“Manda mensagem qd chegares,” written and illustrated by RGB, has just been published. The book depicts real-life situations, episodes, and moments, some mundane and others shocking, experienced by the author or her female friends.
The book describes physical and moral abuses of a sexual nature, enumerates fears and risks, and highlights everyday concerns of women about public behavior: not losing sight of a drink in a bar, walking alone on a deserted beach, climbing stairs in a miniskirt, or holding hands with another woman.
“I could create an encyclopedia; this is infinite, never-ending, daily, across generations, applicable to various countries. Many people worldwide will identify with the illustrations,” the author shared.
The title refers to a common phrase of concern and safety, used by women to someone when returning home or reaching a location at a late hour: ‘Send a message when you arrive.’
“I started this series about being on the street and being a woman, about occupying that space, and about these day-to-day things we have normalized. As a woman, just stepping outside can make you a protagonist of one of the episodes in the book. We already have preventive behavior—don’t go there, ignore it; we understand where our actions might lead,” she explained.
The selected drawings represent various stories. “Every time I spoke about the book, I was always met with another story. I included some stories people told me. Most are mine or from friends or acquaintances. They are stories I found atrocious.”
The author, who works in the film industry, is 43 years old, has children, and prefers to use an artistic name so the book can exist on its own, as it is more important than her identity, she explained.
The book, published by Iguana, was digitally illustrated on a tablet over several early mornings “thanks to the permanent insomnia of motherhood.”
RGB admits she is not a skilled artist, yet she continues to strive for improvement: “I enjoy creating comics but not in a traditional format. I would like to make a book about motherhood or women’s roles in cinema, which interests me, but I have no plans for that yet.”
For the artist, it remains necessary to address gender issues, gender violence, and labor rights, as she believes “dark times are approaching.”
“I feel like we’re going to regress, enter a difficult phase, and then we have to rebuild. The best we can do is fight. It’s very hard when fundamental rights start to be cornered,” she lamented.
