José G. Cruz

José Guadalupe Cruz was a successful Mexican comic author and screenwriter. He grew up during the Mexican revolution, and this reflected in his later comic series. He began his professional career at the age of 18 and published his earliest comics, such as 'Adelita y las Guerillas', in magazines like Paquín, Paquita and Pepin. By 1943, Cruz started using a photomontage technique for his comics and produced novels like 'Carta Brava', 'Percal', 'Tango', 'Ventarron', 'Tenebral', 'Dancing' and 'Malevaje'. Starting in 1947 he commenced writing for and acting in in films.

He was the first Mexican comic artist to become independent and began his own publishing house in 1952, Ediciones José G. Cruz. His firm published comics like Muñequita, La Pandilla, Rosita Alvirez, El Vampiro Tenebroso and Canciones Inolvidables. His most famous character, 'Santo, el Enmascarado de Plata', became one of Mexico's most popular comic features and ran for 30 years. He died at the age of 72 in Los Angeles, California.