There is no such thing as forty-odd years or fifty-odd years and more. Baby boomers in Spain number over twelve million people born during the baby boom since 1957, now aged roughly between forty-six and seventy. Raquel Gu, aged fifty-one and from Barcelona, and Bartolomé Seguí, aged sixty from Mallorca, explore humor in cartoons that blends personal life with broader generational experiences. Their work shows how generations inhabit overlapping spaces and how many readers recognize themselves in these stories. They argue that today’s fiftys and sixties are not like their parents and the effects of time are visible everywhere. Loss of friends and parents, age-related ailments, changes in appearance, and the shifting landscape of sex after midlife are shared concerns that resonate with younger audiences facing similar transitions.
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A small caption notes, I followed Bartholomew, linking the author to a long career that spans Barcelona and Palma and includes notable projects such as notable neighborhood stories, collaborations, and a mature arc that revisits older characters. The central figure in their work is Lola and Ernesto, an older couple the creators revisit with fresh energy. This self-made project presents a world where age is not a punchline but a lens for humor and insight. Gu, also known as Raquel Garcia Ulldemolins, born in 1972, lives with her partner and sometimes shares a stage with friends, reflecting on how aging and friendships shift in the public gaze. She argues that youth is celebrated, yet for someone in their forties and beyond, the pressure to look young persists. Menopause is treated as a real transition, not a joke, and it is portrayed with honesty that challenges the glossy images spread by filters or artificial intelligence. The same critique extends to men, who contend with patriarchal expectations that demand strength and resilience even as they confront aging.
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A page from Boomers, a comic by Bartolomé Seguí, shows how the duo use strips to push back against social norms. The creators emphasize a growing affection for life at an older age, even as questions arise about goals and direction. They highlight a practical truth: as time passes, perspectives shift, and people begin to value different things. Previous hardships, family losses, and the drama of a changing family dynamic are all part of the lived experience they depict. The humor becomes a tool for coping rather than escape, helping readers laugh at limits while acknowledging them. One character notes that the most important thing in life is to love and to be loved.
From Boomers, the team uses humor to address aging with rebellion. The creators describe how affection deepens with age, and how readers confront questions about purpose and direction. They stress the importance of choosing how to spend time, avoiding waste, and cherishing friendships and partnerships. The stories suggest that as people age, they become more selective, shedding unnecessary concerns. The intention is to celebrate companionship and resilience rather than indulge in gray-haired nostalgia.
In the pages, the topic of death is approached with candor. The creators reflect on the proximity of mortality, recalling personal losses and the sense that life can feel fragile. They propose that society should allow people to age and die with dignity, expressing a wish for a straightforward exit when the moment comes. The scenes reveal a character who contemplates death and uses it to articulate worries that might otherwise go unspoken. Yet the message remains clear: living well remains the core aim.
From the forties to the boomer years, the dialogue touches on how society changes. The fear of losing freedoms such as speech and autonomy is acknowledged, and the fear of broader threats like political turmoil or climate crisis is voiced. The narrative also critiques the spread of fake news and the complicity of unquestioning belief. It calls for critical thinking and media literacy, arguing that a more discerning approach protects truth in an era of misinformation. The creators emphasize that readers must actively analyze information rather than accept it at face value.
In Boomers, the characters are framed as a generation that remains active, even as their place in the city evolves. They face questions about rights, aging, and the pace of life, while maintaining a sense of humor about the world around them. The authors note that many people in their age group feel overlooked by a fast-moving culture that prizes youth. Still, the stories capture a steady insistence on dignity and meaningful human connection as central to the aging experience.
Both artists express a sense of responsibility for the world left to younger generations. They acknowledge missteps and missed opportunities to effect change in the past, while urging ongoing intergenerational dialogue. They point to real-world actions such as public demonstrations that defend retirement, rights, and fair treatment for older adults. In Boomers, the characters feel somewhat outsider, recently detached from the urban center, yet they remain a catalyst for conversation about aging and community. The creators question how society values experience and knowledge gained over decades, noting that without meaningful engagement, even the most capable voices can be overlooked. The hope is for a future where aging is seen as a period of continued contribution and companionship.
Neither writer is simply passing along nostalgia. Their projects reflect a life lived in performance and craft, where aging is both a challenge and a source of humor. The duo continues to publish, and their work resonates with many readers who recognize their own experiences in the stories. The aim is to celebrate aging as a time of connection, learning, and resilience, not a decline to be hidden away.