Wheels Up is the first logistics comic in Mexico. Rodolfo López, the project’s technical advisor, explained that the idea for this comic arose from the quest to bring this sector closer to young people , involving themes and characteristics of certain characters involved in the supply chain.
“The idea began developing two years ago. It wasn’t easy. Fernando began to create all the characters, how it would be treated, what themes, and today we have Wheels Up. We tell a real-life story to get kids involved, and it serves us in two ways: so that interns, companies, and logisticians use the magazine as a means of advertising and for training operational groups,” he explained.
Fernando Frías Trillo, the project’s author, explained that the world of comics grew exponentially since the pandemic, and after researching whether to write a book or a novel, they ended up creating a comic whose name means “Come on, hurry up, we want them up.”
He revealed that this new comic will feature a consultant and his entire team as its main character, who will address various topics such as efficiency, values, consistency, and the technical aspects of the supply chain.
“Just like any good comic, there has to be a good guy and a bad guy. The bad guy is inefficiency, and the consultant and his team have the curse of always encountering it, and when they do, they confront it. So we’re going to be playing it within this line of thinking; we’re going to play with the alter ego. We’re going to see them as they are and we’re going to play with those things that companies face, like the stressful board meeting, chasing margins, etc. The best thing is that we’re going to synchronize the world of comics and knowledge,” he explained.
Rodolfo López reiterated that the stories will be based on reality , with characters such as human resources, operations or forklifts, “we will always have those who go it alone, those who do not follow orders and those who are creative, that process becomes text and a creative design.”
“There will be people, but others will be like characters like a pig with a bear face, or it could be anything, but really what we’re trying to represent is their alter ego, as you can see,” said Frías Trillo.
Wheels up , first issue
He announced that the first edition, which was released just over four weeks ago, addressed the distribution center and everything that happens there, including both the problems and the successes.
“It’s being well received by the industry; we’ve printed 350 copies (as of last week). The hardest part is that it doesn’t have to stop being a comic, because in the end, that’s what happens to us: people learn indirectly, and they’re enjoying that. It’s not about showing up and saying, ‘I’m going to sell you a forklift.’ We’re talking about a process that can be inefficient and is costing them time and resources,” he explained.
He indicated that four print editions will be produced each year , thereby ensuring that the comic travels from person to person and allows for physical exposure, hence the quality of the paper. However, he maintained that this is not the time to have it in digital form.
Frías Trillo stated that they seek to capture the reader’s attention and concentration, a key point in communication.
Wheels Up will have a print run of 1,000 36-page copies, ad-free, although it will also allow sponsorships through the stories, stories that help educate and empower. “On the one hand, it’s telling the life story that many of us have had, and on the other, it’s providing the technical elements that led to certain decisions.”
This comic will be available through Shopify; for Mexico City and the rest of the country, Latin America, and Spain, it will be available in Spanish . Distribution through universities will also be sought.
They specified that a QR code will be available that will direct you to a website where you can access more information about the logistics sector.
Fernando Frías Trillo is a specialist in applied supply chain technology with over 30 years of experience in the sector. He is a professor at various universities in Latin America and a speaker. His experience covers over 40 different industries in the dry goods, refrigerated, hazardous, pharmaceutical, and automotive industries. He holds a Master’s degree in Finance from ITAM, a Micromaster’s degree in CS from MIT, and a Higher Education in Business Administration from ITAM. He is currently the General Manager of The Private Supply Chain Company, Mexico Chapter.
Rodolfo López Cerdán is an executive with extensive experience in Supply Chain, Finance, Talent Development, Strategy, and Projects, developing high-impact responsibilities in the Americas and Europe. He is the former founding president of Conalog and currently a Board Member of the #SoyLogístico Association and president of the Mérida Chapter.
Comment and follow us on X: @evandeltoro / @GrupoT21
