iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 30/05/2026

Having breakfast as I listen to @reimenayee.com @scottmccloud.bsky.social @neilcohn.bsky.social and @nsousanis.bsky.social talk about comics, visual narrative and comics theory. An absolute dream come true. Live now on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gymw... #comics

A screenshot showing all four panellists on the right hand side and a slide by Nick Sousanis about comics theory

071

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 05/03/2026

Because, sometimes, you just need to escape the real world and go to a gentler, kinder place, even if it’s just for an hour, with: •a fine local ale •Frieren Volume 5 by Kanehito Yamada & Tsukasa Abe •and listening to my favourite Japanese power metal band, Hagane.

000

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 09/11/2025

Post a non-religious image you think of as holy.

A graceful, gigantic and beautiful bird soaring above a river, with a waterfall cascading in the background. A single person sits on the bird riding it. A few ships are scattered around. I could've chosen a thousand others but this is a perfect example of Moebius stunning lines and colours.

000

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 10/10/2025

The Avengers: The Veracity Trap was a really fun read. A love letter to classic Marvel and the creators of comics. Loved it.

The image shows the cover of the graphic novel. In the middle the title: The Avengers: The Veracity Trap, in very classic 1960s stylised font. The image shows Loki right at the top conjuring some magic while all the avengers are depicted in action, fighting the magic. It’s all done in a very retro style.

020

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 16/09/2025

Highly recommended read. Great book, analysis and insights.

The image shows the cover of Conspiracy Nation a book by Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson. The cover depicts imagery associated with conspiracies: an emu in front of a 5G antenna, a kangaroo holding a vaccine syringe, a big eye right in the middle with the map of Australia as its iris, pyramids, UFO, etc. A text in the middle reads: exposing the world of Australian conspiracy theories. It also has two short endorsements: “a gripping investigation” Benjamin Law and “compelling and important” Richard Glover.

010

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 16/09/2025

It’s been one of those days. It’s one of those days and as dark clouds cover most of the sky and rain beats down on the car, Tristania’s Cease to Exist seems an appropriate choice for the algorithm to play on the way home. Dark, brooding and yet oddly hopeful in its beauty. #music

The image shows the cover of Tristania’s first EP. Moubtsins, cliffs and lush green with a river and waterfall in the middle. The song playing is Cease to Exist by Tristania.

010

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 06/07/2025

I feel absolutely honoured that I was able to see Black Sabbath live three times. This is bloody emotional and I'm so glad to see all four of them together one last time. 😢🤘🤘😢

Black Sabbath in their final performance of Paranoid in the Back to the Beginning concert.

030

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 01/07/2025

It seems like this book is totally current. Think Trump, think the US, and then look at chapters 1 to 12. It hits every mark 😵‍💫🤬

A hand holds a copy of The Nazi Mind 12 Warnings From History by Laurence Rees

The contents page of the book reads:

Prologue
Introduction

I. Spreading Conspiracy Theories
2. Using Them and Us
3. Leading as a Hero
4. Corrupting Youth
5. Conniving with the Elite
6. Attacking Human Rights
7. Exploiting Faith
8. Valuing Enemies
9. Eliminating Resistance
10. Escalating Racism
I1. Killing at a Distance
12. Stoking Fear

Postscript
Twelve Warnings
Acknowledgements
Notes
Index

030

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 15/05/2025

I’m so happy to see that Public Libraries Victoria’s Winter Reads campaign features Sarah Firth’s Eventually Everything Connects. And her recommended reads are all Australian graphic novels too! #comics #libraries

The image shows multiple bookmarks from the campaign that focus on different genres. At the top, Sarah Firth’s bookmark highlights her graphic novel, the amazing Eventually Everything Connects. It also highlights her recommended reads which are: Still Alive by Safdar Ahmed, I Ate the Whole World to Find You by Rachel Ang, When One Person Dies the Whole World is Over by Mandy Ord and Follow Your Gut, by Alisa Wild, Ben Huthings et al. All of them excellent graphic novels by Australian creators.

