Gustavo"Gus"Arriola(July 17, 1917 – February 2, 2008) was an Americancomic stripcartoonist andanimator,primarily known for the comic stripGordo,which ran from 1941 through 1985.
| Gus Arriola | |
|---|---|
 Arriola in 1949 | |
| Born | Gustavo Arriola July 17, 1917 Florence, Arizona,U.S. |
| Died | February 2, 2008(aged 90) Carmel, California |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist |
Notable works | Gordo |
| Awards | National Cartoonist Society's Humor Comic Strip Award, 1957, 1965 |
Biography
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Gus Arriola was born inFlorence, Arizona,the youngest of nine children. Arriola's father, Aquiles Arriola, had been born on ahaciendainSonora,Mexico.[1]Gus's mother died when he was a baby, and he was raised by an older sister in aSpanish-speaking household.[2]He learned English by reading theSunday comics.[1]His family moved toLos Angeles, California,when he was eight years old. He first studied art formally inManual Arts High Schoolin Los Angeles, California.[1]
Immediately afterhigh schoolhe spent a year working onKrazy KatforScreen Gems,then three years animatingTom and JerryandLonesome Strangerfor theMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studioas a "sketch man", before leaving to start his own comic strip.[2][3]DuringWorld War II,he directedtraining filmsfor theUnited States Armywhile continuing to produce SundayGordocartoons.[2]
Gordo(1942–1985)
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Although Arriola did not visit Mexico until 1961, he used the human and animal characters of his strip to introduce Mexican culture to readers throughout the world.[1]Gordowas initially designed to be a Mexican version ofLi'l Abner,with a highlycaricaturedstyle and a lazy overweight title character who spoke in heavily accented English and took naps under a tree wearing asombrero.[1]The character reflected popular conceptions of Mexicans at the time, particularlyLeo Carrillo's portrayal ofThe Cisco Kid's sidekick,Pancho,on television and film.[2]
After his early strips were criticized forHollywood-stylecultural stereotypes,Arriola realized that his was the only periodical work in Americanmass mediathat depicted life in Mexico and modified the strip to be more sympathetic.[4]A much thinner and contemplative Gordo eventually became a flirtatioustour guide,whom Arriola often described as an "accidental ambassador" for Mexican culture.[5]The strip introduced America to such now-popular words and phrases as "hasta la vista", "amigo", "piñata", "compadre", "muchacho" and "hasta mañana", as well asMayan,AztecandMexicancustoms, history andfolklore.[5]Arriola also periodically included traditional Mexican recipes inGordothat proved popular, telling one interviewer, "In 1948 we ran Gordo's recipe for beans and cheese—which got me into 60 extra papers, by the way."[6]
Arriola did all of the writing, illustration and production ofGordohimself, creating strips every day (except in his army years) for 45 years.[2]Charles Schulzdescribed it as "probably the most beautifully drawn strip in the history of the business."[5]Arriola received theNational Cartoonist Society's Humor Comic Strip Award in 1957 and 1965. Although not overtly political,Gordowas also one of the firstpop cultureworks that regularly raisedenvironmentalistconcerns.[4]
The lastGordostrip was published on March 2, 1985.
Personal life
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Arriola met his wife, Mary Frances, at MGM in 1939. They remained married until his death.[2]
While working onGordoArriola lived inLa Jolla, California,Phoenix, Arizonaand thenCarmel-by-the-Sea, California,where he ran a shop selling Mexican arts, crafts, and artifacts from 1961 to 1963.
He died in Carmel on 2 February 2008. Shortly before his death he received a lifetime achievement award from theArts CouncilforMonterey, California.[2]He had suffered fromParkinson's disease.[7][8]
On February 20, 2008, the comic stripBaldonoted, "In memory of our amigo Gus Arriola, 1917–2008." The March 21, 2008, version of the comic stripLa Cucaracha,by Lalo Alcaraz, was also a tribute to Arriola.
Awards
edit- 1957 and 1965 –National Cartoonists SocietyHumor Comic Strip Award
- 2007 –Arts CouncilforMonterey, CaliforniaLifetime Achievement Award
References
edit- ^abcdeWyatt Buchanan (February 3, 2008)."Gordo cartoonist Gus Arriola dies in Carmel".San Francisco Chronicle.Retrieved2008-02-03.
- ^abcdefgMaureen Davidson (January 17, 2008).""Gordo" opened U.S. readers to Mexico; its creator to be honored for his lifetime achievement ".Monterey County Weekly.Retrieved2008-02-03.[permanent dead link]
- ^"Gus Arriola, Cartoonist".Carmel Art Association. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-02-01.Retrieved2008-02-03.
- ^ab"Accidental Ambassador Gordo: The Comic Strip Art of Gus Arriola".University Press of Mississippi. Archived fromthe originalon 2019-07-14.Retrieved2008-02-03.
- ^abcHector Cantu (November 30, 2000). "Gordo creator took accent off stereotype". The Dallas Morning News.
- ^"The Gus Arriola Interview,Hogan's Alley, 1998 ".Archived fromthe originalon 2015-02-02.Retrieved2013-01-16.
- ^"'Gordo "creator Arriola dies at age 90".San Jose Mercury.Associated Press. February 2, 2008.Retrieved2008-02-03.[dead link]
- ^Obituaryin theMonterey Herald