Red Stones: An Interview with Author and Illustrator Ernesto Saade

In 1981, the Salvadoran Civil War reached Miriam’s village of Santa Marta. In 2021, Ernesto Saade visited to hear her story. Red Stones: A Graphic Account of the Salvadoran Civil War chronicles the conflict and displacement of the Red Stones massacre with nuance and care.

Today author and illustrator Ernesto Saade joins us to explore his work, his inspirations, and his favorite comic book creators. Read on to see exclusive sketches and early art from the creation of Red Stones.

When did you start making comics?

I created my first comic while studying for my master’s degree in Illustration and Comics, but my first professional book was published in 2018 for an NGO.

Could you please tell us what the comics scene is like in Central America?

Central America has many talented artists, but opportunities to make a full-time career in comics are limited. Many artists eventually find greater opportunities in countries with a more developed comic book culture.

Given how difficult it is to pursue comics in Central America, how did you manage to achieve it?

It wasn’t easy. When I decided to dedicate myself fully to comics, I spent a year without work. Then I got a great opportunity with an NGO, where I was able to create up to nine graphic novels based on cases from their projects. A few years later, I participated in a contest held by the French Alliance of Costa Rica. I was one of the finalists, and there I met Nicolas Grivel, who is now my agent. That ultimately led to the publication of my first graphic novel.

Why did you decide to tell this story?

Red Stones is a story that came to me by chance. In 2021, while I was working for FUNDASAL, an NGO with a presence across much of El Salvador, I was asked to create a comic based on research about the struggle against metal mining. Because of that, I had to conduct field visits in several communities in the department of Cabañas that were deeply involved in this movement.

That’s how I arrived in Santa Marta and met “Miriam.” The interview I conducted with her was meant to focus only on mining, but she couldn’t help recalling her past. The moment she began to share her experiences from the 1980s, I realized this was a powerful and important story. I can say that Miriam’s character, the strength of her story, and the community itself (where the memory of the Red Stones Massacre is still very present) inspired me to begin this project.

What have been your inspirations for this book?

I was born during the final years of the Salvadoran Civil War. When the Chapultepec Peace Accords were signed in 1992, I was only five years old. Even so, my childhood was filled with stories about the war told by my parents and the adults around me. The war was still so present that when I was old enough to play outside, my parents would warn me not to kick strange objects because they might be explosives.

All of those memories and anecdotes fueled my imagination and helped me write the script for Red Stones in a more natural and believable way. Visually, I was strongly inspired by films about the Vietnam War, such as Forrest Gump, Platoon, Full metal jacket and apocalypse now. I was also influenced by graphic novels like Los Surcos del Azar by Paco Roca, and by the landscapes and backgrounds in Calvin and Hobbes.

Which authors do you admire in the world of comics?

My favorite authors include Paco Roca, Miguel Gallardo, Marjane Satrapi, Bill Watterson, Frederik Peeters, and Alan Moore.

Early Sketches and Artwork

Every project has early drafts and Ernesto was kind enough to share some of his! These drawings give readers insight into the creative process and how much work it takes to illustrate a graphic novel.

First, Ernesto made sketches of the main characters.

He later refined their designs and practiced drawing them more and more! Each character had multiple sketches at different angles.

Then Ernesto started piecing the story together through storyboards.

Students can try creating their own characters and storyboards to better understand each step!

Praise for Red Stones

★ “A momentous testimony.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews

★ “This powerful graphic novel about a little-known battle in Salvadorian history needs to be on every graphic novel shelf.”—starred, School Library Journal

“To reveal the full experience of the Red Stones Massacre, interviews and eyewitness testimonies are referenced. Miriam’s own compelling narrative is recounted in retrospect, informed by her childhood views. . . . The artwork is remarkable and haunting. . . “—Foreword Reviews

“Simple paneling and cinematic plot beats convey a moving story of war and displacement set against a lushly rendered jungle backdrop with starlit night skies.”—Publishers Weekly

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