Cumbe

by Marcelo d'Salete

Cumbe é uma obra para ampliar possibilidades de leitura e visões sobre o passado. Suas histórias sobre resistência negra e africana contra a escravidão lançam uma outra perspectiva a respeito deste grupo. A resistência de muitos africanos escravizados contra o sistema de trabalho forçado acontecia de modo direto, como a ação dos mocambos, e indireto, como as pequenas ações de rebeldia do cotidiano nas vilas e fazendas, demonstrando as tensões intrínsecas de uma sociedade pautada pela violência. As histórias de Cumbe, algumas inspiradas inicialmente em documentos históricos, são possibilidades de aproximar-se desse universo. O livro conta também com um posfácio do educador e escritor Allan da Rosa.

Em Cumbe, Marcelo D’Salete retrata de forma inovadora a luta dos negros no Brasil colonial contra a escravidão. O livro traz histórias em quadrinhos emocionantes, protagonizadas por escravizados, mostrando a resistência contra a violência das senzalas brasileiras.
Cumbe, a palavra banto que dá nome à obra, é rica em sentidos: é o Sol, o dia, a luz, o fogo e a maneira de compreender a vida e o mundo. Também é um sinônimo de quilombo. Esta segunda edição traz novo posfácio do autor e desenhos inéditos.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Brazil, Race

192 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

Marcelo D’Salete (São Paulo, 1979) é autor de histórias em quadrinhos e professor de artes visuais na Escola de Aplicação, instituição pública de ensino fundamental e médio, do Museu de Arte Contemporânea da USP. É autor ainda dos títulos Cumbe, que aborda a resistência negra contra a escravidão no Brasil colônia, Encruzilhadas, que retrata a juventude negra marginalizada das grandes cidades, e do épico Angola Janga - Uma história de Palmares, criado a partir da pesquisa de onze anos a respeito dos antigos mocambos da Serra da Barriga, o Quilombo dos Palmares.

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slavery in Brazil is examined through the stories of slaves who escaped - one way or another. Heartbreaking and profoundly dark, yet still filled with the beauty of human triumph in the face of institutional evil. Some of the choices made are heartbreaking: but there comes a time when you would rather break your own heart than let someone else do it.

[jude · Rating 2 out of 5]

three of the four stories involve violence against women. one of these involves the rape and murder of a young girl. I understand that these stories were inspired by the very real brutality of slavery, but it seemed like all the women in this book were defined by the violence they had suffered at the hands of men. I wish the author had included more about women-led resistance.

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A disturbing book about a disturbing topic. To do it justice, I will quote from the introduction:

“Run For It (Cumbe) tells stories of black resistance to Brazilian slavery (1500s-1800s). Many Africans and their descendants rebelled; both directly, by running away to escapee settlements known as mocambos, and indirectly, in the small acts of everyday insurrection on the plantations – which demonstrate the tensions inherent in a society shaped by violence. These stories, some of which are inspired by historical documents, offer an opportunity to reflect on that world.”

Very quick and yet very heavy read.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like comics that explore largely-unknown subjects, especially historical ones. I can't remember where I first found out about this title, but when I discovered the subject matter, I was immediately intrigued.

I think why I didn't love this more than I did is because I was expecting straight up non-fiction and a more... academic sensibility to this. This is more in line with narrative non-fiction, or historical fiction (though it's obvious that a lot of research went into these stories and that they are ones that actually happened).

Also, and this is also my fault, I had a hard time deciphering what was going on at times. The stories were occasionally hard to follow as the art style is kind of sketchy. Mileage may vary on this next point, but I also had issue with all the sexual violence that the women experience.

My favourite aspect of this work was the art. While it was sometimes difficult to decipher what was going, it still managed to be very affective. The stark, sketchy style felt appropriate for these brutal stories.

[Fact100 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Will Eisner Ödüllü (2018) "Ardına Bakma", daha önce pek denk gelinmeyen bir konuyu, Brezilya'da köleliğin tarihini ve özgürlükleri için mücadele eden bu insanların hikayelerini bizlere taşıyor.

Brezilyalı çizer Marcelo d’Salete’in minimal diyalog kullanımı ve siyah beyaz yoğun ve ham sayılabilecek çizimlerle donattığı bu (karanlık) tarihi grafik roman, Afrika'dan Güney Amerika'ya getirilerek köleleştirilen insanların gerçek mücadelelerinden yola çıkarak hazırlanmış bir derleme.

Kölelik artık resmî olarak bulunmasa da, gerek dil, gerek ten rengi, gerek sosyal sınıf olarak ayrımcılık ve ırkçılık, maalesef ivme kazanarak güçleniyor. Uçurumlar giderek açılıyor, derinleşiyor ve içlerine düşecek insan sayısı her gün artıyor.

