Carmen Barbarà

• Name — Carmen Barbará • Birth Name — Carme Barbará Geniés • Born — 3 July 1933 • Birthplace — Barcelona, Spain • Occupation — Comics artist, illustrator • Notable Works — Mary Noticias

Carme Barbará Geniés was born in Barcelona into a family whose members were very fond of drawing and painting. Before becoming a cartoonist, her favorite comic was Tim Tyler's Luck (translated into Spanish as Jorge y Fernando), and she also bought the magazines ', Mis Chicas, Maravillas, and El Hombre Enmascarado (The Phantom). At age 14 she began drawing for a publication set up by a schoolmate. Then in the mid-1950s, she went on to publish fairy tales for Ediciones Alberto Geniés, owned by her cousin. Her next creation was the character of Luisa in the magazine Florita for Editorial Plaza. She drew for Ediciones Toray and their comics Mis Cuentos, Alicia, Cuentos de la Abuelita, and Colección Azucena. For Editorial Bruguera she drew Sissi and Cuentos Rositas in their women's publications, and Cuentos for girls. Starting in the 1970s, she focused on illustration. She drew for the strips Claro de Luna and Romántica i Marilin. It was also for this publisher that she drew, with scripts by Roy Mark (the pseudonym of Ricardo Acedo), the series Mary Noticias. Through agencies she worked for the international market: Scotland, France, England, and Sweden.

Carmen Barbará's most famous comic is Mary Noticias, published from 1962 to 1971 for Ibero Mundial. Its title character revolutionized the image of women in cartoons, breaking from their traditional romantic roles. Mary works as a television reporter. Her freedom of movement was of some concern to censors of the day. The strip began on 21 June 1962 and 484 issues were published.

Barbará's style evolved from the "sappy softness" of the "marvelous comic" to the harder realism of romance comics.

Married with two sons, Barbará worked at home for years while taking care of them. She retired at age 65 in 1998.

• Year — Title — Writer — Type — Publication • 1951 — Serial — Carmencita • Colección Azucena • 1953 — Luisa — Series — Florita • 1955 — Serial — Mari Tere • 1955 — Serial — Alicia • 1956 — Serial — Rosarito (Jobar) • 1956 — Pinky (Jobar) • 1956 — Serial — Tres Hadas • 1956 — Serial — Graciela • 1958 — Yo te contaré... — Series — Florita • 1958 — Serial — Marta (Cliper) • 1958 — Serial — Princesa Carolina • 1958 — Serial — Lindaflor • 1962 — Caterina — Silvia Duarte — Short comic — Claro de Luna #174 • 1962 — Mary Noticias — Roy Mark — Serial — Ibero Mundial • 1964 — Mary Noticias Extra — Roy Mark — Serial — Ibero Mundial • 1964 — Serial — Cuentos Rosita Bruguera