Underground cartoonist the legendary SPAIN RODRIGUEZ, the creator of Trashman, died at his home In San Francisco at age 72.
Zippy the Pinhead auteur Bill Griffith announced the sad news on Facebook, “Legendary cartoonist Spain Rodriguez died this morning at home in San Francisco. He was a great friend and raconteur–and one of the best cartoonists of his or any other generation. I'll always remember our talks on comics and drawing. He had so much more wonderful work inside him–I'll miss him forever.”
Hailing from Buffalo, New York Spain studied at the Silvermine Guild Art School in New Caanan, Connecticut.
Heading for the happening New York City, during the late 1960s, he became a contributor to the East Village Other and soon published his own underground indie own comics tabloid, Zodiac Mindwarp (1968).
A founder of the United Cartoon Workers of America, he contributed to numerous undergrounds including Zap.
He also drew uber-liberal Salon's continuing graphic story, The Dark Hotel.
Strongly influenced by 1950s EC comic book artist Wally Wood, Spain pushed Wood's sharp, crisp black shadows and hard-edged black outlines into a more simplified, stylized direction, Wikipedia noted. Museums that exhibited his work include San Francisco's M.H. de Young, the Musueum of Modern Art and the Whitney in New York.
Recently, the hard-working revolutionary, biker and family man had released a graphic novel about Che Guevara.
"When I was a kid I kinda didn't like rich people … I just kinda had a bad attitude," Spain divulgedin his wife's documentary: "Trashman: The Art of Spain Rodriguez." "My hopes are that mankind will build a more just society," he said.
Sadly, Spain had been batttling cancer for the past 6 years.
Adios, amigo…
SPAIN RODRIGUEZ: A Legendary Underground Cartoonist from Revel In on Vimeo.
