Drawing the Migratory Experience: Travel as an Intercultural Narrative in the Comic «Nieve en los bolsillos. Alemania 1963», by Kim (2018)

Abstract

This article analyzes Nieve en los bolsillos (2018), a graphic novel by Kim based on his migratory experience in Germany during the 1960s, focusing on the journey as a central narrative structure. Through its temporal organization and visual representation, the comic portrays migration as both a physical and emotional passage tied to a process of identity transformation. From his departure from Spain to his adaptation in the Federal Republic of Germany, the story reflects the tensions, expectations, and challenges of Spanish migration in postwar industrial Europe. The work presents the migratory journey as an intercultural narrative, where encounters with linguistic, social, and cultural difference prompt processes of self-redefinition. By depicting spaces of transit, social contrasts, and linguistic and labor barriers, the graphic novel frames migration as a border zone marked by mobility, uncertainty, and the need for adaptation. Using techniques such as temporal shifts, visual testimony, and the interplay between history and memory, Nieve en los bolsillos offers both a personal and collective reflection on migration and underscores the potential of comics as a medium for representing historical memory.