Karanlık ve trajik öyküler sunan bu özgün eser, tarihin kenarda kalmış, kısmen unutulmuş bir döneminden kesitler sunduğu için bu anlatılanları sadece kurgu diye nitelememek, ders almak ve bir değer oluşturmak durumunda olduğumuzu düşünüyorum.

Müstakbel karanlıkları aydınlatmak için belki de ardımıza bakmamız gerekiyordur.

Tüm yetişkin okuyuculara tavsiye ederim.

[Jesse Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fascinating, especially since I didn't really know anything before about the history of Brazil or slavery in South America.

[brian annan · Rating 5 out of 5]

emotionally crushing. sublimely beautiful. full of truth and sadness. supremely illustrated. an essential.

[Igor Guimarães · Rating 5 out of 5]

Não deixa nada a dever aos trabalhos mais famosos do Salete . Imperdível

[Guilherme Smee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Estou relendo Cumbe como parte de um objeto de análise para um artigo, comparando rituais da escravidão, nesta obra e na obra Aske, relida anteriormente. Cumbe traz quatro "contos em quadrinhos" sobre a situação dos negros na época da escravidão em lugares do nordeste brasileiro e que deram origem a futuros quilombos. Embora ficcional, já que os registros da escravidão foram silenciados historicamente, o trabalho de pesquisa de Marcelo D' Salete é minucioso. Assim, ele aplica rituais, mitos, práticas e costumes da sociedade da Casa Grande e da Senzala nos quadrinhos, revelando uma existência sofrida e repleta de mazelas. Nas histórias de Cumbe podemos ver os resquícios culturais deixados pelos iorubás e os bantos dentro dos costumes brasileiros. Seja na linguagem, da qual emprestamos palavras, seja dos ídolos e símbolos que os negros escravos usavam como elemento de resistência à aculturação dos portugueses. Cumbe foi o embrião para o premiado trabalho seguinte de Marcelo, Angola Janga, também contando histórias sobre antepassados da negritude brasileira. Por isso e muito mais uma releitura e uma análise mais aprofundada deste quadrinhos se faz necessárias, bem como para promover uma revisão nesta história de silenciamentos culturais.

[fer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Não costumo ler hq em preto e branco mas o trabalho de cor e sombras aqui é 10/10

[Roberta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un viaggio nella storia della schiavitù brasiliana. Siamo abituati a ricordare gli africani schiavizzati nell'America del nord, ma al sud non andava poi in maniera differente.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four bold, brutal tales about slavery in Brazil and those who resisted.

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Important tales of Brazilian slaves are wrapped up in a package of mediocre illustrations and undercooked storytelling in Run For It.

I suppose I really shouldn't complain about the art since that's just my own opinion - others might find the spare, black-and-white illustrations dazzling. The storytelling is similarly spare - to the point of being extremely hard to follow. Wordless panels and no introductory text make it difficult to identify who the main character is, much less identify with that character's plight. Maybe I just needed to come into the book with more knowledge of the Brazilian slave trade? The author does provide a detailed glossary that should, in theory, help make sense of what I read. It didn't really, though, it just defined some terms that I hadn't seen throughout the book.

I was certainly able to gather that both being a slave and being an escaped slave were hell, but Run For It could have been more powerful and helped more readers understand what truly happened in Brazil if the storytelling was more clear.

[Ron Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some folks have complained that it's too dark. For fuck's sake, it's about slavery. Of course it aint rosy. That's why I liked it. You want Wonder Woman. Go somewhere else. You want to learn about the brutality of rape and despair, read on. My only nitpick is that it's so short and it used end notes instead of annotations. I'd rather learn about something right there on the page then get all the way to the end and stumble upon it.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tales from Brazilian slave revolts through very powerful b & w graphics.

[Akiva ꙮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art: just fucking unbelievably good, top tier, and perfect for the story. The harsh black and white of the drybrush ink drawings, no watered down or muted softness to comfort the eye. The composition of many individual and sets of panels is just breathtaking. The pacing---!!!

The first story (of four) stopped me cold the first time I tried to read this, in fall 2017. Revisiting it a second time, plus a third time immediately after I'd read the rest of the book, shifted my opinion about it somewhat. You can make an argument that choosing death is a radical act of freedom, when your continued life only enriches your tormentors. Choosing death for someone else is in no way freedom for them, so I bounced hard off the idea that he was doing something admirable or romantic. Reading it the third time, and being able to appreciate the subtlety with which d'Salete draws facial expressions, I felt more that d'Salete wasn't "siding with" him, but trying to be realistic about how the intense, pervasive violence of slavery affects the enslaved. The vision at the end can be interpreted as just his, not hers. Her eyes remain closed.

