Artist Profile | Cartoon & Caricature

Edgar Vargas Ávila

Edgar Vargas Ávila was born in Carora, Lara state, Venezuela on October 18, 1964. His primary education was carried out at the "Ramón Pompilio Oropeza School Group". There, under the guidance and motivation of his teachers, he continued to cultivate his talent, whose drawings adorned the informative billboards of said institution. Secondary studies were carried out at the "Liceo Egidio Montesinos" (1979 - 1983) in Carora – Lara. He completed his first art studies in the city of Barquisimeto, capital of Lara state, at the "Martín Tovar y Tovar" art school in 1986, graduating from said school with a degree in Graphic Arts, mention in illustrator. He worked as a cartoonist in a newspaper in his hometown "Carora" and it was there that he began his first graphic and journalistic experience in 1985. In 1986 he began to study free sculpture and drawing with the teachers Taylor Jiménez and Dino D'Rosa, the latter specializing in drawing. It was not until 1988 that he enrolled in the vocational plan in the area of graphic arts, where his teachers were Cristina Moncada, Teddy Villamediana, Jesús Páez Puerta, (Gordo Páez), Dino D'Rosa, Hugo Daza, Francisco José León Jiménez and Aguedo Felipe Parra, where he stood out as a revelation within the plastic arts and receiving the best reviews from his teachers. During the last year of studies he met a publishing house in the city of Caracas which was in charge of preparing school textbooks, who would hire him as art director of said company. Vargas emigrated to the big city to confront himself, and excelled in that artistic area where he worked until 1994. That same year he did caricature and illustration work in a newspaper called "Economía Hoy" in the city of Caracas, where he met a great teacher Julio Zúñiga (Peli) who hired him for a few months. At the end of that year he returned to the city of Barquisimeto. Exploring the area, he arrived at his native Carora, there he met another great guitar teacher, Alirio Díaz, with whom he exchanged ideas and this would show his great interest in his work. Later, Díaz gave him a recommendation from work to send it to Dr. Juan Carmona, director of the newspaper "El Impulso". On January 1, 1996, he had an interview in Caracas with Dr. Carmona. At that meeting Carmona said: "The teacher Alirio Díaz is a friend of this house, and his recommendation is always welcome, even though the newspaper does not use the illustration for its articles, I would like to try to include the cartoon and the illustration as new elements of information in the design of the newspaper”. In this way he had the privilege of being the founder of the caricature and illustration department in 1998 and 1999 he obtained the award with which the "Pedro León Zapata" prize is given to the best cartoonist, granted by the newspaper "El Nacional". He worked with this newspaper until January 2006. In that same year he returned to Caracas where he began working at the newspaper "El Universal" and there he met Rayma Supranni. He was hired to design the stamps for the book for the 100th anniversary of the newspaper "El Universal". He stayed until December 2007, until in April 2008 he worked with "Minci", in the editorial department until December 2009. In June 2010 he joined the staff of the newspaper "Correo Del Orinoco" and worked with great communication veterans like Vanessa Davies, Carlos Ortiz, Zaida Rausseo, Regulo Pérez, among others. Work experience • He collaborated with Del Orinoco Magazine, “Free Opinion” section (cartoons): “Jokes by Vargas” from January 2009 to the present. • Collaborated in the creation of the distinguished book "The memories of President Chávez" in February 2011 until March 15, 2011 - Printing Department "Minci" - Caracas - 2011. • Cartoon Workshop: Sponsored by the Ayacucho Library, Caracas within the framework of the Book Fair, "Maturín" Comic Exhibition - December 29, 2010. • Workshop on humorous cartoons, sponsored by the "Class Ayacucho" libraries within the framework of the International Fair in December 2010. • Illustration of the cartoon series "Bolívar, the untold story" - Mérida - 2010. • Contributor of the magazine "Akres" as an illustrator in November 2009-2010 - Barquisimeto, Lara State. • Collaborator of the "Humor Debe" blog, directed by Anibal Ortipozo in July 2009 - Caracas. • Collaborator of the newspaper "Universal Caracas" as