In 1969, The Chicago Tribune Syndicate hired the draftsman Jordi Longaron (Barcelona, 1933-2019) to carry out a new weekly newspaper cartoon strip entitled Friday Foster, written by Jim Lawrence. It focused on a disruptive character, who became the first African-American protagonist of a syndicated cartoon strip in the United States. Friday Foster, a liberated woman, was a brave and daring photographer-detective who transcended the moral and political taboos of the time.

Longaron, who was only able to travel to New York once, evoked an idealised America with his cartoons; that of film and television, and of glamour and seduction, which still hid racial conflicts and social inequalities. The character that Longaron drew with nimble and dynamic lines defined a new Black Power myth.

These cartoon strips were published up until 1974, but her unexpected success launched her to the movies the following year with the actress Pam Grier as the protagonist. Longaron’s realistic but synthetic style drew on North American influences, which evolved towards an expressive virtuosity of gesture and towards visual continuity, thanks to its shot sequences and angles. Fifty years later, it represents an iconic model of the narrative and evocative capacity of comics.