Guillermo Mordillo (4 August 1932 – 29 June 2019), known simply as Mordillo, was an Argentine creator of cartoons and animations and was one of the most widely published cartoonists of the 1970s.
He is most famous for his humorous, colorful, surreal
and
wordless depictions of love, sports (in particular
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
and
golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various Golf club, clubs to hit a Golf ball, ball into a series of holes on a golf course, course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standa ...
), and long-necked animals.
From 1976 to 1981, Mordillo's cartoons were used by
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
n artist
Miki Muster
Nikolaj Muster (22 November 1925 – 7 May 2018), known as Miki Muster, was a Slovenian academic sculptor, illustrator, cartoonist, and animator. He is viewed as a pioneer in the field of comics and animation in Slovenia, known for the series of ...
to create ''Mordillo'', a series of 400 short animations (300 min) that were later presented at
Cannes
Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...
and bought by television studios from 30 countries.
Biography
The son of Spanish parents, Mordillo spent his childhood in Villa Pueyrredón in Buenos Aires,
where he had an early interest in drawing. In 1948 he obtained the certificate of Illustrator from the School of Journalism.
Two years later, while continuing to study, as part of the animation team Burone Bruch he illustrated children's stories (Tales of
Perrault Tales of Schmid,
The Musicians of Bremen and
The Three Little Pigs
"The Three Little Pigs" is a fable about three pigs who build their houses of different materials. A Big Bad Wolf blows down the first two pigs' houses which are made of straw and sticks respectively, but is unable to destroy the third pig's ho ...
) edited by Codex. In 1952 he co-founded Galas Studios, dedicated to the production of animations.
Meanwhile, he continued to develop his career as an illustrator and published some strips in local magazines.
On 7 November 1955, he moved to Lima, Peru, where he worked as a freelance designer for the advertising company
McCann Erickson
McCann, formerly McCann Erickson, is an American global advertising agency network, with offices in over 120 countries. McCann is part of McCann Worldgroup, along with several other agencies, including direct digital marketing agency MRM//McC ...
. In 1958 ''Aesop's Fables'' illustrated and Samaniego for Editorial Iberia Lima.
After having done greeting-card illustrations for the Kansas City-based
Hallmark Cards
Hallmark Cards, Inc. is a Privately held company, privately held, family-owned American company based in Kansas City, Missouri. Founded in 1910 by Joyce Hall, Hallmark is one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of greeting cards in the United ...
, he left for the United States in 1960. When there he was employed by
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
Studios in New York.
Part of the performance of the film in two globally significant characters:
Popeye
Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.[Little Lulu
''Little Lulu'' is a comic strip created in 1935 by American author Marjorie Henderson Buell. The character, Lulu Moppet, debuted in ''The Saturday Evening Post'' on February 23, 1935, in a single panel, appearing as a flower girl at a wedding ...](_blank)
and creates two characters for the short film Trick for tree.
Three years later, on 20 August his life changed direction again. This time he travelled to Europe, arriving in Paris on 19 September. There, he worked at first humorous letters to Mic-Max Edition. In July 1966 he began to collaborate with the magazine ''Le Pelerin'' and shortly after doing the same in ''Paris Match''. Two years later, his work started being printed in publications from other parts of the world, most notably Germany's ''Stern''.
In Paris he met his wife Amparo Camarasa, marrying in 1969. They have two children: Sebastian Jerome (1970) and Cecile Isabelle (1972).
In 1980 he moved to Mallorca, Spain, and was named President of the International Association of Authors of Comics and Cartoons (CFIA) based in Geneva, Switzerland. After 18 years in Spain, he returned to France in 1998. The following year he participated in the Creative Workshop Zermatt, Switzerland.
In 2007 he experimented with new materials: acrylics, pastels and crayons. The following year he performed with Art Petrus a series of reproductions of pictures in high definition. Also that year he sold a numbered and autographed internet publication, ''Mordillo Collection''.
He resided in Monaco.
Bibliography
*''The Damp and Daffy Doings of a Daring Pirate Ship'', 1971,
Harlin Quist
Harlin Quist (born Harlin Bloomquist; July 14, 1930 – May 13, 2000) was a publisher noted for innovative children's books.
Early years
Harlin Bloomquist was born and raised in Virginia, Minnesota, attended Carnegie Tech and began his career in 1 ...
Inc., New York, USA.
** Also published as ''Le Galion'', 1970,
Harlin Quist
Harlin Quist (born Harlin Bloomquist; July 14, 1930 – May 13, 2000) was a publisher noted for innovative children's books.
