View source for Sergio Aragonés

{{Short description|Spanish Mexican cartoonist (born 1937)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}}
{{family name hatnote|Aragonés|Domenech|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox artist
| name          = Sergio Aragonés
| image         = Sergio Aragones by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| caption       = Aragonés at the 2017 [[WonderCon]]
| birth_name    = Sergio Aragonés Domenech
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|1937|9|6|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Sant Mateu]], [[Castellón (province)|Castellón]], Spain
| nationality   = Spanish
| field         = [[Cartoonist]], writer
| works         = ''[[Mad (magazine)|Mad]],'' ''[[Groo the Wanderer]]''
| influenced by =
| signature     = Signature Aragonés.svg
| awards        = {{List collapsed|[[Shazam Award]], Best Inker (Humor Division), and Best Humor Story in 1972;<br />[[Inkpot Award]] 1976;<br />[[Harvey Award]] Special Award for Humor in 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2001;<br />[[National Cartoonist Society]] Comic Book Award for 1986, Humor Comic Book Award for 1973, 1974, and 1976, Magazine and Book Illustration Award for 1989, Special Features Award for 1977, Gag Cartoon Award for 1983, and [[Reuben Award]] in 1996;<br />[[Adamson Award]] for Best International Comic-Strip or Comic Book work in Sweden, 1985;<br />[[Eisner Award]], Best Short Story in 2001}}
}}
'''Sergio Aragonés Domenech''' ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|æ|r|ə|ˈ|g|oʊ|n|ᵻ|s}} {{respell|ARR|ə|GOH|niss}}, {{IPA|es|ˈseɾxjo aɾaɣoˈnes ðoˈmenek|lang}};{{efn|In isolation, ''Domenech'' is pronounced {{IPA|es|doˈmenek|}}.}} born 6 September 1937)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.madmagazine.com/blog/2012/09/06/happy-75th-birthday-sergio-aragon%C3%A9s|title=Happy 75th Birthday, Sergio Aragonés!|date= 6 September 2012|work=[[Mad (magazine)|Mad]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180918160606/https://www.madmagazine.com/blog/2012/09/06/happy-75th-birthday-sergio-aragonés|archive-date= 18 September 2018|url-status= live|df= mdy-all}}</ref> is a Spanish-Mexican [[cartoonist]] and writer best known for his contributions to ''[[Mad (magazine)|Mad]]'' magazine and creating the comic book ''[[Groo the Wanderer]]''.

Among his peers and fans, Aragonés is widely regarded as "the world's fastest cartoonist".<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=11739|title= Sergio Aragonés Un-Destroys DC|first= Jeffrey|last= Renaud|date= 18 October 2007 |website= [[Comic Book Resources]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160418071529/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=11739|archive-date= 18 April 2016|url-status= live|quote= Arguably the fastest cartoonist in the world...}}</ref> ''[[The Comics Journal]]'' has described Aragonés as "one of the most prolific and brilliant cartoonists of his generation".<ref name="Thompson">{{cite journal|last= Thompson|first= Kim |author-link= Kim Thompson|title= Sergio Aragonés: Around The World In 80,000 Gags|journal= [[The Comics Journal]]|issue= 128|pages= 67–98|publisher= [[Fantagraphics Books]]|date= April 1989|location= Seattle, Washington}}</ref> ''Mad'' editor [[Al Feldstein]] said, "He could have drawn the whole magazine if we'd let him."<ref>{{cite book|last= Evanier|first= Mark|author-link= Mark Evanier|title= Mad Art: A Visual Celebration of the Art of Mad Magazine and the Idiots Who Create It|publisher= [[Watson-Guptill]]|date= 2002|location= New York, NY|isbn= 978-0823030804}}</ref>

Aragonés has won numerous awards and accolades for his work, including [[Shazam Awards]], a [[Harvey Award]], an [[Inkpot Award]], a [[Reuben Award]], an [[Eisner Award]], and a [[National Cartoonists Society]] Comic Book Award. In October 2024, he was inducted into the [[Harvey Awards]] Hall of Fame.<ref name=NYTimes10.11.24>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/11/arts/harvey-awards-hall-of-fame.html|author=[[Gustines, George Gene]]|title=Harvey Awards Inducts 5 Comic Creators to Hall of Fame|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=11 October 2024|access-date=12 October 2024|archive-date=12 October 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241012064817/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/11/arts/harvey-awards-hall-of-fame.html}}</ref>

