Robny the Tramp in 'Scrap'

Robny the Tramp
by Juan Boix
in Chatarra ('scrap')
1976

In 1976 the Spanish artist Juan (also spelled as 'Joan') Boix (b. 1945) created what would be a series of comics about Robny the Tramp (Robny el Vagabundo). Robny was a writer who decided to take up life on the streets as a means of finding artistic inspiration and insights into the human condition. The initial episodes appeared in Spanish magazines such as Spirit and Senda del Comic.

In 1981 the Robny stories were compiled by Spanish publisher Ediciones de la Torre in issues 22 and 27 of its Papel Vivo ('Live Paper') comic book. A one-volume compilation of the Robny stories was published in 2011 by Dolmen.

Sadly, much of Boix's work, including Robny, has not been translated into English. Perhaps IDW, as it is now doing with the early work of Esteban Maroto, will issue Boix's comics in English in nicely produced hardbound editions.

In any event, whether you are fluent in Spanish or not, the artwork in this Robny strip, titled Chatarra ('Scrap'), is exceptional and can be understood regardless of your language skills.