Francisco Ibáñez

• Born 1936-03-15 · Died 2023-07-15

Francisco Ibáñez (1936-2023) was one of Spain's greatest comic artists, renowned for his humor. Born in Barcelona, he started drawing as a child, publishing his first work at just 7 years old. After a brief stint in banking, he fully committed to comics, working for Editorial Bruguera. There, he created hit series such as Mortadelo y Filemón (1958), a parody of the world of espionage, as well as others like Rompetechos and 13, rue del Percebe. His stories, marked by a fluid style and sharp humor, captivated readers of all ages during Francoist Spain. Despite the grueling work pace imposed by his publishers, Ibáñez achieved international fame. After leaving Bruguera in 1985 due to contractual disputes, he worked with other publishers, creating new series and later resuming Mortadelo y Filemón under Ediciones B. Throughout his career, he received numerous awards, including the Grand Prize of the Barcelona International Comic Fair (1994) and the Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts (2002). He remained active into his later years, leaving an indelible mark on the world of comics. [Sources: https://www.tebeosfera.com/autores/ibanez_talavera_francisco.html ; https://mortadelo-filemon.es/content?q=Y2NvZGU9SEVNRVJPJmN0Z19pZD0xMDgmcG09YmxvZw%3D%3D]