Albert Monteys

{{short description|Spanish comic writer and illustrator (born 1971)}} {{Infobox person | name = Albert Monteys | image = Albert Monteys.jpg | alt = Albert Monteys | caption = Albert Monteys | other_names = | occupation = Comic writer and illustrator | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|09|15|df=y}} | birth_place = Barcelona, Spain }} '''Albert Monteys i Homar''' (Barcelona, 15 September 1971)<ref>Guía básica del cómic. Eric Fratinni and Óscar Palmer, page 141 {{ISBN|8480680547}}</ref> is a Spanish comic writer and illustrator, mostly known for his work in the satirical weekly magazine ''El Jueves'' of which he was the director from 2006 until January 2011.

==Early life== Albert Monteys started reading comics in Catalan bought by his parents such as ''Cavall Fort'' or ''Tretzevents'' until he discovered the ones of Bruguera, especially ''Mort and Phil'' and ''Superlópez''.<ref name="entr3">Monteys, Albert in an interview with Pedro Toro (07/2006). ''[http://www.guiadelcomic.es/albert-monteys/entrevista-pt.htm Entrevista a Albert Monteys] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013194841/http://www.guiadelcomic.es/albert-monteys/entrevista-pt.htm |date=2010-10-13 }}'', ''Un día de texas''/''Guía del Cómic''.</ref> He is also a fan of Asterix.<ref name="entr1997">Monteys, Albert in an interview with Santiago García (07/1997). «[http://www.guiadelcomic.es/albert-monteys/entrevista-u05.htm Interview with Albert Monteys] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101013194917/http://www.guiadelcomic.es/albert-monteys/entrevista-u05.htm |date=2010-10-13 }}», ''U, el hijo de Urich #5'' (Camaleón Ediciones).</ref>

For two or three years he read many superhero comics and when he was twelve and fifteen, Franco-Belgian, he even bought ''Spirou'' in French.<ref name="entr1997"/> He also published in the school magazine.<ref name="entr3"/>

He studied one year at the comics specialized school Escola Joso, joining a fanzine in Mataró titled ''Què trames?''<ref name="entr3"/>

==Career== ===Early work (1990–1995)=== While he was studying the first year of Fine Arts at the University of Barcelona, he provided samples to the publisher Joc Internacional, specializing in roleplaying games and wargames, things he were at that moment not very familiar about.<ref name="entr1997"/> He was accepted and on the number 17 of its magazine ''Líder'' his first newspaper strip, dated 1989, appeared.<ref>Magazine ''Líder'', third age, Joc Internacional, number 17, June–July, 1990, p. 11</ref> He also made illustrations for RPGs and, over time, Monteys became production manager of the publisher.<ref name="entr3"/>

Monteys befriended faculty fellows José Miguel Alvarez, Ismael Ferrer and Alex Fito, constituting with them the collective La Penya Productions, whose comic ''Mondo Lirondo'' (Camaleón, 1993–1997) won the prize for best fanzine in Comic Fair Barcelona 1994.

Monteys graduated in 1994 and went on to illustrate RPGs as well as publishing in the Catalan children's magazine ''Tretzevents''.<ref name="atlas">Cuadrado (2000), pp. 867-868.</ref>

===1996–2014=== In 1996 Monteys published for the magazine ''Puta mili'' of Ediciones El Jueves. For the Barcelona International Comics Convention he published the comic ''Calavera lunar'', winning an award for best new author.<ref name="entr1997"/> He also started the strip ''Paco's Bar'' for ''El Jueves'' with little success so he was suggested to make another strip starring a selfish pizza delivery man titled ''Tato, con moto y sin contrato'', that ran from December 1996<ref name="entr3"/> to June 2014.

In 1997 his work rate became even more strenuous when he became director of the journals ''Puta Mili'' and ''Penthouse Comix'', and coordinator of ''Zona X''.<ref name="atlas"/>

In 1998, he joined the editorial board of ''El Jueves'', alongside Manel Fontdevila, aiming to promote the arrival of new authors: Darío Adanti, José Luis Agreda, Lalo Kubala, Pedro Vera and Bernardo Vergara.<ref name="entr3"/> In 1997 he began the strip, ''Para ti, que eres joven'', a two-page strip with jokes with youth themes for the magazine ''El Jueves'' alongside Manel Fontdevila as well as jokes of current events.

From 2004 to 2006 he published the strip ''Carlitos Fax'' for the children's magazine ''Mister K'', about a silly and self-centered robot in a crazy futuristic world.<ref name=tebeosfera>Alcázar, F. J. (2005). [http://www.tebeosfera.com/1/Obra/Tebeo/ElJueves/MisterK.htm «Caso clínico: ''Revista Mister K''»], ''Tebeosfera''.</ref>

In January 2006, he was appointed director of ''El Jueves'', facing from this position the following year the conviction of its magazine for the crime of insulting the Crown due to a cartoon in the front page of Manel Fontdevila and Guillermo Torres which included an explicit scene of Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia having sex.<ref>[http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/juez/impone/multa/3000/euros/autores/caricatura/Principes/elpepuesp/20071113elpepunac_1/Tes El juez impone una multa de 3000 euros a cada uno de los dos autores de la caricatura de los Príncipes], ''El País'', 13 November 2007.</ref> In 2011, he stepped down as director of the weekly magazine.

