Alfons Figueras
Encyclopedia
Alfons Figueras i Fontanals (Vilanova i la Geltrú
, Barcelona
, Spain
October 15, 1922 – July 6, 2009) was a Spanish comic artist and writer. He created characters such as Aspirino y Colodión or Topolino, el último héroe (Topolino, the last hero)
he worked in diverse publications, it is in the 1940s
when he becomes professional in the world of the comic strip, working for the editorials Marco, Bruguera
and Hispano Americana. In the latter, he published several works in the magazine Leyendas infantiles, where, among other things, he traced pages to color of the classic North Americans (Flash Gordon
, Tarzan
, Terry and the Pirates
, etc.), to be able to print them in black and white later. In this occupation he meet other famous comic writers, like Juan García Iranzo.
Between 1946 and 1947 he published several series of comic strip of realistic drawing, like Mysto (magazine Chicos, 1946), Mr. Radar (magazine El Coyote, 1947) and the Electrical Man (also in El Coyote, that same year). After these publications, he left the realistic style definitively to concentrate in the humoristic comic strip.
Between 1948 and 1956 Figueras realised half hundred of different series for humoristic weekly, between which we can emphasize:
In 1956 he moved to Venezuela
, country in which he resided during twelve years, to work in studies of cartoons. When returning, he continued working in the animation, but a series of failures pushed to him to return to the comic strip. He began to work for the magazines of Bruguera, for which he created some of his more well-known personages, like:
Figueras made compatible these works with the accomplishment of press strips, like ' ' Don Plácido' ' (1970), for La Vanguardia
, or ' ' Bon Jan' ' (1976) and ' ' Mr. Hyde' ' (1987), for Avui
.
In 1988 collaborated in rejuvenated TBO
of Editions B with new series, like Fortunato or Historias extraordinarias. That same year, he obtained the prize of the Comic convention of Barcelona.
The style of Figueras, with a noticeable predilection by surrealistic and fantastic humor, is unusual within the framework from the Spanish humoristic comic strip. In his work they had a great influence the silent humorous cinema, the fantastic cinema, the genre
novels and classic North Americans comics, as well as the comic strip Krazy Kat
, of George Herriman
.
Vilanova i la Geltrú
Vilanova i la Geltrú is a city in the province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and the capital of the Garraf comarca. Originally a fishing port, the city has a growing population of approximately 66,000, and is situated 40 km south-west of Barcelona, with the more famous coastal resort of...
, Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
October 15, 1922 – July 6, 2009) was a Spanish comic artist and writer. He created characters such as Aspirino y Colodión or Topolino, el último héroe (Topolino, the last hero)
Biography
In his native town he knew the comic writer Salvador Mestres, who put him in contact with the world of comic. Although during the civil warSpanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
he worked in diverse publications, it is in the 1940s
1940s
File:1940s decade montage.png|Above title bar: events which happened during World War II : From left to right: Troops in an LCVP landing craft approaching "Omaha" Beach on "D-Day"; Adolf Hitler visits Paris, soon after the Battle of France; The Holocaust occurred during the war as Nazi Germany...
when he becomes professional in the world of the comic strip, working for the editorials Marco, Bruguera
Editorial Bruguera
Bruguera was a Spanish publishing house based in Barcelona, which was devoted mainly to the production of popular literature and comics. It was created in 1910 as El Gato Negro, changed its name in 1940 and came to possess, as indicated by Jesús Cuadrado:...
and Hispano Americana. In the latter, he published several works in the magazine Leyendas infantiles, where, among other things, he traced pages to color of the classic North Americans (Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon
Flash Gordon is the hero of a science fiction adventure comic strip originally drawn by Alex Raymond. First published January 7, 1934, the strip was inspired by and created to compete with the already established Buck Rogers adventure strip. Also inspired by these series were comics such as Dash...
, Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
, Terry and the Pirates
Terry and the Pirates (comic strip)
Terry and the Pirates was an action-adventure comic strip created by cartoonist Milton Caniff. Captain Joseph Patterson, editor for the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate, had admired Caniff’s work on the children's adventure strip Dickie Dare and hired him to create the new adventure strip,...
, etc.), to be able to print them in black and white later. In this occupation he meet other famous comic writers, like Juan García Iranzo.
