| Juan Giménez | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Giménez in 2006 | |
| Born | (1943-11-26)26 November 1943 |
| Died | 2 April 2020(2020-04-02) (aged 76) Mendoza, Argentina |
| Area | Comic book artist |
Notable works | Metabarons |
| http://www.juangimenez.com/ | |
Juan Antonio Giménez López ([ˈxwaŋxiˈmenes]; 26 November 1943 – 2 April 2020) was anArgentinecomic book artist and writer, most recognized for his detailed machine-like imagery. Among his noted works include stories for the FrenchMétal Hurlant and the ArgentinianL'Eternauta magazines, and thecomic seriesMetabarons co-developed byAlejandro Jodorowsky.
Giménez López was born inMendoza, Argentina. He finished his high school education as an industrial designer. He then attended theNational University of Cuyo's School of Arts and Design followed by the Academy of Fine Arts inBarcelona.[1] While his early professional career was spent in advertising, with writing and drawing comics as a side activity, he eventually moved into comics as a full-time profession by his thirties.[2]
Giménez had started getting his own stories published when he was sixteen years old in Argentine magazines Frontera,Misterix andHora Cero.[3] His first stories, for Argentine editors such as Colomba and Record,[4] were largely inspired byHugo Pratt (during the years he spent in Argentina) andFrancisco Solano López. Back to Spain, he worked for the Spanish magazinesZona 84 andComix International,[4] andItalian (Lanciostory,Skorpio) magazines.[3] His work of this period is mainly related to war and science-fiction genres. He published his first French releaseLeo Roa (The Starr Conspiracy) in 1979.[4]
In 1980, he designed the "Harry Canyon" segment of the filmHeavy Metal.[5] During the 1980s, he collaborated with several European magazines, including Josep Toutain's Spanish edition of1984, the FrenchMétal Hurlant and the ItalianL'Eternauta magazines, experimenting with graphical and narrative innovations.[5]
To this period dates what is ranked among his best series, the short science-fiction stories known under the title ofTime Paradox.[6] Also noteworthy areCiudad, written byRicardo Barreiro,[2] andLe Quatrième Pouvoir (The Fourth Power), which he wrote by himself.[1]
Giménez's style has become famous for the extreme attention he devotes to technical and historical details; his seriesPik As has been defined as "a comic encyclopedia ofWorld War II."[7]
Giménez also collaborated with important authors such asCarlos Trillo,Emilio Balcarce, andRoberto Dal Prà.[8] One of his most famous collaborations was withChileanAlejandro Jodorowsky for the popularMetabarons comic series started in 1992 and ran through 2003 published byHumanoids.[5] The work was based on characters that had appeared in Jodorowsky's andJean Giraud'sThe Incal, and adapted elements that Jodorowsky had been planning to use in a film adaption ofFrank Herbert'sDune. Giménez' art for the series was praised for spanning the vast vision and range that Jodorowsky had set up. Jodorowsky said on Giménez's death: "I closely collaborated with Juan Giménez for 10 years and together, we created The Metabarons saga. What facilitated my task as we offered him to work on the complex world of the Metabarons was that he already embodied the immortal No-Name, the last Metabaron. In my unconscious, Juan Giménez cannot die. He will continue on, drawing like the master warrior that he was."[4]
Giménez was recognized with the Yellow Kid Award for Best Foreign Artist at the 1990 Lucca International Comic Fair, and the Gaudia Award at the 1990 Feria Internacional del Comics de Barcelone, among others.[5]
He died in Mendoza on 2 April 2020, fromCOVID-19; he had been hospitalized since 22 March having recently returned from a trip toSitges, Spain where it was believed he had been infected.[5][9]