==Early life==
Born in [[Sant Mateu]], [[Castellón (province)|Castellón]], Spain, Aragonés emigrated with his family to France, due to the [[Spanish Civil War]], before settling in [[Mexico]] at age 6. Aragonés had a passion for art since early childhood. As one anecdote goes, Aragonés was once left alone in a room by his parents with a box of crayons. His parents returned sometime later to find that he had covered the wall in hundreds upon hundreds of drawings.  Aragonés recalled his early difficulties in Mexico, saying, "I didn't have too many friends because I had just arrived.  You're the new kid, and you have an accent.  I've always had an accent&nbsp;... When the other kids make fun of you, you don't want to get out of the house. So you stay at home, and what do you do?  You take pencils and start drawing."<ref name="Thompson"/>

Aragonés used his drawing skills to assimilate. "The earliest money I ever made was with drawings", he remembered. "The teacher would give us homework, which would consist of copying Chapter Eleven, including the illustrations&nbsp;... a beetle or a plant, the pistil of a flower, or soldiers&nbsp;– that type of thing.  All the kids who couldn't draw would leave a square where the drawing was, and I would charge them to draw that. The equivalent of a few pennies&nbsp;... That's probably why I draw so fast, because I drew so many of them."<ref name="Thompson"/>

He made his first professional sale in 1954 when a high school classmate submitted his work to a magazine without telling Aragonés. He continued to sell gag cartoons to magazines while studying architecture at the [[National Autonomous University of Mexico]] (UNAM), where he learned [[pantomime]] under the direction of [[Alejandro Jodorowsky]]. "I joined the class", Aragonés recalled, "not to become a mime but to apply its physical aspects of movement to my comics." 

Aragonés taught Mexican Popular Art at the University of Mexico, and became engaged to one of his American students, Lilio Chomette. In 1962, Aragonés moved to the United States, where he married Chomette and settled with her in New York.<ref>{{Cite book|last=De Fuccio|first=Jerry|title=Viva MAD|contribution=Introduction|publisher=Signet Books|year=1968|location=New York|pages=5}}</ref>

Art collector Jeff Singh spoke with Sergio at a convention and wrote. "A friend told me that Sergio's father was a film director/producer in Mexico. I asked about this and it is true. His father didn't want the family on set for fear of actors and workers befriending the family in order to win favor with the father. Among the projects worked on, his father did work for the [[Irish McCalla]] TV series ''[[Sheena, Queen of the Jungle]]'' which was filmed in Mexico (in 1955). On one of the rare occasions Sergio was on set the stuntman didn't show up. Sergio had to put on the Sheena costume and did some stunts which I understand included swinging from a vine and diving into water. He was in his early teens at this time. He said they were pretty distant shots as despite the wig and costume he didn't look at all like Irish. Irish was not on set that day and he lamented never having got to meet her."

==Arrival in the United States==
According to the artist, he arrived in New York in 1962<ref name="Back21">{{cite journal|last= Cassell|first= Dewey|date= April 2007|location= Raleigh, North Carolina|title= The Hellish Humor of ''Plop!''|journal= [[Back Issue!]]|issue= 21|pages= 21–27|publisher= [[TwoMorrows Publishing]]}}</ref> with nothing but 20 dollars and his portfolio of drawings. After working odd jobs around the city, Aragonés went to ''[[Mad (magazine)|Mad]]'''s offices on [[Third Avenue]] hoping to sell some of his cartoons. "I didn't think I had anything that belonged in ''Mad,''" said Aragonés. "I didn't have any satire.  I didn't have any articles.  But everybody was telling me, 'Oh, you should go to ''Mad''."<ref name="DoodleKing">{{cite journal|last= Thompson|first= Kim|title= Doodle King: An Interview with Sergio Aragonés|journal= The Comics Journal|issue= 128|publisher= Fantagraphics Books|date= April 1989|location= Seattle, Washington|url= http://www.tcj.com/doodle-king-an-interview-with-sergio-aragones-1989/2/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233807/http://www.tcj.com/doodle-king-an-interview-with-sergio-aragones-1989/2/|archive-date= 3 March 2016|url-status= live}}</ref>

Since his knowledge of English was not very extensive, he asked for the only ''Mad'' artist he knew of that spoke Spanish, Cuban-born artist [[Antonio Prohías]], creator of the comic strip "[[Spy vs. Spy]]". Aragonés hoped Prohías could serve as an interpreter between him and the ''Mad'' editors. According to Aragonés, this proved to be a mistake, since Prohías knew even less English than he did. Prohías did receive Aragonés very enthusiastically and, with difficulty, introduced the young artist to the ''Mad'' editors as "Sergio, my brother from Mexico," temporarily leading to even further confusion, as the ''Mad'' editors thought they were meeting "Sergio Prohías."<ref name="DoodleKing" /> ''Mad'' editor [[Al Feldstein]] and publisher [[Bill Gaines]] liked what they saw, and Aragonés became a contributor to the magazine in 1963. His first sale was an assortment of astronaut cartoons which the editors arranged into a themed article.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.madcoversite.com/mad076.html|title= ''Mad'' #76 January 1963|first= Doug|last= Gilford|date= n.d.|publisher= Madcoversite.com}}</ref> 