Between 1946 and 1947 he published several series of comic strip of realistic drawing, like Mysto (magazine Chicos, 1946), Mr. Radar (magazine El Coyote, 1947) and the Electrical Man (also in El Coyote, that same year). After these publications, he left the realistic style definitively to concentrate in the humoristic comic strip.
Between 1948 and 1956 Figueras realised half hundred of different series for humoristic weekly, between which we can emphasize:
- Napulión ( KKO, 1948)
- Pistolini Lupo (magazine Historietas, 1949)
- Gummo (rmagazine Chicos, 1949)
- Tonty (magazine Búfalo, 1950)
- Rubin Ruud (magazine Cubilete, 1950)
- Loony (magazine Nicolás, 1951)
- Simplicio (magazine Aventurero, 1952)
- ¡Qué guerra! (magazine Nicolás, 1952)
- Pipo y Teka (magazine Yumbo, 1956)
In 1956 he moved to Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, country in which he resided during twelve years, to work in studies of cartoons. When returning, he continued working in the animation, but a series of failures pushed to him to return to the comic strip. He began to work for the magazines of Bruguera, for which he created some of his more well-known personages, like:
- Aspirino y Colodión (1967)
- Harry Cawallo (1968)
- Topolino, el último héroe (1968)
- Cine Locuras (1969)
- Don Terrible Buñuelos (1975)
Figueras made compatible these works with the accomplishment of press strips, like ' ' Don Plácido' ' (1970), for La Vanguardia
La Vanguardia
La Vanguardia is Catalonia's leading daily newspaper as well as the fourth best-selling in Spain. It has its headquarters in Barcelona, Catalonia's largest city....
, or ' ' Bon Jan' ' (1976) and ' ' Mr. Hyde' ' (1987), for Avui
Avui
Avui is a Catalan daily newspaper, based in Barcelona, Catalonia . It is one of the city's newest papers, having been founded in 1976. The editorial line is Catalan nationalist.- History :...
.
In 1988 collaborated in rejuvenated TBO
TBO
TBO was a long-running Spanish comic book magazine, published in Barcelona between 1917 and 1998.TBO is pronounced in Spanish almost the same as "te veo", "I see you". It was so popular that tebeo is now a generic word for "comic book" in Spain....
of Editions B with new series, like Fortunato or Historias extraordinarias. That same year, he obtained the prize of the Comic convention of Barcelona.
The style of Figueras, with a noticeable predilection by surrealistic and fantastic humor, is unusual within the framework from the Spanish humoristic comic strip. In his work they had a great influence the silent humorous cinema, the fantastic cinema, the genre
Genre fiction
Genre fiction, also known as popular fiction, is a term for fictional works written with the intent of fitting into a specific literary genre in order to appeal to readers and fans already familiar with that genre....
novels and classic North Americans comics, as well as the comic strip Krazy Kat
Krazy Kat
Krazy Kat is an American comic strip created by cartoonist George Herriman, published daily in newspapers between 1913 and 1944. It first appeared in the New York Evening Journal, whose owner, William Randolph Hearst, was a major booster for the strip throughout its run...
, of George Herriman
George Herriman
George Joseph Herriman was an American cartoonist, best known for his classic comic strip Krazy Kat.-Early life:...
.
Compilations
- Don Plácido (Euredit: Humor siglo XX, 1970)
- Aspirino y Colodión y su mundo loco (BrugueraEditorial BrugueraBruguera was a Spanish publishing house based in Barcelona, which was devoted mainly to the production of popular literature and comics. It was created in 1910 as El Gato Negro, changed its name in 1940 and came to possess, as indicated by Jesús Cuadrado:...
, Colección Olé!, nº 51, 1971) - Shock (Toutain, 1973)
- Cine Locuras: Guerra Loca (Bruguera, Colección Olé!, nº 70, 1973). ISBN 84-02-02754-7.
- El Bon Jan (Del Cotal, 1979)
- Mr Radar (Revival Comics, 1981)
- Alfons Figueras (Classic Cómics, 1985)
- El Malvado Mr Hyde (Ediciones B, 1991)
- Don Terrible Buñuelos (Ediciones B, Colección Olé!, nº 392, 1991). ISBN 84-406-2376-3.
- Topolino (Astiberri, 2006)
- Doctor Mortis (El Patito Editorial, 2008). ISBN 978-84-936632-0-9.
- Estampas Malignas (El Patito Editorial, 2009). ISBN 978-84-936632-3-0.