Carlos Sampayo

Carlos Sampayo was born on 17 September 1943 in Carmen de Patagones, Argentina. He is best known as a writer of comics, particularly for his long-running collaboration with artist José Muñoz. Sampayo left Argentina in the early 1970s for political reasons, living in Italy and France before settling in Spain. In addition to his comics work, he is a poet and a critic of literature and music, especially jazz. His most celebrated creation is the hardboiled detective series *Alack Sinner*, which he co-created with Muñoz. He also wrote biographical comics about jazz musicians, including *Billie Holiday* and *Fats Waller*, as well as a work on the tango singer *Carlos Gardel*. His writing credits span from 1977 to 2019, with notable appearances in the Italian magazine *Frigidaire* and the French weekly *BD : L'hebdo de la B.D.*. Sampayo’s scripts are known for their literary quality and social awareness, often exploring exile, memory, and music. He has received major awards for his work, including the Grand Prix de la Critique at the Angoulême International Comics Festival. His legacy rests on elevating the comic strip to a medium capable of nuanced political and artistic expression.