When associate editor [[Jerry DeFuccio]] encouraged Aragonés to submit more material in the future, the cartoonist took it to heart, producing a full article on motorcycle cops overnight. He returned to the ''Mad'' offices the following morning, and made his second sale. In 2022, Aragonés told an interviewer, "I was back at the door before they opened. They were asking, "What happened? What do you need?" I said, "No, I have your articles here." They couldn't believe it. I had drawn close to 15 ideas and they loved it."<ref>Hunter, Ira, "Comic Book Icons: Sergio Aragonés, Part 1," Absolute Underground magazine, issue #104</ref>

With little money and no connections in the United States, Aragonés spent so much time at the office that publisher Gaines allowed him to sleep there overnight. "I don't think any other company would have been so generous or friendly," Aragonés recalled 57 years later.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

Aragonés worked continuously for ''Mad'' from 1963 to 2020, only stopping because the magazine transitioned into an almost-all-reprint format. His final new material appeared in an issue otherwise entirely filled with Aragonés reprints. It was the 491st issue to include new work by Aragonés, second only to [[Al Jaffee]] (509 issues).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://users.pfw.edu/slaubau/mad/madcontributor.htm|title= ''Mad'' Magazine Contributor Appearances|access-date= 5 December 2020|date= 5 December 2020|last= Slaubaugh|first= Mike|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160313111312/http://users.pfw.edu/slaubau/mad/madcontributor.htm|archive-date= 13 March 2016|url-status= live}}</ref> "They told me, 'Make ''Mad'' your home,'" said Aragonés, "and I took it literally."

==Marginals==
Aragonés has a featured section in every issue called "A ''Mad'' Look At...", typically featuring 4–5 pages of speechless gag strips that are all related to a single subject, such as "Gambling," "UFOs" or "Pizza." Aragonés became famous for his wordless "drawn-out dramas" or "marginals" which were inserted into the margins and between panels of the magazine. The drawings are both horizontal and vertical, and occasionally extend around corners. Prior to Aragonés's arrival at ''Mad'', the magazine had sometimes filled its margins with text jokes under the catch-all heading "Marginal Thinking."  Aragonés convinced Feldstein to use his cartoons by creating a dummy sample issue with his Marginals drawn along the edges. The staff of ''Mad'' enjoyed his marginals, but did not expect him to be able to maintain the steady stream of small cartoons needed for each issue.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.newsfromme.com/2007/03/17/one-more-honor-for-sergio/|title= One More Honor For Sergio|date= 17 March 2007|last= Evanier|first= Mark|work= News From ME|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160626095415/http://www.newsfromme.com/2007/03/17/one-more-honor-for-sergio/|archive-date= 26 June 2016|url-status= live}}</ref> Aragonés has provided marginals for every issue of ''Mad'' since 1963 except one (his contributions to that issue were lost by the Post Office).  Associate Editor [[Jerry DeFuccio]] said, "Writing the 'Marginal Thinking' marginals had always been a pain in the butt. Sergio made the pain go away."<ref>Evanier, ''Mad Art'' p. 127</ref>

Aragonés is a very prolific artist; [[Al Jaffee]] once said, "Sergio has, quite literally, drawn more cartoons on napkins in restaurants than most cartoonists draw in their entire careers."<ref>Evanier, ''Mad Art'' pp. 128–129</ref> In 2002, writer [[Mark Evanier]] estimated that Aragonés had written and drawn more than 12,000 gag cartoons for ''Mad'' alone.<ref>Evanier, ''Mad Art'' pp. 127–128</ref> His new marginal gags in the April 2024 ''Mad'' marked the 509th issue that Aragonés has contributed to, the most of any writer or artist. He passed [[Al Jaffee]], whose work had appeared in 508 ''Mad'' issues between 1955 and 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MAD CONTRIBUTORS #1-550 (NY) & #1-40 (CA) |url=https://users.pfw.edu/slaubau/mad/madcontributor.htm |access-date=16 October 2024 |website=users.pfw.edu}}</ref>

