K-Hito
Encyclopedia
K-Hito was the pseudonym
of Ricardo García López (1890–1984), Spanish
humorist, caricaturist, bullfighting
critic, film producer, and magazine
publisher. Considered part of the Generation of '27
, he was the founder and director of four magazines, in the pages of which he created several characters, such as "Gutiérrez," "Macaco," "Currinche," and "Don Turulato."
He was born in Villanueva del Arzobispo
, Jaén Province in 1890, and grew up in Alicante
. He began drawing at the age of four. At Alicante, he studied at the Parrilla academy and worked in a post office
. In 1907, he moved to Valencia, where he began to collaborate in humor magazines and offered the first exposition of his work in 1912 in the Círculo de Bellas Artes.
He subsequently founded the magazine Gutiérrez, precursor to La Codorniz. He served as the editor of the children's magazines Macaco and Macaquete. Macaco, the name of both the title character and the magazine that featured it, was started in 1928. However, it folded and the Macaco comic strip
was transferred to Macaquete. In the process of the transfer, Macaco was featured in a continuity strip rather than in a gag strip.
He also contributed to Gracia y Justicia, a periodical critical of Azaña, President
of the Second Spanish Republic
. He also contributed to Le Journal, Pinocho, ABC, Blanco y Negro
, El Debate, Ya, Informaciones, Ahora. He became famous through his caricatures in the newspaper known as El Debate.
With Joaquín Xaudaró
and Antonio Got, he founded the Sociedad Española de Dibujos Animados (SEDA) in 1932. Most of the films produced by SEDA have been lost, although there exist some copies of the film "Falsa noticia de fútbol".
During the Spanish Civil War
, he lived in Valencia, and worked there as a professor of calligraphy
at the Academia Comercial Morales. He worked under his real name; using his pseudonym was dangerous, as he had published under it a number of articles lampooning the milicianos, or anti-fascist militias.
In 1940, he founded the weekly magazine Dígame, serving as its editor. Collaborating with him at "Dígame" and "Gutiérrez" were Enrique Jardiel Poncela
, Edgar Neville
, Miguel Mihura
, José López Rubio
and Tono
(Antonio Lara Gabilán). He also collaborated with Gabriel Miró
.
K-Hito also worked as a bullfighting critic (as a boy he had wanted to be a bullfighter), and his work appeared in bullfighting chronicles (crónicas taurinas). He is credited with reconciling two bitter enemies, the bullfighters Manolete
and Carlos Arruza
, who at K-Hito’s instigation, hugged one another in the cartoonist’s natal town of Villanueva del Arzobispo.
En 1949, Villanueva del Arzobispo named him an Adoptive Son and named a street after him.
He died at Madrid
.
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Ricardo García López (1890–1984), Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
humorist, caricaturist, bullfighting
Bullfighting
Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
critic, film producer, and magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
publisher. Considered part of the Generation of '27
Generation of '27
The Generation of '27 was an influential group of poets that arose in Spanish literary circles between 1923 and 1927, essentially out of a shared desire to experience and work with avant-garde forms of art and poetry. Their first formal meeting took place in Seville in 1927 to mark the 300th...
, he was the founder and director of four magazines, in the pages of which he created several characters, such as "Gutiérrez," "Macaco," "Currinche," and "Don Turulato."
He was born in Villanueva del Arzobispo
Villanueva del Arzobispo
Villanueva del Arzobispo is a city located in the province of Jaén, Spain. According to the 2010 census , the city has a population of 8755 inhabitants. The famous American, Peter Bradley, spent several months living among the native people in 2010....
, Jaén Province in 1890, and grew up in Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
. He began drawing at the age of four. At Alicante, he studied at the Parrilla academy and worked in a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
. In 1907, he moved to Valencia, where he began to collaborate in humor magazines and offered the first exposition of his work in 1912 in the Círculo de Bellas Artes.
He subsequently founded the magazine Gutiérrez, precursor to La Codorniz. He served as the editor of the children's magazines Macaco and Macaquete. Macaco, the name of both the title character and the magazine that featured it, was started in 1928. However, it folded and the Macaco comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
was transferred to Macaquete. In the process of the transfer, Macaco was featured in a continuity strip rather than in a gag strip.
He also contributed to Gracia y Justicia, a periodical critical of Azaña, President
President of Spain
Today, Spain is a constitutional monarchy. King Juan Carlos I, the current monarch, is Head of State. The Head of Government has the official title of President of the Government....
of the Second Spanish Republic
Second Spanish Republic
The Second Spanish Republic was the government of Spain between April 14 1931, and its destruction by a military rebellion, led by General Francisco Franco....