010

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 13/05/2025

There was a good president. One I deeply admired. Who lead by example and shared so many nuggets of wisdom whenever he spoke. Thank you Pepe 😢

A photo of Jose ‘Pepe’ Mujica, the former Uruguayan president whose deep humanity was inspiring

010

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 08/05/2025

Mark Dreyfus is my MP. He's been totally silent on Israel's breaches of human rights, international law, ethnic cleansing and genocide. He was also silent on refugees years ago. I went to his office to encourage him to speak up and was told he couldn't do anything. That I had to speak up #auspol

011

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 05/05/2025

Congratulations @chrisgooch44.bsky.social for the Aurealis Award win for Best Graphic Novel / Illustrated Work. Now... anyone seeing this, if you haven't read Gooch's In Utero. What are you waiting for? Excellent graphic novel, cover to cover.

The cover of the In Utero graphic novel. The background is black. At the top inside a circle (which could be the moon?) it reads: IN UTERO. CHRIS GOOCH. Just under the text two kids are on top of a skull. One of them is standing, the other is sitting down. They're both looking back at the reader. The skull is not human. It's some sort of creature's with long sharp fangs. The skull is immersed in some sort of fluid that is red, blue and black. A dark and mysterious cover. Read the graphic novel!

030

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 04/05/2025

It was a time of despair for the dark side. He thought he was a Sith Lord, but he was simply a Shit Lord. He thought he was tough. But he was just a scared little thuggerish spud. The galaxy saw him for what he was and flush him into oblivion. Hapy May the Fourth #auspol

Peter Dutton surrounded by flags and a creepy light effect that makes him look like Hannibal Lecter. Essentially, an image that perfectly encapsulates the image of himself that he's deliberately projected during his political career, that of a psychopathic thug.

241

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 21/04/2025

Kraftwerk on stage and their non-binary

130

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 30/03/2025

Istorio oso borobila sortu dezue. Benetan txalogarria. Australiara bueltan maletan leku gutxi neukan baina lagun on batzuekin elkartu sarete nere etxean.

110

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 19/03/2025

Best Star Trek crew, wrong answers only.

Image of the crew from Planet of the Vampires by Mario Bava gathering around the communication console of the spaceship.

020

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 05/03/2025

So happy to open the Comics Plus app and see an Australian graphic novel featured in the opening page @christiancarnouche.bsky.social

Upon opening the app we encounter The Call of Cthulhu on the banner and in the Don’t Miss These Recent Additions section, the first graphic novel featured is Tunis to Sydney by Christian and Meriam Carnouche.

111

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 10/02/2025

Congratulations!!!! That’s a very good move from DC. You’re killing it and I’m so excited to see what you’ll announce next. And what did I see highlighted as favourite reads by the owner when I walked into the comics shop in my hometown in the Basque Country?

The photo shows a very excited me pointing at the cover of the Spanish edition of Dark Knights of Steel, next to another epic Basque graphic novel.

120

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 08/12/2024

I have a lot more to share that I haven’t had time to share yet but I’m at the Hiroshima City Manga Library. Sunday afternoon, half hour before closing and the place is packed with people of all ages reading and borrowing bags full of tankobons.

The public library solely dedicated to manga is situated in a park.

A public library dedicated to manga. My dream has always been to open a public library dedicated to comics. Here, they’ve done it.

The library also has plenty more f seats all around for people to sit and read. I could see people of all ages. The library includes a small section of mangas in English and a section dedicated to Hiroshima including titles set in Hiroshima and by local creators.

2221

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 07/12/2024

It’s a good sign when you walk into a restaurant in Osaka for dinner and the first thing you see is a selection of mangas to read while waiting for your dinner, eating or after your meal.

A few shelves filled with manga tankobons. Lots of One Piece and Dragon Ball but also others.

050

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 03/12/2024

We also visited Odawara castle and we were so lucky to bump into a traditional dance festival.