==Comic books==
In 1967, he began writing and illustrating full stories for various [[DC Comics]] titles, including ''[[The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis|The Adventures of Jerry Lewis]]'', ''[[Angel and the Ape]]'', ''[[Inferior Five]]'', ''[[Young Romance]]'', and for various horror anthologies.<ref name="GCD">{{gcdb|type=credit|search=Sergio+Aragones|title=Sergio Aragonés}}</ref> He wrote or plotted stories that were illustrated by other artists. Aragonés helped create DC's Western series ''[[Bat Lash]]''<ref>{{cite book|last=McAvennie|first= Michael|editor-last=Dolan|editor-first=Hannah|chapter= 1960s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|year=2010|location= London, United Kingdom|isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9|page= 131|quote= Sergio Aragonés and artist Nick Cardy served up the offbeat Western hero Bat Lash in August [1968]'s ''Showcase'' #76.}}</ref> and the humor title ''[[Plop!]]''.<ref name="Back21"/> Aragonés broke with DC when the company began insisting on [[work-for-hire]] contracts; when Aragonés balked, an editor tore up Aragonés's paycheck in front of his face.  He'd been trying obliquely to sell a comic book premise to DC or Marvel, but neither company would allow Aragonés to retain the copyright. "I didn't want anyone stealing the idea", said Aragonés, "and they weren't able to talk on a theoretical basis."{{Citation needed|date=August 2013}}

[[Image:Groo cover issue1.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A cartoonish drawing of Groo holding a sword|''[[Groo the Wanderer]]'' vol.&nbsp;2 #1 (March 1984)]]
Aragonés had created the humorous barbarian comic book ''[[Groo the Wanderer]]'' in the late 1970s, but the character did not appear in print until 1982. Groo was so named because Aragonés sought a name which meant nothing in any language. Writer [[Mark Evanier]] subsequently joined Aragonés on ''Groo.'' Evanier's role originally was as something of a translator, as Aragonés was still somewhat shaky at expressing his ideas in English. Eventually, the two began collaborating on story ideas, and there have been several Groo stories in which Evanier is credited as the sole writer. Aragonés has since become fluent in English. The other regular contributors to the comic book are letterer [[Stan Sakai]] (himself the creator/artist of [[Usagi Yojimbo]]), and colorist Tom Luth. As a [[creator ownership|creator-owned]] series, ''Groo'' has survived the bankruptcy of a number of publishers, a fact which led to the industry joke that publishing the series was a precursor to a publisher's demise.  The title was initially published by [[Pacific Comics]], briefly by Eclipse Comics, then [[Marvel Comics]] under their since-discontinued [[Epic Comics]] imprint<ref>{{cite book|last= DeFalco|first= Tom|author-link = Tom DeFalco|editor-last= Gilbert|editor-first= Laura|chapter= 1980s|title = Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History|publisher = [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year = 2008|location= London, United Kingdom|page = 220|isbn =978-0756641238|quote= Marvel's Epic Comics imprint also launched their longest-running and most successful title, ''Groo the Wanderer''. It was drawn by Sergio Aragonés...and was written by Mark Evanier.}}</ref> which allowed creators to retain copyrights, then [[Image Comics]], and currently [[Dark Horse Comics]].<ref name="GCD" />

On 2 December 1982, [[Marty Feldman]] died from a heart attack in a hotel room in [[Mexico City]]. This occurred during the making of the film ''[[Yellowbeard]]''. Aragonés, who was filming nearby and was dressed for his role as an armed policeman, had introduced himself to Feldman that night. He encountered Feldman abruptly, startling and frightening him, which may have induced Feldman's heart attack. Aragonés has recounted the story with the punchline "I killed Marty Feldman". The story was converted into a strip in Aragonés's issue of DC Comics' ''[[Solo (DC Comics)|Solo]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://comicsalliance.com/duet-on-solo-part-eleven-sergio-aragones-dc-comics-anthology-review/ |title=Duet On ''Solo'', Part Eleven: Sergio Aragones |first=Matt |last=Seneca |date=6 September 2012 |publisher=[[Townsquare Media|ComicsAlliance]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905114426/http://comicsalliance.com/duet-on-solo-part-eleven-sergio-aragones-dc-comics-anthology-review/ |archive-date=5 September 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the early 1980s, Aragonés collaborated with the Belgian cartoonist [[François Walthéry]] on ''[[Natacha (comics)|Natacha, l'hotesse de l'air]]'', a well known series from the magazine ''[[Spirou (magazine)|Spirou]]''. This story was titled "Instantané pour Caltech". Aragonés appears in the strip as a police officer character ({{ISBN|2-8001-0856-8}} / DUPUIS Editor – Belgium).
[[File:Sergio Aragones Interview Emerald City ComiCon 2011 - Backroom Comics Podcast.webm|thumb|right|Aragonés interviewed in 2011]]
In April 2022, Aragonés was reported among the more than three dozen comics creators who contributed to [[Operation USA]]'s benefit anthology book, ''Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds'', a project spearheaded by [[IDW Publishing]] Special Projects Editor [[Scott Dunbier]], whose profits would be donated to relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees resulting from the February [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/zoop-launches-benefit-anthology-comics-for-ukraine-sunflower-seeds/|author=Kaplan, Rebecca O.|title=ZOOP launches benefit anthology COMICS FOR UKRAINE: SUNFLOWER SEEDS|publisher=The Beat|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=18 April 2022|access-date=26 April 2022|archivedate=18 April 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220418170150/https://www.comicsbeat.com/zoop-launches-benefit-anthology-comics-for-ukraine-sunflower-seeds/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://aiptcomics.com/2022/04/18/comics-for-ukraine-sunflower-seeds/|publisher=AIPT|title='Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds' to benefit Ukrainian refugees|author=Brooke, David|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=18 April 2022|accessdate=26 April 2022|archivedate=26 April 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220426153140/https://aiptcomics.com/2022/04/18/comics-for-ukraine-sunflower-seeds/}}</ref>

