Raised in Villa Pueyrredón, Buenos Aires, Mordillo enjoyed his early years as the son of Spanish parents and developed a passion for drawing. In pursuit of his artistic aspirations, he acquired the title of Illustrator from the School of Journalism in 1948. Working with the animation team Burone Bruch, Mordillo beautifully brought to life classic children’s stories such as Perrault Tales, Schmid Tales, The Musicians of Bremen, and The Three Little Pigs, which were published by Codex. In 1952, Galas Studios was founded by Mordillo and his colleagues, focusing on animation production. Simultaneously, Mordillo pursued a promising career as an illustrator, making contributions to local magazines.
On the 7th of November, 1955, Mordillo embarked on an adventure to Lima, Peru, where he found himself employed as a freelance designer for the reputable advertising company McCann Erickson. In 1958, his skills in illustration were showcased in Aesop’s Fables and Samaniego for Editorial Iberia Lima.
After completing greeting-card illustrations for Hallmark Cards, a renowned company based in Kansas City, Mordillo set off to the United States in 1960, joining the esteemed Paramount Pictures Studios in New York. A significant milestone in his career was his involvement in the creation of two iconic characters, Popeye and Little Lulu, for a film performance. Additionally, he conceived two characters for the short film Trick for Tree.
Three years passed, and on the 20th of August, 1963, Mordillo experienced another transformative turn of events. This time, he embarked on a European journey, eventually arriving in Paris on the 19th of September. Initially, Mordillo found himself contributing humorous letters to Mic-Max Edition. In July 1966, he began collaborating with Le Pelerin magazine, followed shortly by Paris Match. By 1968, Mordillo’s work was gaining recognition around the globe, particularly in Germany’s Stern magazine. It was in Paris that he met his wife, Amparo Camarasa, and together, they tied the knot in 1969. This union blessed them with two children: Sebastian Jerome in 1970 and Cecile Isabelle in 1972.
In 1980, Mordillo relocated to Mallorca, Spain, where he assumed the role of President for the International Association of Authors of Comics and Cartoons (CFIA), headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. After spending 18 fruitful years in Spain, Mordillo returned to France in 1998. The subsequent year saw him participate in the esteemed Creative Workshop Zermatt in Switzerland.
In 2007, Mordillo delved into new artistic endeavors, experimenting with various materials such as acrylics, pastels, and crayons. The subsequent year, in collaboration with Art Petrus, Mordillo masterfully reproduced his artwork with astounding detail. During the same year, he released the Mordillo Collection, a numbered and autographed publication available on the internet.
www.ftn-books.com has the 1974 Stalling publication by Mordillo available.
