Forges (cartoonist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Excelentísimo Señor
Forges
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Forges in 2012
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| Born |
Rafael Antonio Benito Fraguas de Pablo
17 January 1942 Madrid, Spain
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| Died | 22 February 2018 (aged 76) Madrid, Spain
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| Occupation | Graphic humorist |
| Awards | Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts Gat Perich International Humor Award Creu de Sant Jordi Gold Medal of Merit in Labour |
Antonio Fraguas de Pablo, known to many as Forges, was a famous Spanish graphic humorist. This means he drew funny cartoons and comics that often made people think about society. He was born on January 17, 1942, and passed away on February 22, 2018. His artistic name, Forges, comes from the Catalan translation of his last name, Fraguas.
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Forges' Early Life and Career
Forges was born in Madrid, Spain. He was the second of nine children in a big family. His mother was Catalan, and his father, Antonio Fraguas Saavedra, was a writer. As a child, he loved reading the "William Brown" books by Richmal Crompton.
He studied in Madrid and also began studying telecommunications engineering. At just 14 years old, in 1956, Forges started working at Televisión Española (TVE). He began as a technician and later became an image mixer. In 1973, he left TVE to focus entirely on his passion: graphic humor.
Starting His Journey in Humor
Forges published his very first drawing in 1964 in the newspaper Pueblo. He then moved on to Informaciones, where he created editorial jokes. He also worked for popular humor magazines like Hermano Lobo, Por Favor, and El Jueves.
From 1982, his editorial cartoons appeared in Diario 16 and later in El Mundo. In 1995, he began drawing for El País, one of Spain's most important newspapers.
Forges Beyond Cartoons
Forges was not only a cartoonist. He also wrote a novel called Doce de Babilonia in 1992. This book told a story set in an imaginary Babylon, where wise people were chased for trying to bring new ideas. It showed how humor and love can fight against hate.
He also directed two movies: País S.A. (1975) and El bengador Gusticiero y su pastelera madre (1977). Forges created and directed several humor TV shows, including El Muliñandupelicascarabajo and Nosotros on TVE. Later, he worked on Deforme semanal with his brother José María Fraguas on Telemadrid.
On the radio, he was part of popular shows like Protagonistas and La Ventana. Before he passed away, he was a regular on No es un día cualquiera on RNE. In 2014, he hosted a TV show called Pecadores impequeibols on La 2.
Forges passed away on February 22, 2018, in Madrid, at the age of 76, after battling pancreatic cancer.
Forges' Unique Artistic Style
Forges had a very special way of drawing and writing his cartoons. He used clear, black lines for his drawings and speech bubbles. His language was unique, often using words and phrases that sounded like they came straight from the street. He was known for inventing new words and funny expressions.
Humor and Social Commentary
A big part of Forges' work focused on costumbrismo, which means showing the customs and daily life of people. He also used his humor for social criticism. He was great at looking at everyday situations and showing them in a funny, yet critical way. His cartoons often made people laugh while also making them think about society.
He created many comic albums about Spanish history and even books about computers for people who found them tricky. Forges believed that in Spain, you didn't need much inspiration to be a humorist because there was always something to comment on.
In 2007, he contributed to a special book honoring Uderzo, the artist behind the famous "Asterix and Obelix" comics. Forges and 29 other artists drew their own versions of Asterix characters in their unique styles.
Promoting Good Causes
In 2008, Forges suggested that graphic humorists from around the world could support the United Nations Millennium Goals. These goals aimed to solve big global problems like poverty and hunger. His idea was presented at the Instituto Cervantes in New York. Many humorists from Spanish-speaking countries joined in to help spread awareness about these important goals.
In 2012, Forges was named Technical Director of the Instituto Quevedo del Humor. This was the first university center in Spain dedicated to studying humor in all its forms.
Awards and Recognition
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Forges received many important awards throughout his career. He never applied for these awards himself. Some of his honors include:
- The Freedom of Expression Award from the Union of Journalists of Spain.
- Being an Honorary Member of the Journalists Association of Catalonia.
- The Creu de Sant Jordi, which is the highest honor in Catalonia.
- The Antonio de Sancha Prize (2001) from Madrid editors.
- The Gat Perich International Humor Award.
In 2007, the Spanish government gave him the Gold Medal of Merit in Labour. In 2009, booksellers gave him the Legend Award for always supporting reading and books through his drawings.
In 2011, he received the Gold Medal for Merit in the Fine Arts. He also got the Onda Mediterránea award and the Emilio Castelar award for his communication skills.
In 2012, the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN) gave him an award for showing the world's food problems in his cartoons. He also became an honorary member of the Burgos Orfeón and received the Notary Award for Humor from the University of Alicante.
In 2013, he received the Prize for Coexistence, Peace and Freedom from the Rodolfo Benito Samaniego Foundation. He also got the Liber Press distinction alongside famous singer Joan Manuel Serrat and scientist Eduardo Punset. In December 2013, he won the Pedro Antonio de Alarcón National Journalism Award for his long career.
In 2014, Forges received the Artemio Precioso Prize for his work in protecting the environment. To celebrate his 50 years as a professional, a special coupon for the ONCE (Spanish organization for the blind) and a sheet of postal stamps with his drawings were released. He was also named Doctor honoris causa by the Miguel Hernández University in Elche. Later that year, he won the Ibero-American Graphic Humor Award Quevedos.
On January 28, 2016, he was again named Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Alcalá. On January 17, 2022, a special Google Doodle in Spain celebrated what would have been Forges' 80th birthday.
See also
In Spanish: Forges para niños
