Home › Comics › British Comics › In Memoriam: Tributes paid to top Spanish Comic Artist Purita Campos

In Memoriam: Tributes paid to top Spanish Comic Artist Purita Campos

By John Freeman on November 22, 2019

Princess Tina - Patty of “Patty’s World”, by Purita Campos

Patty of “Patty’s World”, by Purita Campos – a rare Princess Tina cover appearance. With thanks to David Roach

Comic artist David Roach has informed us of the death of award-winning Spanish comic artist Purita Campos, best known in Britain for the strip “Patty’s World“, which ran in Princess Tina. She was 82.

“Purita was absolutely the top girls comic artist in the UK in the 1970s and 80s,” says David, “drawing for comics like Princess Tina, Valentine, Romeo, Bunty and Mirabelle among many others.

This art by Purita Campos is currently on display in the Cartoon Museum

“As the artist and co-creator [with writer Philip Douglas] on ‘Patty’s World‘, she was responsible for what I’m convinced was IPC’s most read strip, not just in the UK but across Europe. The strip is a legend in Spain where it was known as ‘Esther’, and Purita came back to it recently creating several new graphic novels to great aclaim.

“She was a real giant of comics and immensely influential so it’s a day of great sadness in the comic world.”

Writing in the Spanish newspaper El Pais, Álvaro Pons describes her as Spain’s best known and “most loved” comic artist, the news of her death a huge blow for a generation of readers (and readers who never recognized her at that time) that grew up enjoying her work in the 1970s through iconic series like “Esther y su mundo”, a series revived by Glenat.

(Her passing has been marked by many Spanish newspapers, testament to the impact of her work).

Self-portrait of Purita Campos with Esther (Patty), her best known character

“Esther or Patty were an expression of teenage freedom that was successful wherever it was published, prolonging their adventures for almost twenty years,” Álvaro notes. “… Her naturalistic drawing style, influenced by Jesús Blasco or Hugo Pratt, was perfect to bring modernity to the character, soon becoming the symbol of a generation of young readers, who never forgot the heroine.”

“I will never stop working,” the award-winning artist told El Periodico of her work ethic, some time ago. “I have lumbago, but I keep working, it gives me life.”

• Steve Holland’s full obituary for Purita Campos is here on Bear Alley

• Read Álvaro Pons tribute (in Spanish) in El Pais

• Tribute in lavanguardia

• Books by Purita Campos on AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.