Oscar Conti (Oski)
Encyclopedia
Oscar "Oski" Conti was a prominent Argentine cartoonist and humorist.
in 1914. Enrolling at the National Fine Arts School, he helped finance his studies by creating caricatures for local advertisers. Following graduation, he studied scenography
at the Buenos Aires Academy for Higher Studies.
Despite his distaste for the medium, Conti was hired by Cascabel Magazine as a catoonist in 1942; at Cascabel, he first began signing his work as "Oski." Creating his only comic strip
character, "Amarroto" (loosely translated as "Miser") for Rico Tipo
in 1944 (one of the best-selling satirical weeklies in Argentina at the time), he was enlisted by humorist Carlos Warnes ("César Bruto") to illustrate his irreverent Versos y notisias, a weekly satire of current events in which photos of the news were replaced by Oski's mocking caricatures. His work was in growing demand during subsequent years, and his elongated human characters and featherless birds fixtures in a number of popular mainstream magazines and in Clarín
, the most-widely circulated news daily in Argentina and Latin America.
His work brought him to the attention of French writer
Jean Paul Sartre, who had Oski create the backdrop for the Buenos Aires performance of his play, The Polite Prostitute
in 1947. Irish writer
George Bernard Shaw
also turned to him for the Argentine premiere of his play, Androcles and the Lion
, which played in 1953. Oski had an anthology of his work published in 1952, as well as an animated film, The First Foundation of Buenos Aires, in 1959. Made in an era in which such historical events were treated as sacrosanct epics by the State and much of the media, First Foundation was a slapstick
look at the imposing Spanish Conquistador
es and their conflict with retaliating indigenous peoples. A similar theme prevailed is his satirical comic book
, The True History of the Indies, in 1968. He also illustrated unconventional editions of Argentine literary
epics, such a University of Buenos Aires
edition of Estanislao del Campo
's Fausto (an adaptation of the traditional tale - here protagonized by a Gaucho
). Sought-after internationally, he relocated to Santiago, Chile
in 1970, partly out of support for President Salvador Allende
. There, he illustrated Cabrochico Magazine until returning to Argentina in 1972.
Oski contributed to the left-wing Satiricón Magazine in Buenos Aires. He illustrated the best-selling True History of Sports in 1973 and published another anthology, Oski in His Own Ink. Satiricóns closure by executive order in 1974, however, led Oski to begin eschewing political subject matter, instead working with César Bruto in The Brutoski Medicinal Handbook (a would-be Medical school textbook) and their unique version of the seminal Salerno School of Medicine
's medieval compendium.
The worsening climate of political violence and repression
in Argentina during 1975 led Oski to move to Barcelona, Spain late that year, where he briefly worked for Lumen Publishing. Relocating to Rome
in 1976, he illustrated a number of left-leaning periodicals such as Italy's L'Unità
, though his declining health and a certain loosening of restrictions by Argentina's dictatorship
in 1979 led him to return. Contributing a segment in a public television
mockumentary
of the 1978 FIFA World Cup
(won by Argentina), Oski died on October 30, 1979, at 65. Numerous posthumous anthologies of his work have been published since, notably El Maestroski in 1989.
Life and work
Oscar Esteban Conti was born in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
in 1914. Enrolling at the National Fine Arts School, he helped finance his studies by creating caricatures for local advertisers. Following graduation, he studied scenography
Scenography
-Usage:Whilst also aligned with the professional practice of the scenographer, it is important to distinguish the individual elements that comprise the 'design' of a performance event from the term 'scenography' which is as an artistic perspective concerning the visual, experiential and spatial...
at the Buenos Aires Academy for Higher Studies.
Despite his distaste for the medium, Conti was hired by Cascabel Magazine as a catoonist in 1942; at Cascabel, he first began signing his work as "Oski." Creating his only 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....
character, "Amarroto" (loosely translated as "Miser") for Rico Tipo
Rico Tipo
Rico Tipo was a weekly Argentine comic magazine that appeared from late 1944 until 1972, founded and directed by Guillermo Divito. It was among the main comic magazines in Argentina, others being Patoruzú and Satiricón...
in 1944 (one of the best-selling satirical weeklies in Argentina at the time), he was enlisted by humorist Carlos Warnes ("César Bruto") to illustrate his irreverent Versos y notisias, a weekly satire of current events in which photos of the news were replaced by Oski's mocking caricatures. His work was in growing demand during subsequent years, and his elongated human characters and featherless birds fixtures in a number of popular mainstream magazines and in Clarín
Clarín (newspaper)
Clarín is the largest newspaper in Argentina, published by the Grupo Clarín media group. It was founded by Roberto Noble on 28 August 1945. It is politically centrist but popularly understood to oppose the Kirchner government...
, the most-widely circulated news daily in Argentina and Latin America.
His work brought him to the attention of French writer
French literature
French literature is, generally speaking, literature written in the French language, particularly by citizens of France; it may also refer to literature written by people living in France who speak traditional languages of France other than French. Literature written in French language, by citizens...
Jean Paul Sartre, who had Oski create the backdrop for the Buenos Aires performance of his play, The Polite Prostitute
The Respectful Prostitute
The Respectful Prostitute is a French play by Jean-Paul Sartre, written in 1946, which observes a woman, a prostitute, caught up in a racially tense period of American history. The audience understands that there has been an incident on a train with said woman involved, but also a black man of...
in 1947. Irish writer
Irish literature
For a comparatively small island, Ireland has made a disproportionately large contribution to world literature. Irish literature encompasses the Irish and English languages.-The beginning of writing in Irish:...