Aragonés's work can be found in other compilations, including ''[[The Big Book Of|The Big Book of the Weird, Wild West]]'', in which he illustrates a retelling of the [[Donner Party]] incident.  His cartoons have appeared in a series of paperback editions for ''Mad''.

==Film and television==
In 1976, he had an acting role in the film ''[[Norman... Is That You?]]''<ref name=AmazingInterview>[https://archive.org/details/amazing-heroes-1986/Amazing%20Heroes%20099%20%28July%2015%2C%201986%29/page/n45/mode/2up Sergio Aragones Interview], by Peter Bosch; in ''[[Amazing Heroes]]'' #99 (15 July 1986); p. 50; via [[archive.org]]</ref> where he played one of the desk clerks at the ''Buenos Noches Hotel''.

He appeared in the short-lived 1977 revival of TV's ''[[Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In#Revival|Laugh-In]]''.

In addition to printed work, Aragonés has worked in television animation. He worked on the NBC program ''Speak Up America'' (1980) where he would draw during the show. His segments were used for many years on the [[Dick Clark]]  ''[[TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes|Bloopers]]'' programs.  Frequent collaborator Mark Evanier related an anecdote from their time on the short-lived 1983 NBC series ''The Half Hour Comedy Hour'', which featured a guest appearance by model [[Jayne Kennedy]]:

<blockquote>This was one of the most beautiful women in the world, and she wore this dress that was very revealing.  So much so, the censors wouldn't let us put her on the air in it without adding some material. So we're all talking to her, the writers and whoever, just in awe of this woman. And Sergio comes walking in looking like a homeless person, carrying his portfolio. And Jayne sees him and she shouts, 'Sergio!' and she runs over and starts kissing him passionately.  They'd worked together before, it turned out.  But [[Johnny Carson]] comes walking out into the hallway and he thinks Jayne Kennedy is being sexually assaulted by a homeless person in the NBC hallways. He came over to make sure she was okay. She said it was fine, that she knew him, and I said, 'It's okay, he's a cartoonist.'  So Johnny gives that classic look and he says, 'I knew I should have taken up drawing.'<ref>{{cite web |first= Sean|last= Maher|url= http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25551|title= WC10: The Sergio & Mark Show|website= [[Comic Book Resources]]|date= April 3, 2010|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160604030636/http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25551|archive-date= June 4, 2016|url-status= live|df=mdy-all}}</ref></blockquote>

[[Stan Lee]] interviewed Aragonés in the 1991 documentary series ''[[The Comic Book Greats]]''.

In 2009, Aragonés told an interviewer, "I'm thinking and laughing all day long.  Every time I think of a joke, I'm also telling myself a new joke.  It's a great way to live."<ref>{{cite web|url= http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2009/09/comics-a-m-the-comics-internet-in-two-minutes-12/|title= Comics A.M. The comics Internet in two minutes|first= Kevin|last= Melrose|date= 4 September 2009|website= Comic Book Resources|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120323212704/http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2009/09/comics-a-m-the-comics-internet-in-two-minutes-12/|archive-date= 23 March 2012|url-status= live|quote= I like this profile of legendary cartoonist Sergio Aragonés: 'Like pain, laughter is inside of a person. It's as natural as hunger. … I'm thinking and laughing all day long. Every time I think of a joke, I'm also telling myself a new joke. It's a great way to live.' [''Ventura County Star'']}}</ref>

He appeared as his own preserved head in the ''[[Futurama]]'' episode "[[Lrrreconcilable Ndndifferences]]", hosting the "Last Actual Comic Book Booth" at Comic Con 3010.

In 2020, Aragonés guest-starred in ''[[The Casagrandes]]'' episode "Mexican Makeover" voicing Lupe's pet parrot and Sergio's cousin Paco.

==Awards==
[[Image:Sergio Aragones at the 1982 San Diego Comic Con.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Aragonés at the 1982 San Diego Comic Con (today called [[Comic-Con International]])]]
Aragonés's work has won him numerous awards. He won [[Shazam Award]]s for Best Inker (Humor Division) in 1972 for his work on ''[[Mad Magazine]]'' and for Best Humor Story in 1972 for "The Poster Plague" from ''[[House of Mystery]]'' No. 202 with [[Steve Skeates]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/shazam72.php|title= 1972 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards|publisher= Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160420111711/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/shazam72.php|archive-date= 20 April 2016|url-status= live}}</ref> Aragonés received an [[Inkpot Award]] in 1976.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/inkpot.php |title=Inkpot Award Winners |publisher=Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709055558/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/inkpot.php |archive-date=9 July 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> He won the [[Harvey Award]] Special Award for Humor in 1990,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1990-harvey-awards/ |title=1990 Harvey Awards |date=n.d. |publisher=[[Harvey Award]]s |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315160914/http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1990-harvey-awards/ |archive-date=15 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> 1991,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1991-harvey-awards/|title= 1991 Harvey Awards|date= n.d.|publisher= Harvey Awards|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160506165345/http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1991-harvey-awards/|archive-date= 6 May 2016|url-status= dead|df= mdy-all}}</ref> 1992,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1992-harvey-awards/|title= 1992 Harvey Awards|date= n.d.|publisher= Harvey Awards|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160315021003/http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1992-harvey-awards/|archive-date= 15 March 2016|url-status= dead|df= mdy-all}}</ref> 1993,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1993-harvey-awards/|title= 1993 Harvey Awards|date= n.d.|publisher= Harvey Awards|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160315084306/http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1993-harvey-awards/|archive-date= 15 March 2016|url-status= dead|df= mdy-all}}</ref> 1995,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1995-harvey-awards/|title= 1995 Harvey Awards|date= n.d.|publisher= Harvey Awards|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160315094606/http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1995-harvey-awards/|archive-date= 15 March 2016|url-status= dead|df= mdy-all}}</ref> 1997,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1997-harvey-awards/|title= 1997 Harvey Awards|date= n.d.|publisher= Harvey Awards|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160315045636/http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1997-harvey-awards/|archive-date= 15 March 2016|url-status= dead|df= mdy-all}}</ref> 1998,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1998-harvey-awards/|title= 1998 Harvey Awards|date= n.d.|publisher= Harvey Awards|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160315090439/http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1998-harvey-awards/|archive-date= 15 March 2016|url-status= dead|df= mdy-all}}</ref> 1999,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1999-harvey-awards/|title= 1999 Harvey Awards|date= n.d.|publisher= Harvey Awards|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160315144522/http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/1999-harvey-awards/|archive-date= 15 March 2016|url-status= dead|df= mdy-all}}</ref> and 2001.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/2001-harvey-awards/ |title=2001 Harvey Awards |date=n.d. |publisher=Harvey Awards |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315073757/http://www.harveyawards.org/previous-awards-nominees/2001-harvey-awards/ |archive-date=15 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> He received the [[National Cartoonists Society]] Comic Book Award for 1986, their Humor Comic Book Award for 1973, 1974, and 1976, their Magazine and Book Illustration Award for 1989, their Special Features Award for 1977, their Gag Cartoon Award for 1983,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reuben.org/ncs-awards/division-awards/#comic |title=Division Awards Comic Books |year=2013 |publisher=[[National Cartoonists Society]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216074848/http://www.reuben.org/ncs-awards/division-awards/ |archive-date=16 December 2013 |url-status=live|access-date=16 December 2013  }}</ref> and their top [[Reuben Award]] in 1996 for his work on ''Mad'' and ''Groo the Wanderer.'' In 1985 he was awarded the [[Adamson Award]] for Best International Comic-Strip or Comic Book work in Sweden. In 1992 he became the first Mexican ever to win the [[Eisner Award]] for his work on ''[[Groo the Wanderer]]'', along with [[Mark Evanier]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Icon Award|url=https://www.comic-con.org/awards/icon-award|website=[[Comic-Con International]]|access-date=3 March 2018|archive-date=19 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171119132015/https://www.comic-con.org/awards/icon-award|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2009, an exhibition, ''Mad About Sergio'', was held at the Ojai Valley Museum. Visitors saw examples of Aragonés's cartooning dating back to childhood, publications he has appeared in, some of his awards, and Marginal-style sketches by Aragonés literally drawn onto the museum's walls and display cases.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-ca-aragones9-2009aug09-story.html|title= Ojai museum fetes Mad magazine's Sergio Aragonés|first= Reed|last= Johnson|date= 9 August 2009|newspaper= [[Los Angeles Times]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160406104707/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-ca-aragones9-2009aug09-story.html|archive-date= 6 April 2016|url-status= live}}</ref>

[[Comic Art Professional Society|The Comic Art Professional Society]] award's prize's name is "The Sergio", an homage to his work.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.capscentral.org/trophy.php|title= Designing a Trophy|date= n.d.|publisher= Comic Art Professional Society|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160309094740/http://capscentral.org/trophy.php|archive-date= 9 March 2016|url-status= dead|df= mdy-all}}</ref>

On 11 October 2024, the [[Harvey Awards]] announced<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.firstcomicsnews.com/the-harvey-awards-hall-of-fame-announces-inductees-for-2024/|title=THE HARVEY AWARDS HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES INDUCTEES FOR 2024|publisher=First Comics News|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=11 October 2024|access-date=12 October 2024|archive-date=12 October 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241012135449/https://www.firstcomicsnews.com/the-harvey-awards-hall-of-fame-announces-inductees-for-2024/}}</ref> that Aragonés was one of five comics creators to be inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame at the 36th annual Harvey Awards ceremony on 18 October at the [[New York Comic Con]].<ref name=NYTimes10.11.24/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://comicbookclublive.com/2024/10/12/harvey-awards-hall-of-fame-2024-inductees/|author=Zalben, Alex|title=Harvey Awards Announce Hall Of Fame Inductees: Larry Hama, John Buscema, More|publisher=Comic Book Club|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=12 October 2024|access-date=12 October 2024|archive-date=12 October 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241012135136/https://comicbookclublive.com/2024/10/12/harvey-awards-hall-of-fame-2024-inductees/}}</ref> The other four inductees were [[Arthur Adams (comics)|Arthur Adams]], [[Larry Hama]], [[Akira Toriyama]], and [[John Buscema]]. Upon learning of the accolade, Aragonés commented, "What an honor it is to be inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame. Harvey was a great inspiration to me and so many other cartoonists."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/nycc-2024-harvey-award-hall-of-fame/|author=[[MacDonald, Heidi]]|title=NYCC '24: Five inducted into the 2024 Harvey Award Hall of Fame|publisher=[[Comics Beat]]|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=11 October 2024|access-date=12 October 2024|archive-date=12 October 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241012134508/https://www.comicsbeat.com/nycc-2024-harvey-award-hall-of-fame/}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
{{For|the works on his main character|Groo the Wanderer}}
* ''Aunt's in Your Pants: Memoirs of a Dirty Old Woman'' (1967, Alexicon Corp.), collection of cartoons focused on an indecent old lady.
* "Abel's Fables", a page of one panel gag comics in ''[[House of Secrets (DC Comics)|House of Secrets]]'' featuring [[Abel (DC Comics)|Abel]]. (1971–1972, DC Comics)  
* ''[[Plop!]]'' (1973–1976, DC Comics), Aragonés provided intros, stories, gags, and/or prologues for 23 issues of the 24 issue run.
* ''[[DC Super Stars]] Presents...'' (1977, DC Comics), the thirteenth issue of this DC Comics artist anthology series is subtitled "The Wild and Wacky World of Sergio Aragonés" and features all-new stories and gags.
* ''[[Jon Sable]], Freelance'' (1986, [[First Comics]]).  The thirty-third issue of this Mike Grell comic book features 23 pages of Aragonés's art for a story titled "Cave of the Half-Pints."
* ''[[Usagi Yojimbo]]'' (1988, [[Fantagraphics Books]]).  The eleventh issue of this Stan Sakai comic book features an eight-page Aragonés's story titled "Catnippon and the Missive."
* ''Aragonés 3-D'' (1989, 3-D Zone), booklet of wordless humor in 3-D, includes two pairs of 3-D glasses.
* ''Buzz & Bell, Space Cadets'' (1991, Platinum Editions), graphic novel of wordless humor featuring an astronaut and his monkey buddy.
* ''Smokehouse Five'' (1991, Platinum Editions), graphic novel of wordless humor featuring the misadventures of a group of firefighters.
* ''The Mighty Magnor'' (1993–1994, [[Malibu Comics]]), six-issue superhero mini-series (with Mark Evanier).
* ''Louder Than Words'' (1997, [[Dark Horse Comics]]), six-issue mini-series of wordless humor.
* ''Boogeyman'' (1998, Dark Horse Comics), a four-issue mini-series of humorous horror stories (with Mark Evanier).
* ''Louder Than Words TPB'' (09/1998, Dark Horse Comics, softcover), collecting the 6-issues-series from 1997
* ''Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead)'' (1998, Dark Horse Comics), one-shot comic about the annual Mexican celebration honoring the dead (with Mark Evanier).
* ''[[Fanboy (comics)|Fanboy]]'' (1999, DC Comics), six-issue mini-series on comics and society's reaction to them, from the point of view of a self-described "fanboy" (with Mark Evanier).
* ''Boogeyman TPB'' (06/1999, Dark Horse Comics, softcover), collecting the 4-issues-series from 1998
* ''Blair Which?'' (1999, Dark Horse Comics), one-shot comic with Mark Evanier spoofing the movie [[The Blair Witch Project]]
* ''Space Circus'' (2000, Dark Horse Comics), four-issue mini-series of a boy joining a circus that travels throughout the galaxy (with Mark Evanier).
* ''Actions Speak'' (2001, Dark Horse Comics), another six-issue mini-series of wordless humor (sequel to "Louder Than Words").
* ''Sergio Aragonés Massacres Marvel'' (1996, [[Marvel Comics]]), ''[[Sergio Aragonés Destroys DC]]'' (1996, DC Comics), and ''Sergio Aragonés Stomps Star Wars'' (2000, Dark Horse Comics), the artist's comical interpretation of the superheroes of both Marvel and DC and the mythology of the Star Wars franchise (all with Mark Evanier).
* ''Actions Speak TPB'' (05/2002, Dark Horse Comics, softcover), collecting the 6-issues-series from 2001
* ''[[Solo (DC Comics)|Solo]]'' (2006, DC Comics), the eleventh issue of this DC Comics artist anthology series features various stories written and illustrated by Aragonés, some biographical, and a Batman story written by Mark Evanier.
* ''[[List of The Simpsons comics|Bart Simpson/Simpsons Comics]]'' (2009, Bongo Comics), He is a writer/artist since ''Bart Simpson'' No. 50, and he did a full issue in ''Simpsons Comics'' No. 163. He has a one to three-page comic strip called, "Maggie's Crib" in every issue of ''Bart Simpson'' since No. 50
* ''[[Bongo Comics|Sergio Aragonés Funnies]]'' (July 2011–February 2014, Bongo Comics), A twelve-issue anthology of fictional, non-fictional and autobiographical content in addition to puzzles and related materials under Aragonés's sole authorship.<ref name="GCD" />
* ''Louder Than Words, Actions Speak TPB'' (07/2024, Dark Horse Comics, hardcover), collecting the two 6-issues-series from 1997 and 2001
* ''Space Circus TPB'' (12/2024, Dark Horse Comics, softcover) collecting the 4-issues-series from 2000

