Putting silence to paper: cartoon illustrator Mordillo turns 85 | All media content | DW | 04.08.2017

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Arts

Putting silence to paper: cartoon illustrator Mordillo turns 85

Argentinian cartoonist Guillermo Mordillo celebrates his 85th birthday on August 4. He's famous for drawing figures with enlarged noses getting trapped in everyday activities.

  • Guillermo Mordillo (picture-alliance/dpa)

    Guillermo Mordillo

    Argentinian cartoonist Guillermo Mordillo y Melendez was born in Buenos Aires on August 4, 1932. A son of Spanish immigrants to Argentina, Mordillo took the decision to dedicate his life to drawing when he first saw Walt Disney's "Snow White" at the cinema. At age 14, he left school to follow his passion, and by the time he was 18, Mordillo was already successful at illustrating children's books.

  • Mordillo turns 85 (picture-alliance/dpa/Museo del Humor/G. Mordillo)

    Following his dream

    While working for an advertising agency, Mordillo first came up with the idea of drawing what would later become his trademark figures. They were initially used in greeting cards but would later become part of popular culture.

  • Mordillo drawing (picture-alliance/KPA Honorar & Belege)

    What's in a nose?

    Having spent some time living in Lima and New York, Mordillo moved to Paris in the early 1960s without knowing a word of French at the time. His drawings remained silent out of pure necessity. However, this also meant that his big-nosed characters could communicate their message throughout the world - the first of which was published in the French "Pelerin" magazine in 1966.

  • Mordillo drawing (picture-alliance/KPA Honorar & Belege)

    Lookalike characters

    Mordillo's characters all have more in common than just big noses: they share similar hair styles, tend to have expressive eyes, but don't have ears or names . According to Mordillo, this deliberate oversimplification of the human figure is meant to be "symbolic of human nature."

  • Mordillo drawing (picture-alliance/dpa/Mordillo Worldwide Licensing)

    Unlikely inspiration

    Mordillo's signature big noses have followed him throughout his life. His inspiration: the depiction of the seven dwarves in Walt Disney's "Snow White."

  • Mordillo drawing (picture-alliance/KPA Honorar & Belege)

    Animal kingdom

    In addition to drawing characters inspired by humans, Mordillo also features animals such as cows and giraffes in his work. He uses a mix of water colors, ink, pastel and acrylic paint in his works. He says that an illustration on average takes him about a week to complete.

  • Mordillo drawing (picture-alliance/KPA Honorar & Belege)

    Desperate times

    Mordillo's characters often end up in desperate situations. A general theme in his work is that a figure is left alone in a hopeless situation. Mordillo infuses these moments with dignity, tenderness, hope and optimism - even though some of his images may come across as overly dramatic in trying to communicate the message that in the end, all will be well.

  • Mordillo drawing (picture-alliance/dpa/Museo del Humor/G. Mordillo)

    Colors, hues and shades

    While the characters of his drawings lack color, the scenes surrounding them are typically quite lively and colorful. Yet there is a minimalist element to them: the idea behind every illustration is immediately communicated to the audience in a powerful simplicity of terms.

  • Guillermo Mordillo starts drawing at the Frankfurt book fair in 2012 (picture-alliance/dpa/A. Burgi)

    Pen on paper

    Guillermo Mordillo attended the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2012 and, inspired by his surrounding, suddenly started drawing a giraffe, He stresses, however that a lot of work goes into perfecting each sketch: "None of my cartoons are spontaneous. Millimeter by millimeter I move forward, taking all the time I need."

  • Guillermo Mordillo (CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/GettyImages)

    The world of Mordillo

    Mordillo's images have become recognized throughout the world in calendars, posters, puzzles, stuffed animals and much more. However, despite this plethora of merchandise, Mordillo refuses to sell any of his original works. Those, apparently, are kept in a bank vault.


  • Guillermo Mordillo (picture-alliance/dpa)

    Guillermo Mordillo

    Argentinian cartoonist Guillermo Mordillo y Melendez was born in Buenos Aires on August 4, 1932. A son of Spanish immigrants to Argentina, Mordillo took the decision to dedicate his life to drawing when he first saw Walt Disney's "Snow White" at the cinema. At age 14, he left school to follow his passion, and by the time he was 18, Mordillo was already successful at illustrating children's books.

  • Mordillo turns 85 (picture-alliance/dpa/Museo del Humor/G. Mordillo)

    Following his dream

    While working for an advertising agency, Mordillo first came up with the idea of drawing what would later become his trademark figures. They were initially used in greeting cards but would later become part of popular culture.

  • Mordillo drawing (picture-alliance/KPA Honorar & Belege)

    What's in a nose?

    Having spent some time living in Lima and New York, Mordillo moved to Paris in the early 1960s without knowing a word of French at the time. His drawings remained silent out of pure necessity. However, this also meant that his big-nosed characters could communicate their message throughout the world - the first of which was published in the French "Pelerin" magazine in 1966.

  • Mordillo drawing (picture-alliance/KPA Honorar & Belege)

    Lookalike characters

    Mordillo's characters all have more in common than just big noses: they share similar hair styles, tend to have expressive eyes, but don't have ears or names . According to Mordillo, this deliberate oversimplification of the human figure is meant to be "symbolic of human nature."

  • Mordillo drawing (picture-alliance/dpa/Mordillo Worldwide Licensing)

    Unlikely inspiration

    Mordillo's signature big noses have followed him throughout his life. His inspiration: the depiction of the seven dwarves in Walt Disney's "Snow White."

  • Mordillo drawing (picture-alliance/KPA Honorar & Belege)

    Animal kingdom

    In addition to drawing characters inspired by humans, Mordillo also features animals such as cows and giraffes in his work. He uses a mix of water colors, ink, pastel and acrylic paint in his works. He says that an illustration on average takes him about a week to complete.

  • Mordillo drawing (picture-alliance/KPA Honorar & Belege)

    Desperate times

    Mordillo's characters often end up in desperate situations. A general theme in his work is that a figure is left alone in a hopeless situation. Mordillo infuses these moments with dignity, tenderness, hope and optimism - even though some of his images may come across as overly dramatic in trying to communicate the message that in the end, all will be well.

  • Mordillo drawing (picture-alliance/dpa/Museo del Humor/G. Mordillo)

    Colors, hues and shades

    While the characters of his drawings lack color, the scenes surrounding them are typically quite lively and colorful. Yet there is a minimalist element to them: the idea behind every illustration is immediately communicated to the audience in a powerful simplicity of terms.

  • Guillermo Mordillo starts drawing at the Frankfurt book fair in 2012 (picture-alliance/dpa/A. Burgi)

    Pen on paper

    Guillermo Mordillo attended the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2012 and, inspired by his surrounding, suddenly started drawing a giraffe, He stresses, however that a lot of work goes into perfecting each sketch: "None of my cartoons are spontaneous. Millimeter by millimeter I move forward, taking all the time I need."

  • Guillermo Mordillo (CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/GettyImages)

    The world of Mordillo

    Mordillo's images have become recognized throughout the world in calendars, posters, puzzles, stuffed animals and much more. However, despite this plethora of merchandise, Mordillo refuses to sell any of his original works. Those, apparently, are kept in a bank vault.


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