Odawara castle was destroyed and then reconstructed

Traditional dance festival with a mix of traditional and modern dance elements and music

This was a high energy performance with a J pop-rock song

020

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 03/12/2024

Then we travelled to the Hakone area. Lovely walk around Hakone, the old Tokaido Highway and an old tea house that has been serving travellers for centuries

The old Tokaido Highway paved with stones. Good workout for ankles 😂

The highlight was the fermented rice and milk tonic.

130

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 03/12/2024

We travelled back in time in Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba in the Mount Fuji area. A beautiful old village. More info on alt text

Until 1960 people lived here the traditional way. Then a massive storm destroyed the whole town in what was described as a tsunami down the mountain. Today part of the village had been reconstructed.

Different buildings show different parts of the village life. They also have artists who have their workshops and shops here.

A woman wearing a traditional kimono in front of one of the old thatched roof buildings in the old village

One of the old buildings had a water mill that was used to prepare buckwheat flour

110

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 28/11/2024

The next four highlights in this trip are below. Alt text has more info.

The imperial palace and surroundings were beautiful at sunset

We visited Shibuya at night. An overwhelming sea of people, neon signs, screens, music. It was a lot to take in. Also fun.

And after that we escaped to Lake Kawaguchi, right under the majestic Mount Fuji which greeted us with a beautiful, clear and warm autumn day and lots of maple trees looking stunning.

The best meal so far. I’ve eaten tofu a million times but this little piece of tofu with black sesame, a hint of wasabi and soy sauce was incredibly tasty. And the soba noodles with grated Japanese yam and egg were amazing.

230

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 27/11/2024

Thankfully I escaped to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Gardens and I had a delicious bowl of duck with soba noodles with bonito broth

The Japanese garden part was our favourite

Oishikatta desu! That was a bowl of delicious food 🍜

150

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 27/11/2024

The town (or suburb) surrounding the area was gorgeous too

The outskirts of Tokyo. Beautiful little town

A lot of the water for Tokyo is here. Beautiful and serene water, right next to the forest

Another temple up the hill with a beautiful tree in the foreground.

110

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 26/11/2024

Day 2 we went out to the outskirts of Tokyo for a gorgeous walk through Totoro’s forest 🌳 and surroundings

Silly me awkwardly pointing to the Totoro forest sign. So happy to be there.

Beautiful forest area with (what I think are Japanese elms). A lot of the climbs had this cute steps made with logs.

A beautiful forest area. I can’t do it justice with words

The forest opened up to this beautiful vivid field. Gorgeous

110

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 25/11/2024

And, of course, I bought this week’s Jump magazine

120

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 25/11/2024

Hello Tokyo! Yum food and lots to see, including Pac Man in the Tokyo Goverment building

Black garlic ramen with pork. Delicious!

Pac Man is about to start in the government building

Pac Man is eating everything on its way, projected into the government building exterior.

150

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 23/11/2024

I’m ready for the flight to Tokyo with a great mix of podcasts from @onthemedia.bsky.social to #AusPol with @eddyjokovich.bsky.social, to The Shot podcast discussing democracy and @anuncivilphd.bsky.social discussing the despicable Wertham and the senate hearings against comics.

The image shows four podcast episodes downloaded:
1. On the Media: How Hank Green Makes the Truth Go Viral. Plus… 50m
2. New Politics: Money, power and politics: Who really wins in Austr... 50m
3. Criminal: For the Sake of American Youth 1h22m
4. Democracy in Peril: Jo and Dave talk to Zack Bea... 45m

130

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 19/11/2024

Post a perfect album from the ‘90s that isn’t Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, or Alice In Chains. (There are too many to choose from though)

030

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 18/11/2024

Justin Hiriart by Fructuoso and Harriet tells the story of Basque whale hunters in the XVII century in the coast of Canada. It's a grand adventure inspired by history and reading this in my early teens changed everything. Here were Basque characters and history in a grand scale 🤯

In the foreground we can see a whale's tail just out of the water. Just behind hit, there's a small boat in which a harpooner stands ready to shoot the harpoon. In the background, on the right, a large sailing ship awaits to see the outcome of the hunt.