Early years
Harlin Bloomquist was born and raised in Virginia, Minnesota, attended Carnegie Tech and began his career in 1 ...
, Paris, France; ''All' Arrembaggio!'', 1971, Emme Edizione, Milano, Italy;
*''Das Piratenschiff'', 1971, Insel Verlag, Frankfurt, Germany; ''Soroverskibet'', Host et Son, Copenhagen, Denmark; ''O Barco Dos Piratas'', Publicacoes Dom Quixote, Lisboa.
*''The Collected Cartoons of Mordillo'', (with foreword by John Bailey), 1971, Crown Publishers, New York, USA.
** Also published as ''Der Grosse Mordillo'', 1974, foreword by Manfred Schmidt, Verlag Gerhard Stalling AG, Oldenburg and Hamburg, Germany, .
*''Crazy Cowboy'', 1972,
Harlin Quist
Harlin Quist (born Harlin Bloomquist; July 14, 1930 – May 13, 2000) was a publisher noted for innovative children's books.
Early years
Harlin Bloomquist was born and raised in Virginia, Minnesota, attended Carnegie Tech and began his career in 1 ...
Inc., New York, USA.
** Also published under the same title by
Harlin Quist
Harlin Quist (born Harlin Bloomquist; July 14, 1930 – May 13, 2000) was a publisher noted for innovative children's books.
Early years
Harlin Bloomquist was born and raised in Virginia, Minnesota, attended Carnegie Tech and began his career in 1 ...
, Paris; Insel Verlag, Frankfurt, Germany, and Emme Edizioni, Milano.
*''Das Giraffenbuch'', 1973, Insel Verlag, Frankfurt, Germany, .
** Also published as: ''Toutes Les Giraffes'', 1983, all-color hardcover, Editions Glénat, Grenoble, France.
*''Das Giraffenbuch II'', 1974, Insel Verlag, Frankfurt, Germany, .
*''Crazy Crazy Das Dschungelbuch'', 1974, Insel Verlag, Frankfurt, Germany.
*''Grosse Pläne kleine Steine'', 1975, Friedrich W.Heye Verlag, München, Germany.
*''Mordillo's Träumereien - und andere wunderliche Geschichten'', 1975, Insel Verlag, Frankfurt, Germany, .
*''Der kleine Mordillo'', 1976, Verlag Gerhard Stalling AG, Oldenburg and Hamburg, Germany, .
*''Opus I'', 1976, Friedrich W.Heye Verlag GmbH, München, Germany, 88-page softcover, Weltbild Verlag, printed in Italy, .
*''Opus I'', 1976, Friedrich W.Heye Verlag GmbH, München, Germany, 88-page hardcover, Oli Verlag N.V. Verlag, printed in Germany, .
*''carton No 5 (Mordillo) - Les Cahiers du Dessin D'Humour'', 1976, Edition Glenat, France.
*''Mordillo: Cartoons zum Verlieben'', 1977, Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, München, Germany, unter Lizenz von Verlag Gerhard Stalling AG, Oldenburg and Hamburg, Germany .
*''Opus II'', 1978, (with foreword by
Marcel Marceau
Marcel Marceau (; born Marcel Mangel; 22 March 1923 – 22 September 2007) was a French mime artist and actor most famous for his stage persona, "Bip the Clown". He referred to mime as the "art of silence", performing professionally worldwide ...
). Friedrich W.Heye Verlag, München, Germany, 88-page softcover, Weltbild Verlag, printed in Italy, .
*''Opus II'', 1978, (with foreword by
Marcel Marceau
Marcel Marceau (; born Marcel Mangel; 22 March 1923 – 22 September 2007) was a French mime artist and actor most famous for his stage persona, "Bip the Clown". He referred to mime as the "art of silence", performing professionally worldwide ...
). Friedrich W.Heye Verlag, München, Germany, 88-page hardcover, Weltbild Verlag, printed in Italy.
*''Opus III'', 1978, Friedrich W.Heye Verlag, München, Germany (44-page hardcover French edition 1980, Editions Glénat, Grenoble, France; 88-page softcover Italian edition 1983, Weltbild Verlag, printed in Italy), .
*''Opus III'', 1983, Friedrich W.Heye Verlag, München/Hamburg, Germany 88-page hardcover, .
*''Opus IV'', 1978, Friedrich W.Heye Verlag GmbH, Hamburg - München, Germany (44-page hardcover French edition 1982, Editions Glénat, Grenoble, France ).
*''Wie eine Jungfrau entsteht'', 1978, Friedrich W.Heye Verlag GmbH, München and Hamburg, Germany, .
