Susanita´s Little Gallery: Juan Carlos Eguillor, Pop imagination for big ones and kiddies. :D

Puedes leer esta entrada en español aquí.

It´s been 30 years ago, that the mother of the house where I live, at the age of 6, started to cut out and keep the “Cuentos de la abuelita” (Granny tales) that were published in the children magazine “Pequeño Pais” (Small Country). So, these marvelous cartoons that fascinated her so much, full of color nad completely different to the other ones, were done by Juan Carlos Eguillor.

I want to pay a tribute to him with part of his artwork, so you can discover it or know about it in a deeper way. :)

Juan Carlos Eguillor Uribarri was born in San Sebastian the 15 of August of 1947, but he really grew up in Bilbao. He started Law studies and left them by Journalism, but his interest for drawings and arts in general was so huge, that soon he drops out of university to get involved in what he really loved. So much creativity had to explode from somewhere.

In 1968 he published weekly in the newspaper “El correo Español – El pueblo Vasco” his first cartoon, with Mari Aguirre as the main character in an unrecognizable Bilbao.

Mari Aguirre stars in lots of cartoons since, but she was not her unique heroine, he also created Tartarela who appeared in “Nuevos Fotogramas” magazine, and Mari España, Miss Martiartu, etc…

“Las aventuras de Sandalia Upon-Avon” (Sandalia Upon-Avon adventures) a very Pop story with lots of singers of those days and of course José María Iñigo (a very famous Spanish musical journalist), are published weekly From November 1969 till April 1970 in Mundo Joven magazine. From May to June of the same year, also in Mundo Joven, publish “Que camp era mi madre” (How camp my mother was), a comic in Horrid-Vissiooon, as we can read in the first page.

In Triunfo magazine he also published a few cartoons in some of which appears his lately famous “granny”.

But his first children illustrations (at least the first ones I´ve found) are the ones included in one of the Sound Books Pala, from 1973, “Mendruguete y Cuatronombres – Susana la de la sopa” (Mendruguete and Fournames – Susana of the soup). I have to emphasize that the titles from the covers are illustrations from Ivan Zulueta, what I found very curious and interesting.

With a few friends creates in 1979 a fanzine called “Euskadi Sioux, el terror de lo cotidiano” (Euskadi Sioux, everyday terror), that just last seven issues. Among the comic strips that appeared on them, I stress the funny Grease parody, "Koipe.Euskal Musikal", included on the second issue.

A few stories from Bernardo Atxaga were adorned with his prodigious hands, “Aventuras de Nikolasa” (Nikolasa adventures) and “Ratmunxo detective. Más aventuras de Nikolasa” (Detective Ratmunxo. More Nikolasa adventures) both from 1980, and “Chuck Aranberri baten etxean” (Chuck Aranberin goes to the dentist) from 1982.

In 1981 he illustrates “El Castillo de last tres murallas” (Three walls castle) from Carmen Martín Gaite and in December of that year appears the weekly children magazine “Pequeño Pais”, and Eguillor will join it on the second issue illustrating the covers with very popular Spanish singers cutouts, and since the sixth issue with “Los Cuentos de la Abuelita” (Granny stories). The fist one was called “Dorito y su abuelita” (Dorito and his granny), the second one “Abuelita” (Granny), and the third one received the definitive name that was altered sometimes. :D

He illustrates in 1982 a collection of ten stories by Lolo Rico, “Dola Dola Tiralabola” based on the same named very famous radio program also created by Lolo Rico, from which Eguillor designed in 1978 the spectacular cover for “Los amigos de Dola” (Dola’s friends) LP, that included the program songs. His collaboration with her wouldn´t end yet, and that same year he make the drwings for “Ramon Ge Te”.

Also in 1982 designs and illustrates “Agenda para todos los dias” (Everyday Diary), a pretty diary that includes songs, riddles and some historical events, and the National Prize of Children Illustration of 1983 goes to him. Some other works wroten and illustrated by him are “El escarabajo y la Luna” ( The bettle and the moon, 1984), “La ciudad de la lluvia” (Rain city, 1984) that was selected in the 2000 as one of the 100 best works of Spanish children literature of the XX century, and “Operación Yogur” (Yoghurt Operation, 1997).

With Carmen Santonja cooperated giving expression to some of her stories “La malvada Infantita y otros cuentos” (The wicked little Infant and other stories, 1986), “La sirena de la fábrica” (The Mermaid from the factory, 1989), and one of his most recent works, the sound book from 2001 “La boutique Fantasque” from Respighni and Rossini. Also, as she was one of the members of “Vainica Doble” (a Spanish band), who Eguillor portrayed in "Las Aventuras de Sandalia Upon-Avon", she commissioned him the cover for their album “Navidad” (Christmas, 2001).

In 1988 he brilliantly illustrated the Spanish version of Graham Dustan Martin books “Doneval” and “Favila” and Oscar Wilde’s “El joven Rey y otros cuentos” (The Young King and other Stories)

His weekly publications with the winged pigs “Potolos” in Pequeño Pais started in 1988.

But someone with so many interests and imagination could not be limited to drawings in papers.

He was scriptwriter, cinema director and he even experimented with video and computer animation.

From his videoart works I have to mention “Bilbao la Muerte” (Bilbao the death) from 1982 and “Menina” from 1986.

He collaborated with his ideas and scripts in the children tv program from Saturday morning in the early 70’s “Hoy tambien es fiesta” (Today is also a party) along with Pedro übeda and Carlos Arias. He strongly cooperated with Gurruchaga, devising the stage design for the concerts with La Orquesta Mondragón, as well as the openings, set designs and even scrips for his tv programs “Viaje con nosotros”, the deliberately uncouth New Year’s Eve tv program “La última cena del 88” (Last supper from 88), both from 1988 or “El huevo de Colon” (Columbus’ egg, 1992).

"Viaje con Nosotros" Opening

"La última cena del 88" Opening and beggining

And I left lots of his works pending, something obvious with such a versatile and prolific person.

With no doubt he left us a wonderful legacy from which we can see part of until the 28 of January of 2012 in Sala Koldo Mitxelena in San Sebastián. Press in the picture below for more info: