Painters At Work, Playboy illustration by Horacio Altuna

Self-taught artist Horacio Altuna made his debut in Argentina in 1965. He began a longtime collaboration with the publishing house Colomba in Buenos Aires in 1967, where he co-created characters like 'Big Norman' (with writer Robin Wood), 'Hilario Corvalan' (with Sergio Almendre), 'Los Cuzados' and 'Kabul' (with Hector German Oesterheld). In addition, he worked for the publishers Quinterno, Abril and Atlantida, as well as the Fleetway group in London. In 1975, he created the series 'El Loco Chavez' with the writer Carlos Trillo in the daily Clarin. The strip was a huge success, and was adapted for TV and published in Spain and France. Altuna became secretary of the Argentinean Comic Association and taught graphics at the School of Arts in Buenos Aires. In 1982, he moved to Spain, where he got assiciated with Josep Toutain's agency. He contributed to magazines like Zona 84, Comix Internacional, Cimoc and Play Boy.Already a master of black and white techniques, he devoted himself to stories in color, like 'Ficcionario', 'Tragaperas', 'Merdichensky' and 'Charlie Moon', which were published all over Europe. In 1986, he drew the political fiction 'Chances' in Pilote et Charlie, and received the 'Yellow Kid Award for the Best Illustrator' from the International Comics Salon in Lucca. Text (c) Lambiek