000

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 18/11/2024

Back to Spain. The Art of Flying by Antonio Altarriba and Kim is one of the greatest non-fiction graphic novels I've ever read. A powerful book in which Altarriba explores his father's life pre-civil war, during the war, the subsequent fascist regime, and ending after the fascist era.

The Art of Flying by Antonio Altarriba and Kim. The book has a dark red colour. In the middle a drawing, resembling an old photograph, depicts a man with a suitcase on a deserted road looking back at the town he's leaving behind, or maybe the town he's coming back to, with his gaze up to the sky where some birds fly. At the bottom, a little sticker says: Winner English Pen Award.

130

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 16/11/2024

We’re off to Japan next. I read Otomo’s Akira and loved it. Then, I read Domu and my mind was blown away. The energy, the horror the power of this psychological thriller is extraordinary. Some of the best comics storytelling ever put to page.

The photo shows the cover of the Spanish edition of Domu, which in Spain was titled: Pesadillas (it translated as Nightmares). On a white background, we see a little girl staring up to a mysterious cube floating in the air. The cube is blue and it’s made of an apartment complex that has been transformed into a cube. Some of the windows still have the light on

120

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 16/11/2024

It was meant to be 6 seasons. The first two were bloody incredible.

010

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 16/11/2024

Staying in Europe. I love Chaboute's art style. Absolutely stunning black and white ink work. Alone is a stunning graphic novel and a perfect display of his art. It's also a fascinating and moving read about isolation, communication and humanity.

The book cover depicts a dark room, the only light coming from the sun outside the window. A small writing desk and chair face the window. we can see a little book and a lamp on the table. A series of little trinkets are scattered at the edge of the table leaning against the window. Everything else is dark.

220

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 16/11/2024

Another creator I've always loved is Miguelanxo Prado. Slice of life comics with surreal elements and a melancholic longing for the sea. His whole body of work is amazing but I'd highlight Ardalen and Streak of Chalk. Two incredible graphic novels.

The title is Streak of Chalk and it's written to look like it's written with chalk. We see a woman standing in the centre, holding a hat in her hand as the wind blows her skirt and hair. She's looking down to the ground where a seagull lies dead in a pool of blood. Behind her, we see a house and a big hill all made of rocks upon which stands a lighthouse. Lots of seagulls fill the purple sky.

210

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 15/11/2024

It's been busy today but I will keep slowly adding titles. Mortadelo & Filemon is a comic that everyone in Spain knows. Ibañez was a genius doing comedy, especially over the top slapstick. The worst agents of the worst intelligence agency ever make for some of the best laughs I've ever had.

Title: Mortadelo and Filemon: Elections. Mortadelo is talking to Filemon who is pissing himself laughing against the wall. Dr Bacterio (Bacterium), a scientists who invents weapons and gadgets for the intelligence agency they work for is escaping an angry crowd of people who are totally charred by a device that has clearly malfunctioned. Mortadelo says: Yes, an invention from Bacterium. It's a cannon that shoots 30,000 flyers of his political party a minute!

The sign of Bacterio's malfunctioning cannon device has the name of the political party: Culo (which translates as arse) and stands for Cientificos Unidos Liderando el Orbe (Scientists United Leading the Earth).

110

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 14/11/2024

Staying in Australia, I love @chrisgooch44.bsky.social’s work. Under Earth is epic, huge, and at the same time quite an amazing character study. The action is huge. The quiet moments powerful. This is the beautiful three tome riso print edition. It was later collected in one thick volume.

The three volumes of Under Earth. Volume 1 is blue, the second is yellow and the third is red. Each cover depicts different scenes in this underground dystopian prison with too much detail for me to write here. Read the stunning graphic novel if you can.

