Ten local market vendors have been caricatured as characters from the classic comic series by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo to highlight the daily struggle of neighborhood shops against large retail chains and e-commerce platforms.
The exhibition, titled “La Aldea Irreductible: El Mercado frente al Imperio,” is a collaborative project between the festival’s illustrator collective and Comiruña. Comiruña is the municipal public company that directly manages the Mercado del Ensanche and the Mercado de Ermitagaña, along with its commercial gallery, and oversees the Mercado de Santo Domingo through an agreement.
Real Vendors Portrayed as Comic Heroes
The visual exhibition winds through the Mercado del Ensanche, featuring 10 representative stalls whose operators serve as the alter egos for the comic’s characters. According to municipal organizers, shoppers can spot real faces from the daily market routine beneath the illustrations.
The participating local businesses include:
- Congelados Bermejo
- Deshuesados Ochoa
- Frutas y Verduras Bermejo
- Pescadería Sofía
- Panadería Burguete
- Quesería Tainta
- Al Gramo
- Dulces 52
- La Tiendita del Vino
- Floristería Villanueva
Organizers explain that the campaign uses the universal language of comics to address serious economic pressures. In a statement reported by regional media, they noted that just as Asterix’s village resisted Julius Caesar’s legions, local market professionals defend their spaces using “the only magic potion they know: quality, specialization, and the loyalty of their neighbors.”
Weekend Comic Workshops Across Pamplona Markets
Complementary activities extend beyond the exhibition at the Mercado del Ensanche, bringing live cartoonists directly to customers across Pamplona’s municipal markets throughout September 2026. The schedule of free caricature sessions includes:
- Saturday, September 12, 2026: Mercado Municipal de Ermitagaña hosts illustrator Paco Ramos from 11:00 to 13:00 hours.
- Saturday, September 19, 2026: Mercado Municipal del Ensanche hosts Itziar Repáraz from 10:30 to 12:30 hours and Aitor Txarterina from 11:30 to 13:30 hours.
- Saturday, September 26, 2026: Mercado Municipal de Santo Domingo hosts Txema Esteban from 10:30 to 12:30 hours and Roberto Flores from 11:30 to 13:30 hours.
The Salón del Cómic de Navarra is organized by TIZA, Asociación para la Promoción del Cómic. Through humor and community engagement, the initiative aims to draw attention to fresh produce, sustainability, and personal customer service as vital elements of neighborhood life against the backdrop of aggressive commercial competition.
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