==Filmography==
{{empty section|date=March 2024}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website}}
* {{comicbookdb|type=creator|id=212|title=Sergio Aragonés}}
* [http://madcoversite.com/ugoi-sergio_aragones.html  Complete list of Aragonés's MAD work]
* [http://www.comicgeekspeak.com/episodes/comic_geek_speak-485.php Interview with Aragonés on the Comic Geek Speak podcast (January 2008)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110715144831/http://radioojai.com/search.aspx?q=sergio&sc=t&dt=a&al= Podcasts with Sergio Aragonés in his hometown of Ojai, CA]
* {{IMDb name|0032775|Sergio Aragonés}}
*[https://osucartoons.pastperfectonline.com/vocabulary?keyword=Aragones%2C+Sergio%2C+1937-&letter=A&searchtype=creator&showsearch=true Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Art Database]

{{Madcontribs|state=collapsed}}
{{Inkpot Award 1970s}}
{{Portalbar|Comics|Cartoons|Animation|Arts|Visual arts}}
{{ACArt|country=ES}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aragones, Sergio}}
[[Category:1937 births]]
[[Category:Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award winners]]
[[Category:DC Comics people]]
[[Category:Eisner Award winners for Best Writer/Artist]]
[[Category:Harvey Award winners for Best Cartoonist]]
[[Category:Inkpot Award winners]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Mad (magazine) cartoonists]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics people]]
[[Category:National Autonomous University of Mexico alumni]]
[[Category:Reuben Award winners]]
[[Category:Silver Age comics creators]]
[[Category:Spanish editorial cartoonists]]
[[Category:Spanish comics artists]]
[[Category:Spanish satirists]]
[[Category:Spanish male film actors]]
[[Category:Spanish male voice actors]]
[[Category:Spanish emigrants to France]]
[[Category:Spanish emigrants to Mexico]]
[[Category:Spanish emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame inductees]]