GUS ARRIOLA (1917-2008)

 

Gus Arriola at his drawing board, photographed by John Florea in March, 1948.

Gustavo Montano de Arriola (1917-2008), creator of Gordo. A lover of music, culture, art, folklore and good company, Arriola poured his passions into the printed page, crafting the vibrant and unique world of Gordo from 1941 through the strip's conclusion in 1985 (largely without an assistant)!

Born in Florence, Arizona, to a Spanish-speaking family of seven boys and two girls, Gus first learned to read and speak English from the funny papers. In 1935, freshly-graduated from high school, Arriola took a position as an in-betweener with Screen Gems and, later, MGM. His animation background clearly influenced the style of Gordo.

Charles Schulz called his work "Probably the most beautifully drawn strip in the history of the business."

Arriola's influence on art expanded beyond the comic strips. He and his wife owned and operated a Carmel gallery specializing in Mexican Folk Art in the 1960s, while Arriola and several of his cartoonist friends contributed to the preservation of the Pacific Biological Laboratories in Monterey, California by establishing it as a social club. Gus also served for four years on the original board of the Monterey Jazz Festival, and contributed art to multiple cultural institutions in and around Carmel, including -- repeatedly -- the Pebble Beach Invitational Pro-Am golf tournament. 

Awards and accolades received by Arriola include the the National Cartoonists Society's Best Humor Strip (1957 and 1965), the Cartoon Art Museum Sparky Award (1999), a lifetime achievement award from the Monterey Arts Council and an honorary doctorate from California State University at Monterey Bay. He was most recently nominated for the 2024 Hall of Fame Eisner Award, but was not selected. There's always next year.

Gus Arriola at his drawing board, photographer unknown, from a 1970s biographical tearsheet.