130

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 14/11/2024

I bought @killeroo.bsky.social when I met Darren Close at Homecooked Comics Festival years ago. I liked the concept and character. I’ve bought everything Killeroo ever since. I love the whole mythos and Darren’s collaborations with different artists and writers with incursions into different genres

The title of the comic is: Killeroo Gang Wars. Killeroo is a large and strong humanoid roo with attitude. Standing somewhere in the Australian outback, his arms are crossed across the chest and he looks pissed off. He’s the leader of a bike gang and his wearing a leather jacket. Two other members of his bike gang stand behind him. You wouldn’t want to mess with these guys.

220

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 14/11/2024

The House by Paco Roca. I love all his work but I wanted to highlight this one because it’s a small, intimate story and yet so relatable and universal. Also, his art style and visual storytelling is always 👌

The cover of the Basque edition of The House by Paco Roca (in Basque Etxea). The cover is dominated by earthy and brown, autumn-like colours. A man with a back to us is watering some plants off the panel. In the left hand side we can see two big rubbish bags overflowing with a mixture of leaves, branches and clothing. The whole backyard has a very autumn like feel. It clearly hasn’t been well taken care of, though it’s not totally run down and dead leaves are sprinkled on the ground.

110

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 14/11/2024

I have to put the Blueberry comics first. A western created by Belgian writer Jean-Michel Charlier and French artist Jean Giraud, before he became Moebius (my favourite comics artist of all time). Blueberry is an extraordinary saga and I can’t believe it’s not widely available in English.

The cover of a Blueberry comic. Blueberry is in the foreground on the right ready to shoot a couple of men running out of the saloon.

241

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 13/11/2024

I’ll give this a go and since there are a few others doing it I’ll try to ficus on titles that are perhaps a bit more obscure (European, Australian, some favourites etc)

1130

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 08/11/2024

Two very different graphic novels in my reading menu for today: •Degas & Cassat: A Solitary Dance by Efa & Rubio •King Spawn by Sean Lewis, Javi Fernandez & Todd McFarlane. #comics

Two graphic novels. King Spawn’s cover is dark and ominous with Al Simmons Spawn set become King Spawn to unite demonic factions. On the other hand Degas and Cassat’s cover has soft painted colours and depicts impressionist painter Edgar Degas looking at the reader while surrounded by ballet dancers.

011

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 02/11/2024

I’ve been looking forward to the weekend. Today’s reads: •Snowpiercer: The Explorers by Legrand and Rochette •Haruki Murakami Manga Stories by Deveney and PMGL

The images shows two graphic novels resting on a bean bag. Snowpiercer is at the front. The cover depicts a man with a weird mask that only has two holes for the eyes holding a gun. He’s a clear menace. The bottom of the cover shows a train, the Snowpiercer in a mountainous landscape covered by snow. A snow avalanche is hitting the train. Behind it, the Murakami book depicts a frog as the first story of the book is Super-Frog Saves Tokyo.

020

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 31/10/2024

The Cure’s new album Songs of a Lost World (out today) seems like the perfect soundtrack for this part of the story we’re going through. I’d say it perfectly matches the mood.

The image shows The Cure’s new album Songs of a Lost World playing. The song currently playing is: Warsong.

000

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 06/10/2024

Watching the 4K restoration of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai with my son at the Astor Theatre tonight was a blast. I love that he embraces and appreciates classics like this.

010

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 06/07/2024

Another beautiful graphic novel by Paco Roca, published in English by Fantagraphics. The story of his mum and aunts under Franco’s fascist regime in the post war era is poignant, heartfelt and tender. From one single photograph Roca presents a series of bittersweet reflections I found really moving.

020

iurgi urrutia @iurgi.com · 04/07/2024

By Marles’ standards the labour movement would never be able to protest and all protests in the past were unacceptable. It’s the kind of rhetoric you expect from the LNP or Thatcher. In the face of a genocide we don’t take the temperature down we protest and fight for peace and humanity #auspol

010