Francisco Solano López, Argentine cartoonist, died at 83 years old

Argentina, August 13, 2011

The Argentinean artist Francisco Solano Lopez, cartoonist of the comic “El Eternauta”, created by Hector Germán Oesterheld, died yesterday due to a stroke. His remains will not be veiled, and his body will be cremated by the family’s decision.

His career as an artist began in 1953 in the journal Misterix, then integrating the editorial staff of Oesterheld and where they created Rolo, The Martian Foster, Black Poppy, Joe Zonda, Rul of the Moon and El Eternauta, their most renewed comic.

“Oesterheld always liked science fiction. We had already done Rolo before the Eternauta and he felt like publishing a cartoon in that genre with Argentine heroes, at the same time realistic and science fiction” he said when asked about the origin of most famous character of the pair.

The Eternauta was first published in Hora Cero in 1957, reaching a total of 106 numbers. It was also reprinted on numerous occasions and recreated later with Alberto Breccia.

Between 1963 and 1968 he lived in Europe and painted Galaxus, Kelly Magic Eye, Eternal Adam and Prof. Kraken and then left for a time to draw in national magazines.

In 1976 he returned to the country and accepted the proposal of Oesterheld Editions to meet again and create a sequel to The Eternauta, published in the journal. Soon after, Oesterheld was kidnapped and Solano Lopez emigrated to Spain in 1977, where he make Slot Barr with his sons.