Francesc Capdevila
1956– · Catalan comics artist and illustrator
Francesc Capdevila, known as Max, was born in Barcelona in 1956 and is one of the most important figures in Spanish comics and one of the few artists of his generation from the mid-1970s who is still active. His career spans comics, illustration and design, and is marked by a clear line rooted in the Valencian tradition and a constant drive to experiment.
After discovering underground comics, especially the work of Robert Crumb, he joined the group El Rrollo in 1973 and published in fanzines and alternative magazines. In 1979 he was part of the founding team of El Víbora, where he created Gustavo and later Peter Pank. In 1984 he published El carnaval de los ciervos, which marked an aesthetic and thematic shift towards myth and fantasy, influenced by Yves Chaland.
In illustration and design his output is wide-ranging, including covers for The New Yorker and the mascot for FC Barcelona's centenary. In 1993 he created Nosotros somos los muertos, a harsh story about the Balkan war that gave its name to an avant-garde magazine he co-edited with Pere Joan. In 2006 he created Bardín, a character through which he explores themes and formats freely.
His legacy lies in the renewal of Spanish comics and his commitment to creative freedom, recognised with the Grand Prize of the Saló del Cómic in 2000 and the National Comics Prize.