Unfortunately only one of the four is about a woman who Runs For It, though there's an old wise woman side character in another. The last story again "features" a girl with no agency whose value is as her brother's possession. I couldn't figure out why he didn't bring her with him when he ran---maybe because she's blind (assuming I understood correctly---it's not super clear) and he didn't think he could take care of them both? Or is it just him having a human failing in an overwhelming situation?

Overall I was unsure about some of the stories, even giving them the benefit of the doubt, but blown away by the art.

[MURAT BAYRAKTAR · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tek esprisi nasıl aldığını anlayamadığım Eisner ödülü olan, çizimleri vasat ve anlaşılmaz olan, hikaye anlatımında ciddi sıkıntıları olan, önemli bir konuyu ele almaya çalışan ama bunu da hiç başaramayan grafik roman. 4 farklı birbirinden kopuk hikayeden oluşuyor. Keşke hepsini birleştirip daha detaylı ve karakter ağırlıklı, biraz duygulara, acılara ağırlık vererek o kültürü de düzgünce anlatabilesydi çok daha iyi olur ve aldığı ödülü de haketmiş olurdu.
Kölelik, çaresizlik, eşitsizlik ve bunların sonucunda tek çarenin şiddet olmasını anlatmaya çalışması takdire şayan ancak maalesef bunu çok kötü anlatmış ve başaramamış. İnsan bunları okudukça insan olduğundan utanıyor gerçekten ve birbirimize nasıl bunu yapabildiğimizi anlayamıyor. Dolayısıyla özünde çok önemli ve okunması gereken ancak anlatımı ile vasat olan grafik roman..

[Lucas Mota · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOTA: 4,1

Várias histórias sobre o período colonial brasileiro do ponto de vista dos escravos e, - o que é mais valioso nesta HQ - com um grande foco na herança cultural africana.
Apesar do elemento mágico surgir aqui e ali, está uma baita HQ histórica. Uma obra que nos ajuda a entender melhor a dimensão da crueldade praticada com a escravidão.

[Rae Beeler · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Cayo Candido · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que coisa linda de se ler e reler!

[Jorge Caldas Filho · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baita trabalho de resgate de histórias da escravidão.
Recomendo a leitura.

[Fern Barros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent illustrations, the history that the stories were based on is really important to learn about, and its glossary was interesting to read through. The characters weren’t particularly memorable and I wished we could have learned more about them.

[Blue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeously inked black-and-white graphic short collection. The stories are sad and very violent, and probably reflecting the norm for African slaves everywhere, including in Brazil in 1500s-1800s. But these are also stories of resistance, honor, dignity, pride and hope. We still have a long way to go.

[Maggie Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Run For It is a brutal book about slavery in Brazil. It does not shy away from the historical horrors that occurred, and it is quite direct about the inhuman violence slaves were subjected to. I have two unfortunate criticisms. First, women are almost always shown merely as victims of violence. They play a substantially lesser role in the rebellion narratives, and most end up dead. Second, many of these stories could use a few more pages to flesh out what is going on. There's too many narrative threads and not enough time to really let the violence and terror sink in. However, this is an important piece with powerful stories despite its flaws.

[Dan Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marcelo d'Salete's put together quite the piece of art with Run For It: Stories of Slaves Who Fought For Their Freedom. His panel work takes some time to get used to, especially how he incorporates the passage of time. Once you can settle in there is some you can see the emotion that was put on the page. Considering the subject matter it would be easy to settle in with the tragedy of these stories but there is an element of celebration of the human will in the worse possible circumstances and the amount of beauty that can come from the smallest taste of victory.

[Daniela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic Novel, Run For It, is a heart-wrenching look into the past of slavery, specifically Brazilian slavery. There are four stories: Kalunga, Sumidouro, Cumbe, and Malungo which use stark illustrations of the pain, suffering, and sacrifices that were made to have the freedom that was rightfully theirs in the first place.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection of short stories does a pretty good job of portraying the horror and brutality of slavery in Brazil with murder, suicide, infanticide and a bloody uprising, but unfortunately for me, the endings always meander off into symbolism and magical realism. My brain just does not really process that sort of storytelling, so this sort of book will never really satisfy me.

[honeybean · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rating; Trigger warning for sexual abuse.

I think for the amount of sexual abuse towards women that is shown in this, it sadly still focuses largely on the male counterparts of the stories. Really beautifully created and sad illustrations and stories.

[Jerrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful graphic novel. I especially loved how much was told through the art.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated, heart wrenching stories, a quick but worthwhile read.