. He also contributed to Le Journal, Pinocho, ABC, Blanco y Negro
Blanco y Negro
Blanco y Negro can refer to* Blanco y Negro in Spain.* Blanco y Negro Music, a record label in Spain.* Blanco y Negro Records, a record label in the U.K....
, El Debate, Ya, Informaciones, Ahora. He became famous through his caricatures in the newspaper known as El Debate.
With Joaquín Xaudaró
Joaquín Xaudaró
Joaquín Xaudaró y Echau was a Spanish cartoonist, illustrator, and caricaturist. His humorous depictions of the new technologies of his time –he published a volume of cartoons called The Perils of Flight - serve as an important link between the worlds of nineteenth-century illustration and...
and Antonio Got, he founded the Sociedad Española de Dibujos Animados (SEDA) in 1932. Most of the films produced by SEDA have been lost, although there exist some copies of the film "Falsa noticia de fútbol".
During the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
, he lived in Valencia, and worked there as a professor of calligraphy
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
at the Academia Comercial Morales. He worked under his real name; using his pseudonym was dangerous, as he had published under it a number of articles lampooning the milicianos, or anti-fascist militias.
In 1940, he founded the weekly magazine Dígame, serving as its editor. Collaborating with him at "Dígame" and "Gutiérrez" were Enrique Jardiel Poncela
Enrique Jardiel Poncela
Enrique Jardiel Poncela was a Spanish playwright and novelist who wrote mostly humorous works....
, Edgar Neville
Edgar Neville
Edgar Neville Romrée, Count of Berlanga de Duero was a Spanish playwright and film director, a member of the Generation of '27....
, Miguel Mihura
Miguel Mihura
Miguel Mihura Santos was a Spanish playwright. He is best known for his comedy Tres sombreros de copa , a work of absurd humor that predates similar works by Beckett or Ionesco and that broke with many of the previous conventions of Spanish comic theatre.Miguel Mihura was born in Madrid in 1905...
, José López Rubio
José López Rubio
José López Rubio y Herreros was a Spanish playwright, screenwriter, film director, theatre historian and humorist, a member of the Generation of '27....
and Tono
Tono
Tono can refer to:Locations*Bay of Tono, in Italy*Tono River, in East Timor*Tōno, Iwate, a city in Japan*Tōnō, a region of Gifu Prefecture, Japan*Tono, Washington, a town in Washington, USA*Pasar Tono, a town in East TimorPeople...
(Antonio Lara Gabilán). He also collaborated with Gabriel Miró
Gabriel Miró
Gabriel Miró Ferrer .Most critics believe that Gabriel Miró's literary maturity begins with Las cerezas del cementerio , whose plot revolves around the tragic love of the super-sensitive young man Félix Valdivia for an older woman and presents—with an atmosphere of voluptuousness and lyrical...
.
K-Hito also worked as a bullfighting critic (as a boy he had wanted to be a bullfighter), and his work appeared in bullfighting chronicles (crónicas taurinas). He is credited with reconciling two bitter enemies, the bullfighters Manolete
Manolete
Manuel Laureano Rodríguez Sánchez , better known as Manolete, was a Spanish bullfighter.He rose to prominence shortly after the Spanish Civil War and is considered by some to be the greatest bullfighter of all time. His style was sober and serious, with few concessions to the gallery, and he...
and Carlos Arruza
Carlos Arruza
Carlos Arruza , born Carlos Ruiz Camino, was one of the most prominent bullfighters of the 20th century. He was known as "El Ciclón" ....
, who at K-Hito’s instigation, hugged one another in the cartoonist’s natal town of Villanueva del Arzobispo.
En 1949, Villanueva del Arzobispo named him an Adoptive Son and named a street after him.
He died at Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
.
Filmography
- He was writer and director for all the films below:
- Francisca, la mujer fatal (1934)
- En los pasillos del congreso (1932)
- Falsa noticia de fútbol (1932)
- El Rata primero (1932)
- La Vampiresa Morros de Fresa (1932)
Books
- Carmen y Raphael (1940)
- “Manolete” ya se ha muerto
- Muerto está que yo lo vi (1947)
- Yo, García (una vida vulgar) (1948)
- ¡Hasta luego! (1950)
- Anda que te anda (1954)
- El álbum de K-Hito (1973)
Further reading
- Patricia Molins, Los humoristas del 27 : Antoniorrobles, Bon, Enrique Jardiel Poncela, K-Hito, José López Rubio, Miguel Mihura, Edgar Neville, Tono (Madrid: Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, 2002).