Alberto Vázquez Rico (born 1980) is a Spanish (Galician) comic book artist and filmmaker. He has received three Goya Awards for his animated films. His most famous works are Birdboy: The Forgotten Children, a feature-length adult animated movie based on his own graphic novel, and Unicorn Wars, an original feature-length adult animated film. He is also a drummer in the Mano de obra band.
Career He studied in the Faculty of Fine Arts of Pontevedra and Technical University of Valencia. One of the co-founders of Polaqia comic-book creators group, he published his first album in 2002. His comic books include Freda (2003, with Kike Benlloch), Psiconautas (2006) and El evangelio de Judas (2007). His drawings were published in El País, he also illustrated works of Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft.
In 2011, together with Pedro Rivero, he adapted his own graphic novel, Psiconautas, in a form of a short animated film under the title Birdboy. It won a Goya Award and encouraged them to direct the 76-minute version, Birdboy: The Forgotten Children, which premiered in 2016. In the next year, Vázquez received two more Goya Awards: one for the best animated feature film and one for a short (Decorado).
On June 16, 2020, a trailer was released for his next feature film, Unicorn Wars, which is an adult animated film about the gruesome war against teddy bears and unicorns, or as the teddy bears call them, devils.Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: A year after the trailer debuted, Vázquez and the crew of Unicorn Wars was at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in a Work In Progress panel in which it took place at the Salle Pierre Lamy. He explained the production process, part of the plot, and the festival shown clips.
Bibliography As Author and Illustrator Psiconautas (2007) El evangelio de Judas (2007) Alter Ego (2008) A Caza (2020)
Filmography Feature-length Year Title Director Writer Other Notes 2015 Psiconautas: Los Niños Olvidados Co-written and co-directed with Pedro RiveroAlso layout artist and art directorBased on his novel "Psiconautas" 2022 Unicorn Wars also actor role as "Sonrisas"2025Decorado
Shorts Year Title Director Writer Other Notes 2011 Judas, Catholic Squirrell Co-directed with Boris DolencAlso illustrator Birdboy Co-written and co-directed with Pedro RiveroAlso associate producer, layout artist, storyboard artist and art directorBased on his novel "Psiconautas" 2012 Ramiro, Sucia Rata Also animator 2013 Sangre de unicornio Co-written with Pedro RiveroAlso animation assistant, clean up, designs and backgrounds, art, storyboard artist and actor role as "Narrator" 2016 Decorado 2020 Homeless Home Also production designer
Accolades Goya Awards Year Category Film Result2011Best Animated Short FilmBirdboy Winner2014Best Animated Short FilmSangre de unicornio Nominated2016Best Animated FilmBirdboy: The Forgotten Children Winner2016Best Animated Short FilmDecorado Winner2020Best Animated Short FilmHomeless Home Nominated2022Best Animated FilmUnicorn Wars Winner
Other awards 2011: Award for Best Animated Short Film, Festival de Cans, for Birdboy. 2016: Best feature-length animation, Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film, for Birdboy: The Forgotten Children. 2017: Jury Prize for Best Animated Short Film, Festival de Cans, for Decorado. 2017: Best short film in International Competition, Short Waves Festival, for Decorado.
References
External links Personal website Blog on Blogspot Alberto Vázquez on IMDb