres vivos para el exclusivo beneficio de otros, como impuesto sustento de un determinado orden político y social es, a priori, el gran tema que "El Eternauta" debate, denunciando claramente una herramienta de sometimiento: El enfrentamiento de oprimidos contra oprimidos (¿pobres contra pobres?)" - citation
last = García
first = Fernando
title = El Eternauta, 50 años
year = 2007
publication-place = Buenos Aires
publisher = Doedytores
id = 978-987-9085-26-04]

Cultural references

One the most notable characteristics of the comic book, is an accentuated use of local imagery, specifically to the city of Buenos Aires during the fifties. In spite of this, it should be noted that Buenos Aires characteristic form of "voseo" is not used.
* Truco is a trick-taking card game, popularly played in the Río de la Plata basin. It is used at the beginning of the story to represent the normal home peace suddenly broken by the invasion, and at the end, bestowing the story a cyclic nature.
* The short wave really permitted to receive transmissions from other countries. It should be noted that, during its original run, television had not yet been introduced in Argentina.
* Regarding the use of snow as a science fiction weapon: in Buenos Aires snowing does not regularly happen. The last snowfall had occurred in 1918, and the subsequent one occurred 89 years later. [http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/es:Argentina_festeja_su_d%C3%ADa_de_la_independencia_vestida_de_blanco Argentina festeja su día de la independencia vestida de blanco] ]
* The different ads drawn reference real brands or organizations - such as YPF or Cinzano. Graffiti are also shown, like "Vote for Frondizi", referencing then-elected president Arturo Frondizi.
* Every reference to streets or places are veridic (except for those specifically created for the story).
* The first battle takes place at Avenida General Paz, a beltway freeway surrounding the city of Buenos Aires. It is shown the same as it was during the time, having changed severely since then.
* The resistance is headquartered at the Monumental Stadium, of Club Atlético River Plate. The "CARP" acronym can be seen on several occasions.
* The gazebo represented at the Barrancas de Belgrano, from which the "Mano" commands his forces, is a true representation of the real one present at the place, which is used for small musical events.
* Plaza Italia is a semicircular plaza, where several important streets come together. Avenida Santa Fe - a continuation of Avenida Cabildo (along which the resistance army marches towards the city centre) - borders this plaza, while "Avenida Las Heras" starts at the place (along which the resistance retreats).
* On the same plaza, the homonymous subway station can be found, which is used by some characters to escape. The "Canning" station is furthermore mentioned, although it has since been renamed Scalabrini Ortiz in 1974. [citation
last = Rosa
first = Eduardo
title = ¿Scalabrini Ortiz, Jeorge Canning o el camino del ministro inglés?
url = http://www.pensamientonacional.com.ar/docs.php?idpg=eduardo/0025_canning_o_scalabrini_ortiz.html|]
* The Plaza de los Dos Congresos, where the invaders headquarters is placed, is located next to the Argentine National Congress.

Film adaptation

The possibility of adapting "El Eternauta" to the silver screen had been tossed around for years, with several interested directors, such as Adolfo Aristarain, Fernando Solanas or Gustavo Mosquera, [http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/04/27/um/m-01408247.htm Diario Clarín] ] but due to excessive production costs the project never materialized. [ [http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/suplementos/radar/9-3834-2007-05-20.html Página/12 - "Las grandes películas que nunca veremos"] ]

Nowadays, an Italian production company is working under supervision by Elsa Oesterheld, on a movie adaptation of the original comic. The story would take place in Buenos Aires and the Italian producers are in discussion with the INCAA the possibility of co-producing the film.

Lucrecia Martel is slated to direct the film, and has stated that production is already past the "embryonic stages". [ [http://www.perfil.com/contenidos/2008/05/13/noticia_0021.html Perfil - "Lucrecia Martel filmará "El Eternauta""] ]

References

* [http://www.historieteca.com.ar/Eternauta/eterhistoria1.htm Historia de "El Eternauta] Historieteca es_icon

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.eternauta.com El Eternauta official site] es icon
* [http://members.tripod.com/TheWrapper/eternaut.html Hector Oesterheld's "The Eternaut" translated synopsis]