Dragger, artwork by Domingo Mandrafina
Carlos Trillo was a versatile and remarkable comic writer from Argentina, who worked with many famous artists. Trillo wrote his first scenario at age 20 for Patoruzu magazine. He worked for this magazine from 1963 to 1968. He was additionally a journalist and writer for the publisher García Ferré, and he also scripted stories with 'Hijitus', 'Antifaz', 'Topo Gigio' and 'La Familia Panconara'. In 1972 he founded the satirical magazine Satiricon with Oswal, Horacio Altuna and Lito Fernández. Trillo served as art director for this magazine, until it was forbidden by the military dictatorship in 1976.
In 1975 he was involved in the launch of Mengano magazine. From the first issue, he wrote 'Un tal Daneri' for Alberto Breccia. Also with Breccia, he made 14 episodes of 'Nadie' for Ediciones Record between 1976 and 1978. With Breccia's son Enrique, he created 'Alvar Mayor', a series that was published in Skorpio between 1977 and 1982, but was also reprinted in Italy, France and Spain. Other early collaborations were with Pérez d'Elias ('Detective's Studio' in Skorpio, 1976-78), Víctor H. Arias ('Foster de las Islas' in Skorpio, 1977) and Félix Saborido ('Kangaroo O'Neil' in Pif-Paf, 1978).
Las puertitas del Sr. López, artwork by Horacio Altuna
He furthermore created 'El Loco Chávez' with Horacio Altuna, a comic strip that appeared daily at the back of the newspaper Clarín from July 1975 to November 1987. Trillo and Altuna also created 'Las puertitas del Sr. López' for science fiction magazine El Pendulo in 1979, and in Humor from 1980. Made during a period of censorship and dictatorship, the comic depicts the coward clerk López, who finds his greatest pleasures and deepest fears in an alternate world behind bathroom doors. The film based on the story won an award during the Chaplin Humor Festival in Vevey, Switzerland in 1988.
Also with Altuna, he made 'El Último Recreo' for the Spanish magazine 1984 in 1982. In Argentina it was published in Superhumor and later in Fierro. Other collaborations with Altuna are 'El Peregrino de las estrellas' (1978-81), 'Los viajes de Marco Mono' (1979), 'Laura Holmer' (1980), 'Merdichesky' (1981), 'Tragaperras' and 'Charlie Moon' (both 1984). These appeared in magazines like El Pendula, Superhumor, Skorpio and Zona 84.
The comic 'El Negro Blanco', that he wrote for Ernesto García Seijas, succeeded 'El Loco Chávez' in Clarín in 1987. Trillo worked with Domingo Mandrafina on serials like 'Los Misterio de Ulises Boedo' and 'Historias Mudas' in the early 1980s. In addition, he made 'El Extraño Juicio a Roy Ely' with Juan Giménez and 'Polución nocturna' with Alberto Dose in 1980-81.
Bang Bang, artwork by Jordi Bernet
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s he expanded his collaborations. With Jordi Bernet he first made 'Carnage Plus' and 'Light and Bold', before creating 'Clara de Noche' in El Jueves in 1992 and 'Cicca Dum Dum' (published in France as 'Bang Bang') in Penthouse in 2001. Trillo also had a versatile cooperation with Eduardo Risso, creating 'Fúlu' (1988-91), 'Boy Vampiro' (1990-92), 'Vidéo Noire' (1992), 'Borderline' (1993-95), 'Los misterios de la Luna roja' (1997-98) and 'Chicanos' (2005), a series situated in the Spanish ghetto of an American metropolis. Their post-apocalyptic series 'Point de Rupture' was published by Delcourt in France from 2009.
Cybersix, artwork by Carlos Meglia
He made short stories for Puertitas with Saborido, Enio and Zaffino in the early 1990s. Trillo and Mandrafina worked together again on 'Peter Kampf' (1987-88), 'Cosecha Verde' (1989-90), 'Dragger' (1991-93) and 'Spaghetti Brothers' (Lanciostory, 1993-98).
From 1992 to 1997, he created 'Cybersix' with Carlos Meglia, a series about genetic manipulated creatures. After meeting a CIA agent, Trillo was inspired to create 'Mon nom n'est pas Wilson', which is illustrated by Walter Fahrer and published by the French publisher Casterman from 2000. During this period, he also worked with Juan Bobillo on 'Zachary Holmes' and 'Sick Bird'. Starting in 2002, he was back in Clarín with 'CaZados', drawn by O'kif.
Carlos Trillo passed away in May 2011, while on holiday in London with his wife, writer Ema Wolf. Trillo was a master in realism and social criticism, which made him one of the best Argentinian comic writers.
Mon nom n'est pas Wilson, artwork by Walter Fahrer