Comics Journalism;
Comics;
Parque das Luzes
Comics Journalism piece about sex workers in Brazil's oldest public park.
The Comics Journalism piece Parque das Luzes followed, for a year, the daily lives of sex workers within Parque da Luz, one of Brazil's oldest public parks.
The story features stories of five women: Mariana, Lourdes, Kika, Fernanda and Camila — as well as Cleone, one of the founders of the NGO Mulheres da Luz. The interviewees, that later became characters in the story, talk about health, daily life, violence, religion, media and other subjects from that affect them directly.
No face you see in the comic, except for the founders of the NGO, is real.
Part of the process was reaching an agreement with the women that we would not reveal any details about their identities. Through the magic of comics, we created new characters together. They chose their own faces and names, thus ensuring their total anonymity.
This book is a bet on a different kind of journalism. Far from taboos and invasive opinions, Parque das Luzes is a sincere conversation with women rarely have the opportunity to tell their own stories.
The work was very well received by the public. There are already 3 editions, the last one being published by Tangerina Books, an independent publisher focused on true stories.
Parque das Luzes was featured in major media outlets and specialized media:
Veja SP, Catraca Livre, Minas Nerds, Blog Vitralizado, Papo Zine, Universo HQ, among others!
We were helped by the women trusted by the interviewees:
the co-founders of the NGO Mulheres da Luz :
Cleone Santos and Sister Regina.
Left to Right: Sister Regina, Gabriela and Cleone, with the first printed version of the book.
Our project was highlighted at the USP Comics Observatory colloquium, one of the largest comics research institutions in Brazil.
Parque das Luzes was the final project of the trio Cecilia Marins (script and art), Tainá Freitas and Maria Allice de Vicentis (script).
Both the phisical and digital version of this book are available on my online store and in specialized comic shops in Brazil.
