'Algo Grotesco' (1983).
Francesc Capdevila Gisbert (Max) is probably the most famous and world-renowned of all Spanish underground comix artists. Published in France, Italy, the U.S.A., Canada, Finland, and Germany, Max has won several prizes for his work, including the Prize for the Best Work at the International Comic Fair in Barcelona in 1988 and 1996.
'Bardín the Superrealist'.
Francesc Capdevila was born in 1956 in Barcelona. Among his main graphic influences were Robert Crumb, Yves Chaland and Ever Meulen. He published his first work in the alternative press of that city in 1975. He used the pen name Max, which became Alphamax in France, to avoid confusion with a French comic artist of the same name working for Les Humanoïdes Associés. In 1979, Max participated in the launch of the alternative comix magazine El Víbora, for which he created many illustrations, short and continuing stories. Max additionally published his work in Complot, Pequeño País, Rumbo Sur and TBO, as well as French publications like Métal Hurlant and L'Écho des Savanes.
Cover illustration for Vol 502 (1985)
His large oeuvre contains such works as 'Gustavo contra la Actividad del Radio' (La Cúpula, 1982), 'El Carnaval de los Ciervos' (Arrebato, 1984), 'Peter Pank' (La Cúpula, 1985), 'Diagramas y Fascinación' (Sin Nombre, 1987), 'La Muerta Húmeda' (Complot, 1987), 'El Beso Secreto', 'El Licantropunk' (both La Cúpula, 1987), 'Mujeres Fatales/Femmes Fatales' (Albin Michel, 1989), 'La Biblioteca de Turpin' (El País-Altea, 1990) and 'Pandkinista' (La Cúpula, 1991).
'Bardín, the Sound and the Fury' (2000).
In 1993, Max started his own fanzine, Nosotros Somos Los Muertos, in which he published his own stories, as well as the work of artists like Micharmut, Miguel Gallardo and Lorenzo Mattotti. that appeared in Max's own collection, as well as in Quadrado in Portugal and Lapin in France. In addition, he published his award-winning 1996 comic 'Como Perrs' with La Cúpula. In 1997, he made two more albums for La Cúpula - 'El Canto del Gallo' and 'El Prolongado Sueño del Sr. T.'. In 1998 he designed the mascot for the association football club F.C. Barcelona.
Comic panel by Max.
In 1999, Max contributed to the large 'Comix 2000' anthology by French publisher L'Association and worked on the animation project 'Microfilm' for Canal Cinemanía. In 2003, his album 'Espiasueños' was published by La Cúpula, containing most of his illustration work from the period 1973-2003.
'Peter Pank'.