Martoz and Palloni's 'Terranera' tackles mafia and migration in graphic novel

Martoz (Alessandro Martorelli), born in Assisi in 1990, is a leading figure in Italian comics. His latest graphic novel 'Terranera', co-written with Lorenzo Palloni and published by Feltrinelli Comics, is a crime story about three young migrants forced by a camorrista to set fire to landfills across Italy. The book addresses the exploitation of migrant labor in tomato fields and the country's waste management crisis. Martoz describes his 'spiky' drawing style as more realistic than realism, aiming to convey emotions. He also creates street art, which he considers a special event. The collaboration with Palloni required adapting to a strict script, but the tension between Martoz's surreal deformations and Palloni's orderly grid proved effective. Martoz believes comics are an agile, uncensored medium for social commentary, more dangerous than film or TV. He expresses pessimism about the future but hopes in culture and information.