*''La Coppia'', 1979, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, Italy.
*''Mordillo Giraffenparade'', 1980, Friedrich W.Heye Verlag GmbH, München and Hamburg, Germany, .
*''Variationen über das menschliche Wesen Cartoons'', 1980, Friedrich W.Heye Verlag GmbH, Hamburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Football'', 1981, (with foreword by
Pelé
Edson Arantes do Nascimento (; 23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), better known by his nickname Pelé (), was a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. Widely reg ...
). Century Hutchinson, London, Great Britain. French edition 1981, Editions Glénat, Grenoble, France.
** Also published as: ''Mordillo Football'', 1981, (with foreword by
Pelé
Edson Arantes do Nascimento (; 23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), better known by his nickname Pelé (), was a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. Widely reg ...
). Wilhelm Heye Verlag, München and Hamburg, Germany, .
*''Neue Variationen über das menschliche Wesen Cartoons'', 1981, Friedrich W.Heye Verlag GmbH, Hamburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo: Giraffenparade Cartoons'', 1982, Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, München, Germany, .
*''Opus V'', 1983, Friedrich W.Heye Verlag GmbH, Hamburg - München, Germany (88-page hardcover French edition 1984, Editions Glénat, Grenoble, France).
*''Mordillo Football Cartoons'', 1984, (with foreword by
Pelé
Edson Arantes do Nascimento (; 23 October 1940 – 29 December 2022), better known by his nickname Pelé (), was a Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. Widely reg ...
). Wilhelm Heye Verlag, München and Hamburg, Germany, .
*''Eckbälle und Zwischenfälle'', 1985, Eulenspiegel Verlag, Berlin.
*''Mordillo Lovestory'', 1985, (with foreword by
Jane Birkin
Jane Mallory Birkin ( ; 14 December 1946 – 16 July 2023) was a British and French actress, singer, and designer. She had a prolific career as an actress, mostly in French cinema.
A native of London, Birkin began her career as an actress, ...
). Editions Glénat, Grenoble, France.
** Also published as: ''Mordillo Lovestory'',1987, Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, München, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Blick zurück nach vorn'', 1985, Wilhelm Heye Verlag, München and Hamburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Golf'', 1987, (with foreword by
Roberto De Vicenzo
Roberto De Vicenzo (14 April 1923 – 1 June 2017) was a professional golfer from Argentina. He won a record 229 professional tournaments worldwide during his career, including seven on the PGA Tour and most famously the 1967 Open Championship. ...
). Century Hutchinson, London, Great Britain, printed in Italy by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, Italy.
** Also published as: ''Mordillo Golf'',1987, (with foreword by
Roberto De Vicenzo
Roberto De Vicenzo (14 April 1923 – 1 June 2017) was a professional golfer from Argentina. He won a record 229 professional tournaments worldwide during his career, including seven on the PGA Tour and most famously the 1967 Open Championship. ...
). Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, München, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Golf'',1987, Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, München, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Safari'', 1990, Wilhelm Heyne Verlag, München, Germany, .
** Also published as: ''Mordillo Safari'', French edition 1990, Editions Glénat, Grenoble, France.
*''Mordillo Deine Sterne Das grosse Geburtstagsbuch'', 1992, Wilhelm Heye Verlag, München and Hamburg Germany,
*''Mordillo Cartoons'', 1992, (with foreword by Gerhard Kaufmann). Wilhelm Heye Verlag, München and Hamburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Amore Amore'', 1994, (with foreword by Giovanni Mariotti). Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, Italy.
** Also published as ''Amore Amore'', 1994, (with foreword by Giovanni Mariotti). Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Para Deportistas'' (For Sportsmen), 1997, Editions Glénat, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, Italy.
** Also published as ''Mordillo für Sportler'', 1995, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Para Enamorados'' (For Lovers), 1997, Editions Glénat, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, Italy.
** Also published as ''Mordillo für Verliebte'', 1995, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Para Matrimonios'' (For Marriages), 1997, Editions Glénat, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, Italy.
** Also published as ''Mordillo zur Hochzeit'', 1995, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Para Superhombres'' (For Supermen), 1997, Editions Glénat, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, Italy.
** Also published as ''Mordillo für den tollen Mann'', 1995, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Para Supermujeres'' (For Superwomen), 1997, Editions Glénat, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, Italy.
** Also published as ''Mordillo für die tolle Frau'', 1995, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Para Las Vacaciones'' (For The Holidays), 1997, Editions Glénat, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, Italy.
