Holiday 2018

Frame Photo

By Alex G. Carol

Description: An illustration. A hand holds a family photo in the foreground, while people stand around a buffet full of food in the background.
Description: Illustration of young girl looking up at a middle-aged woman, who is holding a framed photo. The caption reads ¿Que tu mida alé?
Description. An illustration. The woman and girl look at the framed photo. She says “Well mi bendita, there’s a lot of differences between us, but only on the surface. Our blood, personalities, and memories are intertwined. This portrait embodies it…
Description: An illustration. Still looking at the framed photo, the girl says “Oh, can we go get food now?”
Description: An illustration. The woman says “Of course hun.”

From the artist: The original concept of this zine came from a small drawing I did of the first panel, looking at when a multicultural family gets together for the holidays. We'll be looking at pictures that the family took, while others are rushing to get the food that one aunt makes ONLY during the holidays. It's a feeling of looking at everyone in a static vs. an active moment and how they contrast each other. The rest of the conversation that happens between the two female characters is a conversation that I always wished happened when I was young. The validation of knowing where I come from and how multicultural we are; I wanted to make a short clip of what would make young white-washed me feel seen and like I belonged, even in a simple way. Of course, that would be a lot to take in as child, for any child, and the way that the younger family member breezes past the conversation is how most children would process it. Listening and trying to understand what someone is saying, but their main focus is on the food. Altogether, this zine is for the young me not knowing who I was, and for others to find out who they are soon.



Alex G. Carol is your neighborhood Afro-Latina who speaks three languages but isn't fluent in any of them! A comic artist, zine artist, and illustrator, she focuses on autobiographical and fictional storytelling using ink and watercolor. Currently residing in Philly, she wants to tell more stories about being Afro-Latina and how to embrace this identity in a colorist society. For more thoughts and doodles from a multilingual Afro-Latina who confuses her words way too much, follow her on Instagram @agcarol.illustrations.