Sin City

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When agreeing to the A to Z Blogging Challenge I had no idea I would be rushed to the Emergency Room days before the beginning.

I thought about tossing the Challenge. But he words tossing lacks a certain appeal at the moment. Then I thought what more of a challenge is there when you are in recovery that may take several weeks to several months, than to do some extra blogging?

Challenge accepted. Bring it.

I decided I would blog for me in these particular articles. I wanted to write about something I enjoy and learn a little of its history and greater spread than just North America.

The Subject?

Comic Book Creators from Around the World from A to Z.

Today you will learn about creators from Argentina from as early as 1939 who have influences on movies from today.

Comic Book may leave some of you thinking of funny books. No, these range from yes, funny books, but also serial stories from magazines to Graphic Novels.

Alberto Breccia and José Antonio Muñoz of Argentina have an influence upon comic books, and even film unlike anyone would ever imagine.

Alberto Breccia

Even though Alberto Breccia was born in Uruguay in 1919, he moved to Argentina at the age of three. Just like the diehard, true old style creators he didn’t start out with a commercial art degree. No, he moved to the slaughterhouse district of Buenos Aires where you had petty criminals mixed with the tango. Self taught he submitted his work to magazines for free while working with his father in tripe packing plant. Then in 1939 he turned pro drawing everything asked of it.

Forced to create to the direction of bosses he would not breakout and show his true talent that would become an influence on others until 1957’s Sherlock Time on which he worked with fellow Argentinian, Héctor German Oesterheld.

Along with Hugo Pratt, he created the Pan-American School of Art.

Click here to see images of Breccia’s Dracula where he works in color.

Perramus won Breccia the Amnesty International award for best work for Human Rights in 1989. You can click here to see images. The work was done as partly a dedication to his friend Oesterheld who disappeared in late 1977 and probably murdered in 1978 under the oppression of dictators that had taken the country.

Why do I speak of him? A couple of reasons: Mort Cinder, and the art techniques Breccia used. Mort Cinder is one of the most important comic book to ever have been created in Argentina. Having read about it, wow.

The art: He plays with texture, mixing collage, acrylic and watercolor. We see the same style used by Bill Sienkiewicz (New Mutants, Elektra Assassin) and Dave McKean (Sandman) yes, as in partner to Neil Gaiman.

Alberto Breccia has a direct influence on our next creator, as a teacher.

José Antonio Muñoz

José Antonio Muñoz was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1942 and studied under Alberto Breccia and Hugo Pratt at the Pan-American School of Art. While in Argentina he worked with such influences as Francisco Solano Lòpez and Héctor German Oesterheld.

Muñoz did not stay in Argentina. In 1972 he moved to Spain. While in Europe he formed partnership with Carlos Sampayo and they began the series Alack Sinner. His work has had a strong influence Dave McKean and Frank Miller for parts of Sin City. Yes, the comic the movie Sin City was based upon. Click here to view more of his art work.

Alberto Breccia