====Abandonment of El Jueves==== In June 2014, Monteys announced his departure from the magazine ''El Jueves'' after the editorial RBA not allowed to publish a cover with a joke which referenced the abdication of the king of Spain, Juan Carlos I. Other cartoonists also left the magazine.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://vozpopuli.com/economia-y-finanzas/44458-dos-dibujantes-historicos-de-el-jueves-dejan-la-revista-por-supuestas-presiones-de-zarzuela | title=Dos dibujantes históricos de 'El Jueves' dejan la revista por supuestas presiones de Zarzuela | date=5 June 2014 | accessdate=5 June 2014 | publisher=Vozpopuli.com | archive-date=7 June 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140607234632/http://vozpopuli.com/economia-y-finanzas/44458-dos-dibujantes-historicos-de-el-jueves-dejan-la-revista-por-supuestas-presiones-de-zarzuela | url-status=dead }}</ref> The comic artist published on 18 June, the day before the coronation of Felipe VI, an online comic with jokes about the event titled ''Orgullo y satisfacción''.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.rtve.es/noticias/20140616/humoristas-dejaron-jueves-lanzan-comic-orgullo-satisfaccion/956440.shtml | title=Los humoristas que dejaron 'El Jueves' lanzan el cómic 'Orgullo y satisfacción' | date=June 16, 2014 | accessdate=June 19, 2014 | work=rtve.es}}</ref> He was later hired by the monthly satirical magazine ''Mongolia''.<ref>[http://www.revistamongolia.com/noticias/mongolia-tiene-cuatro-nuevos-habitantes-alcazar-fontdevila-monteys-y-vergara "Mongolia tiene cuatro nuevos habitantes: Alcázar, Fontdevila, Monteys y Vergara"]. revistamongolia.com. June 25, 2014. Retrieved April 23, 2018.</ref>

===Universe!=== In November 2014, ''Universe!'' #1, which was created, written and drawn by Monteys, was published on Panel Syndicate.<ref>Van As, Trevor (November 23, 2014). [http://www.howtolovecomics.com/2014/11/23/review-universe-1-albert-monteys/ "REVIEW: Universe! #1 by Albert Monteys and Panel Syndicate"]. How to Love Comics. Retrieved July 13, 2015.</ref> It is a science fiction anthology series. As of March 2025, eight issues have been published. The series was nominated in for a 2017 Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic.<ref>Hennon, Blake (July 22, 2017). [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-hc-eisner-awards-20170722-story.html "Eisner Awards showcase comics' diversity with Wonder Woman, Wayne Brady, Sonny Liew and 'Saga"]. ''Los Angeles Times''.</ref>

==Bibliography== {| class="sortable wikitable" |- !Years !Title !Format !Publisher |- |1992 |''Gorka'' |Series with Sergi San Julián |Patxarán/Camaleón |- |1993–1997 |''Mondo Lirondo'' |Comic with José Miguel Álvarez, Ismael Ferrer y Álex Fito. |Cameleón |- |1995–1996 |''Paco's Bar'' |Series |El Jueves |- |1995 |''Historias de Ciudad Manga'' |Series |Ryu<ref name="atlas"/> |- |1995 |''La Bruixa Matilde'' |Series |L'Infantil-Tretzevents<ref name="atlas"/> |- |1996-2014 |''Tato, con moto y sin contrato'' |Series |El Jueves |- |1996 |''Calavera Lunar'' |Monography |Camaleón |- |1997-2014 |''Para ti que eres joven'' |Strip with Manel Fontdevila |El Jueves |- |1998 |''Cien cómics con aspirina'' |Collective monography |Bayer<ref name="atlas"/> |- |2000 |''Almanaque extraordinario Bardín baila con la más fea'' |Collective monography |Mediomuerto núm. 5 |- |2000 |''Humor a todo tren'' |Collective monography |Renfe/El Jueves<ref name="atlas"/> |- |2004-2006 |''Carlitos Fax'' |Series |Mister K |- |2012 |''¡Evasión o victoria!<br />¡Tarjeta roja a los traidores!'' |Serial strip Hernán Migoya |Nuevas Hazañas Bélicas (Glénat España) |- |2014-ongoing |''Universe!'' |Comic book |Panel Syndicate |- |2017 |''Solid State'' |Graphic Novel tie-in to Jonathan Coulton's album of the same name, written by Matt Fraction |Image Comics |- |2018 |''El show de Albert Monteys'' |Compilation of ''Orgullo y Satisfacción'' strips |Astiberri |- |2020 |''Slaughterhouse-Five'' |Graphic Novel adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut's novel of the same name, written by Ryan North |Archaia Entertainment |- |2020 |''Leyendas del recreo'' |3 albums with El Hematocrítico<ref>[https://www.anayainfantilyjuvenil.com/subcoleccion/leyendas-del-recreo/ Leyendas del recreo] in Anaya</ref> |Anaya |- |2022 |RESIST! |Solo card game |Salt & Pepper Games |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

== External links == *[http://www.lambiek.net/artists/m/monteys_albert.htm Monteys in Lambiek comiclopedia]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monteys, Albert}} Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:Spanish comics artists Category:Spanish comics writers Category:Spanish comic strip cartoonists Category:Artists from Barcelona