A ‘tropid’ pageant to honor the good Hematocritic | Culture | EUROtoday

The first time Miguel López entered a employees room as a instructor he thought it was a miracle that these round him didn’t notice that he was an infiltrator. That he was truly a baby, not a instructor. The reality is that his companions may have unmasked him doubly as a result of López (A Coruña, 1976), who died immediately a yr in the past, had, along with his vocation as a baby, a alter ego like superheroes: it was The Hematocritic. That is to say, one of many first figures of social networks in Spain, however, above all, somebody with a really effective humor who knew how you can take the web severely with a product that will make no sense exterior the digital subject, and that left its mark on a whole era of illustrators, comedians and artists. From Wednesday till this Sunday, Vigo hosts the primary version of Hematofesti, a pageant that goals, within the phrases of López’s widow, the author Ledicia Costas, to “pay tribute to Miguel and his way of life, that of seeing the world from tenderness and humor.”

“The truth is that this has gotten out of hand,” mentioned illustrator Alberto Vázquez, one in all Hematocrítico’s greatest mates, on the opening of the pageant. alma mater of the pageant with Costas and winner of 4 Goyas for shorts and animated movies. “What was going to be a meeting of 10 or 12 friends has ended up being crazy in which leading figures in music, humor, literature will participate…” No exaggeration: musicians (Amaral, Amaro Ferreiro, Joe Crepúsculo), individuals of humor (La Ruina, Berto Romero, Nacho Vigalondo), illustrators (Martín Romero, Paco Roca) and writers (Pedro Mañas, María Oruña, or Ledicia Costas herself, National Prize for Children’s and Youth Literature).

The metropolis of Vigo itself has additionally embraced the thought, offering 13 venues for dozens of actions. “We owe him a lot,” mentioned the mayor of town, Abel Caballero, who attended the opening gala and praised the determine of an “exceptional pedagogue.” [López publicó varios libros infantiles y ensayos pedagógicos]”, who knew how you can “give substance to his experiences in a parallel and telematic world, but with a life of its own.” Caballero’s phrases are usually not misguided: López was a pioneer who knew how you can create clever and lasting humorous artifacts, however which above all had been in tune with the brand new digital humor and which solely acquired their full which means on the internet, within the type of feedback and tweets.

López lavished himself in books, essays, as a screenwriter and above all on social networks, a panorama that he galvanized like no different and wherein he at all times averted disrespect. An instance: the phrase viral was invented trospid, with which he outlined the very explicit and indulgent contestants of Who needs to marry my son?. Another of his nice discoveries had been the invented titles of basic work, which he signed as The Hematocritic of Art. “The psychologist chicken,” he added as a caption to a portray by Fray Juan Bautista Maíno wherein a considerate saint was seen subsequent to a rooster. “Madam, please pay me for the panties you are taking and do not try to pass them off as a hat,” accompanied as a legend a portray by Georges de La Tour wherein a person is seen demanding cost along with his hand from an outdated lady with a voluminous white turban. Nothing extra was wanted to transcend the meme. His followers had been legion, and he influenced a whole era.

On Thursday, Costas participated with the author Pedro Mañas (creator of the greatest vendor kids’s Anna Kadabra) in a colloquium sponsored by Nintendo about one other of López’s nice passions: video video games. “I have not met anyone with that mental agility,” they each commented in an apart. “He invented, perhaps, a different way of being on the networks. It proved that Twitter doesn’t have to be a wild place. You can generate debate, but from humor, respect, empathy,” mentioned Costas, who if he needed to outline López’s humor (and character) with one phrase, it will be “genuine.”

There was additionally time for a chat by comedian e-book creator Paco Roca, who along with Hematocrítico conceived the character of Doña Problemas, after which got here the spotlight of the pageant: the HematoGala. It was an ecumenical occasion (“only El Hematocrítico could bring together the Vigo City Council [del PSOE] and the Xunta [del PP] in the same sponsorship,” Nacho Vigalondo joked), eclectic and heartfelt, led by Vigalondo and Aldao. A gala that introduced collectively López’s mates and collaborators and was entertained by comic Laura Márquez, his companion in podcast and journalist Noel Ceballos, Carolina Iglesias or the podcasters from La Ruina and wherein, earlier than 1,500 full seats, Pava, Amaral and Joe Crepúsculo carried out.

“It left as it came; explosively. And man, that’s not done. One call, send a wassap…”, joked on Thursday evening an emotional Costas, who acknowledged herself grateful: “We are so lucky that Miguel existed and crossed us with that head that was like a multiverse of shining stars, that the only way I can think of “Reacting to that is… organizing this festival.” Not everything ended with the HematoGala. This Friday, from 6:00 p.m., a humor festival takes place in which more friends and followers of López will participate, such as Berto Romero, Arturo González Campos and Manuel Bartual; and on Saturday there will be a more professional day, dedicated to children’s and youth literature, in which the first Humor con H prize will be awarded for an illustrated album, which consists of 5,000 euros and publication of the winning work.

For those who want to sign up this Friday or Saturday, you have all the information on the Hematofesti website. But Hematofesti, ending in “i” as a result of, as if it had been a joke by López himself, the identify Hematofest was already taken by, after all, a sadomasochistic membership. Many imagine that Twitter died the day Elon Musk took over the social community, now known as X. They know nothing. He truly died on October 27, 2023, when El Hematocrítico lowered the curtain. Rest in peace.