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
also turned to him for the Argentine premiere of his play, Androcles and the Lion
Androcles and the Lion (play)
Androcles and the Lion is a 1912 play written by George Bernard Shaw.Androcles and the Lion is Shaw's retelling of the tale of Androcles, a slave who is saved by the requited mercy of a lion. In the play, Shaw portrays Androcles to be one of the many Christians being led to the Colosseum for torture...
, which played in 1953. Oski had an anthology of his work published in 1952, as well as an animated film, The First Foundation of Buenos Aires, in 1959. Made in an era in which such historical events were treated as sacrosanct epics by the State and much of the media, First Foundation was a slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
look at the imposing Spanish Conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
es and their conflict with retaliating indigenous peoples. A similar theme prevailed is his satirical comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
, The True History of the Indies, in 1968. He also illustrated unconventional editions of Argentine literary
Argentine literature
Argentine literature is the body of literary work produced in Argentina. Among Argentina's best-known and most influential authors are Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, José Hernández, Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Roberto Arlt, Julio Cortázar, Manuel Puig, and Ernesto Sabato...
epics, such a University of Buenos Aires
University of Buenos Aires
The University of Buenos Aires is the largest university in Argentina and the largest university by enrollment in Latin America. Founded on August 12, 1821 in the city of Buenos Aires, it consists of 13 faculties, 6 hospitals, 10 museums and is linked to 4 high schools: Colegio Nacional de Buenos...
edition of Estanislao del Campo
Estanislao del Campo
Estanislao del Campo was an Argentine poet. Born in Buenos Aires to a unitarian family—the unitarians were a political party favoring a strong central government, rather than a federation—he fought in the battles of Cepeda and Pavón, defending Buenos Aires' rights.He is best remembered...
's Fausto (an adaptation of the traditional tale - here protagonized by a Gaucho
Gaucho
Gaucho is a term commonly used to describe residents of the South American pampas, chacos, or Patagonian grasslands, found principally in parts of Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Chile, and Southern Brazil...
). Sought-after internationally, he relocated to Santiago, Chile
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
in 1970, partly out of support for President Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende
Salvador Allende Gossens was a Chilean physician and politician who is generally considered the first democratically elected Marxist to become president of a country in Latin America....
. There, he illustrated Cabrochico Magazine until returning to Argentina in 1972.
Oski contributed to the left-wing Satiricón Magazine in Buenos Aires. He illustrated the best-selling True History of Sports in 1973 and published another anthology, Oski in His Own Ink. Satiricóns closure by executive order in 1974, however, led Oski to begin eschewing political subject matter, instead working with César Bruto in The Brutoski Medicinal Handbook (a would-be Medical school textbook) and their unique version of the seminal Salerno School of Medicine
Schola Medica Salernitana
The Schola Medica Salernitana was the first medieval medical school in the cosmopolitan coastal south Italian city of Salerno, which provided the most important source of medical knowledge in Western Europe at the time...
's medieval compendium.
The worsening climate of political violence and repression
Dirty War
The Dirty War was a period of state-sponsored violence in Argentina from 1976 until 1983. Victims of the violence included several thousand left-wing activists, including trade unionists, students, journalists, Marxists, Peronist guerrillas and alleged sympathizers, either proved or suspected...
in Argentina during 1975 led Oski to move to Barcelona, Spain late that year, where he briefly worked for Lumen Publishing. Relocating to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1976, he illustrated a number of left-leaning periodicals such as Italy's L'Unità
L'Unità
l'Unità is an Italian left-wing newspaper, originally founded as official newspaper of the Italian Communist Party.-History:L'Unità was founded by Antonio Gramsci on 12 February 1924, as the newspaper of workers and peasants, the official newspaper of Italian Communist Party : it was printed in...
, though his declining health and a certain loosening of restrictions by Argentina's dictatorship
National Reorganization Process
The National Reorganization Process was the name used by its leaders for the military government that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. In Argentina it is often known simply as la última junta militar or la última dictadura , because several of them existed throughout its history.The Argentine...
in 1979 led him to return. Contributing a segment in a public television
Canal 7 Argentina
Canal Siete, TV Pública or TV Pública Digital is an Argentine television network founded on October 17, 1951. Between 1979 and 1999, the network was known as Argentina Televisora Color . During the 1978 World Cup, it was known as A78TV.Owned, financed and operated by the Argentine State, Canal 7 is...
mockumentary
Mockumentary
A mockumentary , is a type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or to parody the documentary form itself...
of the 1978 FIFA World Cup
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
(won by Argentina), Oski died on October 30, 1979, at 65. Numerous posthumous anthologies of his work have been published since, notably El Maestroski in 1989.
External links
- A biography of Oski ]
- Taringa.net: había una véz un dibujante (a sampling of his work)
- Dibujos de Oski y posibilidad de descarga de El descubrimiento de América (a sampling of his work)
- Juan Sasturain realiza una semblanza de Oski en Página/12
- Anuncio de la entrega de Vera historia del deporte y comentario sobre Oski en Página/12
- Análisis de la labor de Oski en El Control Público Digital
- Miguel Rep habla de Oski