** Also published as ''Mordillo für Urlauber'', 1995, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Para Hinchas'' (For Sports Fans), 1997, Editions Glénat, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, Italy.
** Also published as ''Mordillo Für Fussballfans!'', 1997, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Para Parejas'' (For Couples), 1997, Editions Glénat, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, Italy.

** Also published as ''Mordillo Für Das Leben Zu Zweit!'' (Für Paare), 1997, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany. .
*''Mordillo Para Triunfadores'' (For Winners), 1997, Editions Glénat, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, Italy.
** Also published as ''Mordillo Für Erfolgreiche!'' (Für Sieger), 1997, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany .
*''Mordillo Para Gente con Perro'' (For Dog People), 1997, Editions Glénat, Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milano, Italy.
** Also published as ''Mordillo für Hundefreunde'', 1997, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Zusammen!'' (Together!), 2003, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Munchen, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Eine Liebesgeschichte'', 2005, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Starke Frauen'', 2006, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Tolle Männer'', 2006, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Alles Gute!'', 2007, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo für Golfer'', 2007, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo zur Hochzeit'', 2008, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo für Fussballer'', 2010, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Auf die Liebe!'', 2012, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
*''Mordillo Inselcartoons'', 2012, Lappan Verlag GmbH, Oldenburg, Germany, .
Awards
*1969 ''Silver Medal'' at the V International Biennale of humorous designs at
Tolentino
Tolentino ( Maceratese: ''Tulindì'') is a town and ''comune'' of about 19,000 inhabitants, in the province of Macerata in the Marche region of central Italy.
It is located in the middle of the valley of the Chienti.
History
Signs of the firs ...
*1971 ''Loisirs Jeunes Award'',
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
*1971 ''Critici En Herba Award'',
Bologna
Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
, for the children's book ''Pirate ship''
*1972 Silver Medal of the first ''International Festival of Humorous Designs'' in
Sarajevo
Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
*1973 ''Phénix de l'Humour'', Paris
*1974 ''Association of Argentine Designers'' Award
*1976 ''El Gaucho'' Award,
Köln
Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
*1976 ''Nakamori'' Award,
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, for the children's book ''Crazy Cowboy''
*1977 ''Best Cartoonist of the year'' at the ''Salon International de l'Humour'' in
Montreal
Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
*1977 ''Palme d'Or'' at the 31st
International Festival of the Humor of Bordighera
*1983 ''Palme d'Or'' at the 36th International Festival of the Humor of Bordighera
*1985 ''Andersen Award'' at
Sestri Levante
Sestri Levante () is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Genoa, Liguria, Italy. Lying on the Mediterranean Sea, it is approximately south-east of Genoa and is set on a promontory. While nearby Portofino and the Cinque Terre are pro ...
*1992 ''
Konex Award
Konex Foundation Awards, or simply Konex Awards, are cultural awards from the Konex Foundation honouring Argentine cultural personalities.
History and purpose
Konex Awards are granted by the Konex Foundation, created in 1980 in Argentina. The p ...
'', Argentina
* 1994 ''
U Giancu's Prize
The International Cartoonists Exhibition, known familiarly as Rapalloonia, is an annual comics festival held in Rapallo, Liguria, Italy.
Founded in 1972, Rapalloonia is one of the oldest Italian exhibitions devoted to comics. Conceived in orde ...
'',
International Cartoonists Exhibition
The International Cartoonists Exhibition, known familiarly as Rapalloonia, is an annual comics festival held in Rapallo, Liguria, Italy.
Founded in 1972, Rapalloonia is one of the oldest Italian exhibitions devoted to comics. Conceived in orde ...
,
Rapallo
Rapallo ( , , ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Genoa, in the Italy, Italian region of Liguria.
As of 2017 it had 29,778 inhabitants. It lies on the Ligurian Sea coast, on the Tigullio Gulf, between Portofino and ...
, Italy
*1995 ''Gold Medal'' at the 18th International
Tolentino
Tolentino ( Maceratese: ''Tulindì'') is a town and ''comune'' of about 19,000 inhabitants, in the province of Macerata in the Marche region of central Italy.
It is located in the middle of the valley of the Chienti.
History
Signs of the firs ...
Fair of Humour
References
Mordilloon Bedetheque
;Footnotes
External links
Mordillo official siteMordillo official webstoreMordillo Puzzle List
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mordillo, Guilermo
1932 births
Argentine editorial cartoonists
Argentine comics artists
Argentine animators
Argentine animated film directors
Argentine animated film producers
Argentine surrealist artists
Argentine illustrators
2019 deaths
Artists from Buenos Aires
Argentine people of Spanish descent