Degomagom is a small independent publisher founded in Ibi in 2018. It focuses on illustrated albums for children beginning their reading journey. The company rescued old illustrations by Miguel Calatayud for the book Imagine Peter Pan. That first title marked a long-held editor’s dream, and with Octavio Ferrero guiding the way, the catalogue has grown to include a dozen more titles over the last five years. One of those titles was released this summer, and another volume earned the inaugural Miguel Calatayud Illustrated Album Award. The prize, sponsored by Degomagom and the Aspe City Council, aims to promote a field of children’s literature that remains relatively unknown in the country.
In these five years, the publisher has launched two new series. The first caters to writers’ notebooks released during the height of the pandemic, Archaic Muralis, by Alicante cartoonist and National Comics Award winner Pablo Auladell. A second illustration project by a Banyeres de Mariola sculptor followed in 2020, Vicente Molina Ferrero, From Mariola to the Sea. In 2022, a further collection focused on illustrated poetry emerged, including an expanded reprint of a story by Villena author Antonia Rodenas, Moon Rhymes, with visuals by Asun Balzola. This poetry line is now expanding with Grandma Nanita, a work in Ibense verse by María José Alés, with illustrations by Onil Maria Rico.
latest books
Among the most recent catalog additions this summer is a new collaboration with a Galician illustrator who earned three consecutive years on the White Ravens list. David Painter has already contributed First Nara Dictionary and Nara’s Big Adventure. The latest title illustrated by Painter, C’est la disaster!, is derived from a text by Itziar Pascual, a National Award recipient in 2019 for Children’s Performing Arts, and recounts humorous daily misadventures.
Third on the list is Let’s Talk About (That) Sex, a clear and approachable guide about sexuality and puberty, written by the Alicante gynecologist and illustrated by Paula Alenda.
And the newest release How Much Do I Have? presents a story about grandparent and grandchild relationships, authored by Maite Gurrutxaga Otamendi and Mikel Gurrutxaga Otamendi. It earned the inaugural Miguel Calatayud Villa de Aspe International Illustrated Album Prize, carrying a 6,000 euro purse and selected from 81 proposals. It will be presented in Aspe on 12 November. Commenting on future plans, Ferrero expressed pride in the work: even if it hadn’t won, it would still be published, and the edition turned out beautifully. Thousands of copies are planned.
plans
The publisher’s plans extend beyond these titles. In 2024 a new narrative collection for children and young adults is in development. While the specific authors are not yet disclosed, writers from Alicante are expected to feature prominently. The aim is to publish works that remain visually rich but include more text for older readers. Picture books continue to be offered, yet the natural progression is toward storytelling for a broader age range because readers grow up. The album format remains ideal for younger children up to about six or seven, after which they transition into novels.
Even with the challenges of an epidemic, the catalog has grown to thirteen titles over five years and the Degomagom name has become associated with an illustrated publishing award that inspires future projects.
“The balance sheet is very positive”—the editor notes—because the team pursues what they love. There have been ups and downs; presentations and events to encourage reading were disrupted for a long time. Social media can bring audiences closer, yet real-world events in the capital and at fairs require extra effort for printing and logistics. Still, the crew stays practical, keeps the passion alive, and looks to take the craft a step further.