Blanca doesn’t believe in ghosts…
Blanca is a lonely young woman who lives in a small Galician coastal town (Northern Spain). After the death of her parents in an accident, the presence of a ghost appears occasionally.
One night, when Blanca’s friend Sam discovers the body of a girl on the shore of the beach, this ghostly presence reappears. Sam, excited about the discovery, is willing to investigate the identity of the corpse and the reasons for her death, but Blanca does not want to get involved. Sam finds out that the corpse belongs to a girl that was being bullied at school by two classmates. She begins to suspect, despite the rumors of suicide, that they both had something to do with her death.
Blanca tells Sam and her friend Eric about the ghost she saw that night at the beach and draws a sketch of what it looked like. Upon seeing it, they are both surprised, as the figure corresponds to that of the protagonist of Don’t Look Back, a very popular video game in the internet subculture.
They turn to their friend Cookiefire, a YouTuber who has great knowledge on this subject. Cookiefire introduces them to creepypastas (horror stories popularized on the Internet) and Blanca suggests they play a game of Don’t Look Back. In the middle of the game, however, there is a blackout and, when the lights come back on, Blanca sees the same ghost again.
A few days later, the classmates who had been bullying the deceased girl declared themselves the perpetrators of the murder. They claim that the protagonist of the video game asked them to do so.
The investigation of the murder comes to an end, but Blanca sees that long-standing presence and shares her concern with Sam, but Sam finds it implausible that Blanca would see a figure from a video game at a time when it didn’t even exist.
Blanca continues her research and comes across a role-playing book. Among its pages, she discovers several files of the character and a diary written by someone named Miguel in which the ghost is drawn. Blanca then discovers that Miguel disappeared in the forest and has been missing for years.
Meanwhile, Sam discovers a place in the woods with Don’t Look Back graffiti and Blanca and Sam both see the figure. Blanca decides to confront the ghost, and Sam courageously saves Blanca by taking a picture of it.
RELEVANT DATA: Don’t Look Back (No mires atrás) is a horror story with many nuances, dealing with important issues for young people such as loss and bullying, and the intermingling of these with urban legends, the universe of social networks and role-playing games.
This graphic novel made the ACDComic’s list of The Essentials, won the Splash Project Award, was a finalist for the Ignotus Awards, and received nominations for: Best National Scriptwriter at the Aviles Comic Con, Best National Work at the Zona Cómic-Cegal Awards, Best National Scriptwriter at the 20th Edition of the Dolmen Editorial Critics’ Awards, Best New Author at the 2nd Edition of the Carlos Giménez Awards for Heroes Comic Con Madrid and Future Comic Talent at the 1st Edition of the José Sanchis Grau Awards.
Anabel Colazo is a cartoonist, fan editor and illustrator. She has written several fanzines that have won the Award for the best fanzine at the Barcelona Comic Salon and her first graphic novel also earned her two nominations in the International Comic Fair of Barcelona.
What the critics said:
“Under the guise of a mystery and horror plot, Colazo is telling us a story about how to overcome personal losses and how to face the future during the transition to adulthood.” Zona Negativa
“Colazo has the quality of combining themes, characters, genres and sensations very naturally, without forcing a hasty outcome.” Cómic para todos
AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: In development as a Film.
LANGUAGES AVAILABLE: Spanish, German, and French.