an illustrator for opinion pages from January 2009 to January 2010. • He was hired to design and illustrate the “100 years” project of the “Universal” newspaper. He worked from August 7, 2007 to December 31, 2008-Caracas. • He worked as a graphic designer for the weekly “Sin Tinta” from February 10 to July 29, 2007 - Barquisimeto, Lara State. • Illustrator and collaborator of the "Daily Drive" from February 10, 1997 to January 10, 2007 – Barquisimeto, Lara State. • Group of brand editors: Department of Illustration Management from February 1993 to December 1996 in the Federal District of Caracas. • Permanent collaborator of the magazine "Memorias" of the "Centro Nacional De Estudios Históricos" foundation from January 2017 to the present. • Collaborated with Sobordo magazine from January 2001 to December 2003 – Barquisimeto, Lara State. • He illustrated the newspaper “El Impulso” from February 10, 1997 to January 10, 2007 – Barquisimeto, Lara State. National and international exhibitions • Exhibition of free workshops of the School of Plastic Arts "Martín Tovar y Tovar" – Barquisimeto, Lara State, July 22, 1988. • "Rómulo Gallegos" House of Culture Exhibition – Duaca, Lara State, July 28, 1988. • Tribute to the teacher Armando Reverón - XIV Salon Aragua - Aragua State, May 30, 1989. • New Year's Eve Exhibition at the “Martín Tovar y Tovar” School of Plastic Arts – Barquisimeto, Lara State, July 15, 1989. • Tribute to Hugo Daza - House of Culture "Rómulo Gallegos" - Duaca, Lara State, June 20, 1990. • "Dimensions of the Image II" - School of Plastic Arts "Martín Tovar y Tovar" - Barquisimeto Lara State, July 20, 1990. • "Tierra de Gracia" - Barro Cocido Workshop School - Barquisimeto, Lara State, October 5, 1990. • Young print of the province- Caracas, March 20, 1991. • “Serious humor” in homage to maestro Alirio Díaz on the fiftieth anniversary of his first concert-Casa Chío – Carora, Lara State, February 2000. • Tribute to "Ralé" - Exhibition Hall of El Impulso Newspaper – Barquisimeto, Lara State, July 13, 2002. • III Salon of Digital Art 2004 - Maracaibo Zulia State, July 2004. • IV Salon of Digital Art 2005 - Maracaibo Zulia State, July 2005. • International Cartoon Exhibition - Russia - 100 Anniversaries of the Revolution, October-November 2017. • International biennial exhibition of humor VI Edition "Luiz D'oliveira Guimaraes" - Espinhal Panela, Portugal - 2018. • Special guest at the Italian Humor Exhibition 2019. Theme "Biodegradable Humor" - December 2019. • Tribute to the Romanian poet on his bicentennial “George Bacovia” - Bacao – Romania, February 2020. • Finalist in the VII International Humor Biennial, Exhibition "Luiz D'oliveira Guimaraes" - Espinhal Panela Portugal - 2020. • International Cartoon Show in solidarity with George Floyd, #Ican'tbreathe - Iran - 2020. Awards and honours • Scholarship granted by "Friends of Society", School of Plastic Arts "Martín Tovar y Tovar", referring to the assembly of the gallery of this same school, July 15, 1990. • Scholarship recipient for a Lithography course, held in Caracas and sponsored by “Funda Cultura”, August 26, 1991. • "Jesús Carmona" Prize, awarded by the newspaper "El Impulso" of Barquisimeto, July 1, 1999. • “Atoche” digital art exhibition – Madrid, Spain, October 2004. • Permanent member of the Latin American digital art printing house “Capítulo” – Venezuela. October 2008. • Second international cartoon contest "Humoreix" by the Merchants Association of L'eix Y Humoràlia, "Lleida" - Brazil, April 2009. • "Emigration" - II Cartoon Exhibition, Sinaloa Mexico, November 2013. • "We raffle for Gaza" in the Palestinian museum "Mahmoud Darwish", from August 16 to 18, 2014. • “Simón Bolívar” National Journalism Award, Mention: Graphic Image Journalism - Caracas – Venezuela, June 27, 2017. • Tribute in the chapter "Filven Lara", for having obtained the international cartoon award "Centenary of the Bolshevik Revolution" in October 2017, in March 2018. • International cartoon award "Centenary of the Bolshevik Revolution, October 2017 and June 25, 2018. • National Journalism Award "Aníbal Nazoa 2019" in the comic category, for innovating the illustration of newspaper texts beyond the conventional. • "Aníbal Nazoa 2020" National Journalism Award for the quality, form and content of his graphic work, which incorporates an indisputable added value in the contents of the "Cedeo Del Orinovento" newspaper, June 20, 2020.