Julio Emilio Suarez Sedraschi was one of the pioneers of comics in Uruguay, best-known for creating 'Peloduro' (1933). An artist, caricaturist, painter, radio broadcaster, teacher and journalist, Suarez was a prominent figure in the Uruguayan media. Suarez mostly signed with J.E. Suarez, but also with JESS, Marcos Tuáin, Pepe Repepe and El Mono. He is also known as Pelo and Peloduro, as his friends called him in a reference to his cartoon character.
Early life and career
He was born in 1909 in the capital city of the Salto Department in northwestern Uruguay. Suarez studied architecture in Montevideo in 1927. He began his career publishing parliamentary notes in Carlos Quijano's short-lived daily El Nacional. The cartoonist published his first drawings in El Plata (the feature 'Wing y Roncadera'), before his association with the magazine Mundo Uruguayo took off in 1934. He served as managing editor and created two cartoon features for this magazine, 'Ríase o no' ("Laugh or not") and 'Contra-refranes' ("Contradictions"). Suarez remained a contributor until 1950.
Peloduro
As in many countries, a comics movement arises from political satire, and it was Suarez's comic 'Peloduro' that paved the way. Published from 15 January 1933 in the daily El País, 'Peloduro' stars a boy from the working class with an eye for false political and social positions. From 24 September 1935, the feature was continued in El Diario, and it also ran in La Mañana, El Nacional, El Popular, Marcha, Época and Justicia. Pelodura was also the title of a weekly humor magazine, which Suarez published and edited, with intervals, between 1943 and 1964.
Cocona en el País de las Hormigas
In 1938 he created the classic children's comic 'Cocona en el país de las Hormigas' in tribute to his daughter Alicia.
Radio career
Besides drawing cartoons, he wrote scripts starring the 'Peloduro' character for the radio station CX24 from Montevideo. He was also the creator of the radio character Marieta Caramba, who was voiced by actrice Jebele Sand and broadcasted daily on CX30 Radio Nacional. Suarez furthermore worked as a drawing teacher at the School of Applied Arts, founded by Emilio Cortinas and Walter Pérez in 1946.
Recognition
In 1941 he received the prize of the Municipal Commission of Culture for his cartoons.
Death and legacy
Julio E. Suarez passed away in 1965 at the age of 59. His legacy has been honored on several occasions since then. A book was published about his life and work in 1996, a street was named after him in Montevideo and the Lolita Rubian Foundation introduced the "Peloduro" medal in 2000, and the Peloduro International Award for Graphic Humor in 2002.
