Traditionally, the world of comics has been dominated by men, but from time to time a feminine talent emerges with its own unique brilliance, distinguishing it from its peers - that is the case of Purita Campos.
Considered one of the most widely read and recognized comics authors in the world, Purita (short for "Purificación") Campos forged her career based on sheer effort and dedication, at a time when photocopies and fax were the most advanced technology, and even color printing was rare.
However, despite all her success, Purita never intended to pursue a career in comics.
Bestowed with a range of artistic talents, Purita became interested in singing and dancing from a young age, entertaining family gatherings, which led her try her hand at acting. But the actors' nightlife was not well regarded by her family, and Purita had to give it up.
Purita’s mother was a dressmaker, and Purita visited her atelier after school, learning to create patterns and fashion drawings with her.
In the late 1950s, Purita pursued art studies at the Llotja School in Barcelona, and upon graduation she decided to pursue a career as a fashion designer.
It was at this time that her brother made contact with the famous comics artist Manuel Vázquez and told her that the illustrator had summoned her the next day for a possible job at the Bruguera publishing house. Purita showed up to the appointment only to find that Vázquez hardly ever visited the editorial offices.
However, the comics writer Víctor Mora (creator of "Captain Thunder") reviewed her portfolio and proposed her to start collaborating in the publishing house with minor drawings. This in turn led her to work as a cover artist for magazines such as "Sissi", "Dalia", "Blanca" and "Celia".
After nearly a decade working in this fashion, in 1971 Purita received a commission that would change her life forever.
Familiar with her work, the agency Creaciones Editoriales chose Purita to create the drawings of a new comics set in England, “Patty’s World”. Purita accepted, thinking she would have stable work for a year - which turned into twenty.
Born in between the cultural revolutions at the end of the 1960s, “Esther and her world” (as it was known in Spain and the rest of Spanish-speaking countries) reflected many of the concerns of the youth at that time.
Subjects considered ‘taboo’ during the Franco era in Spain (such as divorce, feminism, abortion, etc.) were tackled on “Esther” without censorship thanks to the fact that the magazine was mostly edited in England and, being a juvenile magazine, it wasn’t considered of care.
The story, written by British writer Philip Douglas, was frank and accessible for its audience, and the dynamic and liberal layout design imprinted on it a fresh and modern character.
Narrated in first person, Esther’s scripts always started as intimate stories, similar to the entries of a teenager on her diary, describing the comings and goings of Esther, her family and friends.
Despite being a comic for girls, its popularity amid the young public was such that even boys nicked their sister’s magazines and read it in secret, as they later confessed to Purita herself.
Purita’s vibrant drawing style, leaned towards fashion and young trends, was the perfect complement for these youthful stories, managing to capture the imagination of millions of teen readers all around the world, and launching Purita to comics stardom.
At a time before internet, in which even films and TV programs for young people were limited, magazines were the main source of entertainment and information for the youth. At the peak of its success, “Patty’s World” had a run of nearly half a million copies a month.
However, Purita worked in conditions that nowadays would shock any artist.
As many artists at the time, Purita worked for Bruguera without a written contract, thus unknowingly yielding her author rights. Once the finished drawings were rendered, the editorial destroyed them after copying them, so that they could not be reused or resold.
For this reason, there are very few original arts from that time, and most of them are in private collections. Even Purita herself had to buy her own arts in order to have them back!
Moreover, despite the worldwide success of “Esther”, Purita never received any payment for concept of royalties.
In addition to her work for “Esther”, Purita also created the drawings for several other comics published on an international scale, such as “Lily” (1974), “Tina” (1975), “Gina” (1978), “Jana” (1983), and “Pecosa” (1986). She also illustrated a comics version of "Heidi" (1973) and collaborated with other comics and cartoons magazines.
In 1986, Bruguera went bankrupt. In spite of this, Purita continued to create "Esther" for another year for the magazine “Pecosa”, for MC publishers, but in 1988 this one also shut down. That’s when Purita decided to completely change course.
For a time, Purita opened an art atelier in Barcelona, where she dedicated herself to painting and to teach courses and workshops of drawing and painting for the general public, in addition to organizing art exhibitions.
However, the adventures of “Esther” were still alive in the collective memory.
In 2005, the publishing house Glénat reissued the “Gina” comics. Encouraged by the good reception from the public, in 2006 they offered Purita to re-edit the “Esther” comics, offering her a contract and recognizing her rights as the character’s co-author.
Thus, Purita decided to revive "Esther" in two parallel flanks: a modern novel version, with an adult Esther, and a reissue of the comics.
However, for the latter, Purita had to restore much of the original art because they were in very bad condition or had been destroyed by the publisher.
Once again, success followed this re-launch, which not only aimed to the nostalgia of its loyal readers, now grown-up, but also to a new generation of teenagers who found in “Esther” a friendly echo to their own concerns and experiences.
True to its spirit, “Esther” not only portrays the current era but also the universal interests of the youth of all times. For this reason, even today its subjects and vision remain fresh and current.
In 2004 Purita was awarded the Haxtur Award to the Author We Love at the International Comics Fair in Asturias; in 2009 she received the Golden Medal to Merit in Fine Arts, one of the highest accolades in Spain, and in 2013 she was awarded the First Prize of the Barcelona Comics Fair in Barcelona.
Even a street in the Madrid municipality of Getafe was named in her honor, although sadly the lack of budget ended up by erasing it from the map.
Self-portrait of Purita and Esther.
Purita Campos passed away in 2019, but she left behind a legacy of immortal works, and unforgettable memories in all those who followed every week the adventures of her heroines, and became part of her fun, colorful and youthful world.
Cover portrait: Guillem Medina, Wikimedia Commons.
Sources: Jotdown.com, Wikipedia, AH Magazine, Tebeosfera
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