El Wendigo magazine is one of the most legendary, fiercely independent, and longest-running publications dedicated to comic book theory, criticism, and history in Spain. Rather than a comic book itself, it was a pioneering “revista teórica” (theoretical magazine/fanzine) that played a monumental role in elevating graphic narrative to a respected art form in Spain, particularly within the region of Asturias.
The publication was born in Gijón, Asturias, Spain in 1974. It started as a humble, self-published fanzine created by a passionate group of local comic enthusiasts known as “Grupo El Wendigo”.
- The Visionary Director: By its seventh issue in 1976, the publication found its true anchor in Faustino Rodríguez Arbesú (1939–2021). Arbesú, a renowned Spanish critic, researcher, and scriptwriter took over as director and editor, steering the magazine for nearly four decades.
- The Formal Transition: With issue #5, the publication left behind its rough fanzine roots and grew into a formal magazine format. In 1980, Arbesú and his collaborators founded GAIRNI (Grupo Astur de Investigaciones y Realizaciones de la Narrativa en Imágenes), a cultural association dedicated to publishing the magazine and analyzing graphic mediums.
- The Run: El Wendigo published uninterruptedly, if somewhat irregularly, for roughly 40 years. Its run spanned 101 ordinary issues plus special editions, with its final publication milestone reaching up to a double issue numbered 121/122 around 2013.
El Wendigo was distinct in the Spanish cultural landscape due its unyielding, combative independent streak. A famous motto adorned their promotional materials, “Garantías: Nunca cobramos de los editores”, which translates to “Guarantees: We never charge or take money from publishers”. Arbesú and his team took massive pride in providing raw, objective critique. They fiercely avoided the cozy marketing relationships that often existed between comic publishers and mainstream media reviewers.
The magazine featured:
- Deep-dive Analytical Articles: Exploring the works of foundational European, American, and classic newspaper strip creators.
- Historical Retrospectives: Cataloging the often-forgotten history of Spanish illustrators and international comic pioneers.
- Showcases for New Talent: Actively publishing comic strips from emerging, unpublished Spanish artists alongside heavyweight critiques.
You cannot talk about El Wendigo without talking about the Haxtur Awards (Premios Haxtur).
In 1975, the creative force behind the magazine established these awards to honor excellence in sequential art. They chose the name to pay homage to Haxtur, the iconic heroic-fantasy comic character created by legendary Asturian artist Víctor de la Fuente.
The awards became the center jewel of the Salón Internacional del Cómic del Principado de Asturias (The International Comic Fair of Asturias). Over the decades, the fierce international prestige of El Wendigo and the Haxtur Awards drew absolute comic royalty to Asturias to accept the silver statuettes including industry titans like Stan Lee, Will Eisner, Alan Moore, Frank Miller, and legendary daily strip creators. Read more on the Haxtur Awards HERE.
The Phantom and his creator Lee Falk were featured in several editions of El Wendigo magazine.
Edition Number 46
Published in the Summer of 1989, El Wendigo edition number 46 in published with 42 black and white pages. The front and back cover can be seen below. The outside back cover features the Phantom in an advertisement for the 1989 VI Salon del Comic in Oviedo, highlighting the dates of the event, plus the various comic book creators to attend, with Lee Falk’s name found amongst the attendees. A number six is illustrated on the Phantoms chest indicating the events sixth year.
Published within this edition is an informative three page article. Written by Meana, it celebrates the Phantom comic strip creator Lee Falk ahead of his appearance as a guest of honor at the VI Salon del Comic in Oviedo. Spanning from page 40 through page 42, the retrospective contextualizes Falk’s profound impact on the “Golden Age” of daily newspaper strips by analyzing his two greatest creations: Mandrake the Magician (debuting in 1934 with artist Phil Davis) and The Phantom (debuting in 1936 with artist Ray Moore). Amongst other subject matter, the author examines the Phantom (known in Spain as El Hombre Enmascarado) as a groundbreaking precursor to modern costumed heroes, highlighting Ray Moore’s atmospheric, ink-heavy style. The author also praises Falk’s progressive story writting approach, before chronicling major milestones like the Phantom’s 1977 marriage to Diana Palmer and honoring Falk as a tireless, multi-faceted living myth of the 20th century.
Edition Number 47
Published in 1989/1990, El Wendigo edition number 47 in published with 42 black and white pages. The front and back cover can be seen below. The Phantom creator Lee Falk is featured on the front cover accepting his Premio Haxtur al Autor que Amamos (Haxtur Award to the Author That We Loved) award.
Within this edition, a feature is presented on the 1989 VI Salon del Comic event. Lee Falk is depicted in one of the images accompanying the article, and he’s also mentioned in the list of award winners, recognized for receiving the Autor que Amamos award.
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