Passes Away in Miami the Creator of the Cuban Animated Series Matojo

November 27, 2019

The cartoonist Manuel Lamar Cuervo, creator of the Cuban animated character Matojo, passed away in Miami at the age of 89 from natural causes. Known as "Lillo", the humorist also published for decades in the weekly publications "Pa'lante", "Pionero", "Zunzún" and "DDT".

With a Colombian mother and Cuban father, Lamar Cuervo was born on December 13, 1929 in Bogotá Colombia, where his father served as ambassador. He graduated with a degree in Diplomatic and Consular Law from the University of La Habana in 1957, where he also earned his degree in Journalism.

"My father was an extraordinary man. Everyone loved him. His love for children he knew how to convey like no one else through cartoons, and they knew how to return it unconditionally", declared his daughter Patricia.

"He never studied drawing. He had a natural talent. That's what opened the doors for him at advertising agencies and later in journalism", she added.

Matojo, Lillo's best-known character, is a mischievous boy, but with a kind heart. The artist's cartoons contain moral lessons, which is why they resemble Greek and medieval fables, with this type of messages included.

The cartoonist settled in Miami in 1992. In his adopted city he continued collaborating sporadically in various publications.

Lillo's work encompassed film, television, cartoons and comics. Among his short films produced by the Cuban Institute of Film Arts and Industry, Matojo va a la playa, Buenos días Matojo and Matojo va a la escuela stand out, in which good manners and the ethics that should characterize a child are highlighted.