Groo - 'The Hogs of Horder' #1 (2009).
Sergio Aragonés Domenech was born in San Mateo, Spain, but moved to France and eventually Mexico, because of the Civil War. One of his main graphic influences was Guillermo Mordillo.
He grew up in Mexico City, producing streams of cartoons for his friends. In 1953, one of these friends sent some to the Mexican humor magazine Ja Ja, which printed them. He also began a collaboration with the magazine Mañana.
'The Smokehouse Five'.
He studied architecture for a while, and worked as a clown and pantomime artist, which he learned under the guidance of Alejandro Jodorowsky. Aragonés headed for the USA in 1962, where he began his longtime collaboration with Mad Magazine. Aragonés became known for his section 'A Mad Look At....' and his many pantomime comic strips, called marginals, which were inserted into the margins and between panels of the magazine. Aragonés has contributed to nearly every issue of Mad since 1963.
'Louder Than Words'.
In the late 1960s, Aragonés began a collaboration with DC Comics, drawing for titles like 'Angel and the Ape', 'Inferior Five', 'Young Romance' and 'Jerry Lewis', as well as some horror anthologies. He also served as a plotter for other artists and co-created serials like the western 'Bat Lash' and the humor title 'Plop!' (1973-1976).
'Buzz and Bell'.
He started his classic fantasy parody 'Groo the Wanderer' with scripts by Marc Evanier in the alternative comic book Destroyer Duck in 1982. As a creator-owned book, 'Groo' has since been published by a number of publishers, including Pacific Comics, Eclipse Comics, Marvel Comics (under the Epic Comics imprint), Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics. Other serials by Aragonés at the time were 'The Smokehouse Five' and 'Buzz and Bell', which were distributed in Europe to publishers like Dupuis (Belgium) and Carlsen (Germany) through the Strip Art Features syndicate.
'Maggie's Crib' (2010).
Aragonés and Evanier continued their collaboration throughout the 1990s with series like 'Fanboy', 'Boogeyman', 'Magnor', 'Blair Witch?' and a series in which they trash famous characters: 'Sergio Aragonés Massacres Marvel', 'Sergio Aragonés Destroys DC', and 'Sergio Aragonés Stomps Star Wars'. His artwork has appeared on hundreds of advertisements and editorial features, and his animation has been featured on numerous TV shows. In recent years, he has a regular feature in the 'Bart Simpson' comic book, called 'Maggie's Crib'.
In 1987, Aragonés received the Reuben Award.
Together with artist Giorgio Cavazzano, Aragonés collaborated on the gag comic 'Oran et Outang/C'est La Jungle' in the magazine Spirou. In 2007 Aragonés scripted an issue of 'The Spirit', drawn by Jason Armstrong.
In 1990 ,Aragonés paid graphic tribute to François Walthéry in the collective homage book 'Natacha. Special 20 Ans' (Marsu Productions, 1990), which celebrated the 20th anniversary of Walthéry's series 'Natacha'. On 16 June 2012, he was one of several cartoonists paying tribute to Matt Groening's 'Life in Hell', after its final episode appeared in print. Aragonés also paid homage to Antonio Prohias' 'Spy vs. Spy' in the collective tribute album 'Spy vs. Spy:An Explosive Celebration' (2015).
Drawing on a napkin for Lambiek (1982).
Sergio Aragonés was a strong graphic influence on Carlos Castellanos, Larie Cook, Dave Cooper, Luc Cromheecke, Gary Larson, Graeme MacKay, Monkey Punch, Bill Morrison, Juanele Tamal and Vox.
Sergio Aragonès in Leipzig (Photo: Henrik Bernd).