The Spanish illustrator who wrote the ‘Frankenstein’ letters | Cinema: premieres and critiques | EUROtoday

The illustrator from Salamanca Tomás Jr. says that he doesn’t deal with the notion of time properly. Perhaps that’s the reason he designed with such precision some letters typical of the nineteenth century: these with which Frankenstein—in Guillermo del Toro’s new movie—realized new phrases. “The images are made like linoleum engravings,” explains Hijo, “a technique that consists of creating a relief on the surface.” In the period during which the movie is ready, “they would surely be made of wood and stamped using a press.” It just isn’t the primary time that the illustrations or engravings of this 51-year-old Spaniard have sneaked into a piece by the Mexican filmmaker. “It’s wonderful how he looks for a specific artist for each of the roles in a film,” he says. In his case, his work led him to be Guillermo del Toro’s “specialist in letters and engravings.”

The hyperlink between the 2 started virtually by probability, by means of an artwork gallery in Hollywood that organized exhibitions devoted to icons of well-liked tradition (it’s troublesome for him to specify the 12 months). “By chance of life I ended up collaborating with one of them,” remembers the illustrator. There, between tributes to Mario Bros or the Ninja Turtles, an exhibition devoted to the work of the Mexican director was arrange, Guillermo del Toro: In Service Of Monsters. For that event, Hijo created an engraving impressed by Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), a fictitious piece that he himself invented as if it have been an previous board recreation made in Valencia in the course of the Civil War. The imaginary story ended with the “supposed bombing of the factory and with Del Toro finding the game and using it as inspiration for his film.”

The story was so convincing that the filmmaker himself purchased the piece for his private assortment. “From there he started following me on social networks,” says Hijo. “He even shared some of my works, which made me extremely excited because he is one of my favorite directors. I have followed him very closely since The devil’s backbone (2001)”, he says, confessing that it was a film [de terror] that marked him “a lot.” “For me Del Toro is an incredible reference.” Since that exhibition, they began to exchange messages and orders. First, the director asked him to design his from books —a seal placed inside a book to identify its owner—and other engravings.

Later, they met in Paris, where the idea of ​​the Bull Tarota project based on the Mexican’s cinematographic universe and which consolidated their collaboration. Afterwards, in The alley of lost souls (2021), other Tarot cards designed by Son became an essential element of the plot. “Del Toro didn’t want it to be a commercial deck,” Son recalls over the phone, “so we designed one specifically for this movie.” These works were enough for the three-time Oscar winner – two as best director and film for The shape of water (2018) and one for best animated film for Pinocchio (2023)—said about the Spanish: “Tomás Jr. is, in my view, one of many nice trendy engravers. His work is significant and trendy, however it’s rooted in an ideal custom.”

Therefore, when the brand new challenge of FrankensteinSon acquired one other project: to design the pedagogical playing cards with which the kid learns sure phrases by observing the teachings of a grandfather to his granddaughter. “The instructions were very precise,” he says, “they had to be round cards, each with a letter of the (German) alphabet and an associated icon.” On the reverse, he added the picture of a inexperienced man, a nod to the spirit of the forest that runs by means of the whole sequence. “Guillermo told me exactly what letter I should illustrate and what element to accompany it, and from there I developed the entire graphic.”

The stage of element was such that they even considered how the character, with decreased imaginative and prescient, might acknowledge every card. “We wondered how he would identify the letters without seeing well,” he says. “The solution was to make some notches in the outline, which are seen in the film, and which allow you to recognize each card by touch.” That obsession with visible and narrative coherence is without doubt one of the the reason why Hijo feels such an affinity with the director. “He looks for a specific artist for each thing. He doesn’t entrust everything to an internal team, but instead selects someone who he believes is ideal for that task.”

In addition to his movie work, Hijo has printed quite a few illustrated books and this 12 months he launched his personal version of Frankenstein with the Minotauro publishing home (of the Planeta group). “It’s my Frankenstein year,” he says, “because between the movie and the book—by Mary W. Shelley—it has allowed me to be immersed in this wonderful story.” His skilled profession is nearly a collage: “I studied journalism, but I never worked. I dedicated myself to drawing. I started with school books and stories for children, until little by little I moved towards the field of fantasy, horror and science fiction. It’s where I feel most comfortable,” he explains.

The illustrator doesn’t include his enthusiasm. Moments earlier than the decision with this newspaper – which operates from Ávila, the place it’ll current the illustrated ebook The gentle stone (Random House), which he made with movie director Rodrigo Cortés—has posted on social networks: “Thank you for having me on board, Guillermo!”