Rafael Ortiz is an Argentinian cartoonist, illustrator, and caricaturist whose career is marked by a wide range of experiences and a broad graphic palette. Highly active in the world of comics, he has made a name for himself in both extreme and violent stories, as well as in socially conscious and historical graphic novels.
Ortiz first gained recognition in the early 2010s with projects published by Avatar Press, notably Dan the Unharmable and Crossed.
These early series revealed his penchant for dark, graphically intense worlds, where readers can immerse themselves in universes where horror and tension are fully expressed.
But very quickly, he broadened his repertoire and demonstrated that he wasn’t limited to gore stories: he began collaborating with French screenwriter Jean-David Morvan, marking a turning point in his career. Ortiz put his talent to work on documentary, historical, and biographical narratives, all while maintaining the power of his distinctive style.
With Morvan, Ortiz has co-authored several biographical and historically significant graphic novels.
In 2016, they published Mao Zedong, a graphic novel biography of the Chinese leader.
In 2018, he illustrated The Other Side of the Clouds, written by Frédéric Richaud, which addresses the issue of child soldiers in Central Africa through a fictional narrative inspired by real events.
This deeply committed work was praised for its depth and humanity.
More recently, Ortiz has lent his artistic talents to historical reportage: in Sur le Front de Corée, he adapted the report by Henri de Turenne, a renowned war correspondent, to powerfully and visually and emotionally recreate the Korean War.
He also participates in projects blending reportage and graphic storytelling, such as the Magnum Photos collection, where he illustrates major historical events like Mohamed Ali, Kinshasa 1974.
Ortiz doesn’t limit himself to biographies: with JD Morvan, he adapted Boris Vian’s noir novel, J’irai cracher sur vos tombes (I Spit on Your Graves), in 2020.
Another notable project is Au cœur de la Terre (At the Heart of the Earth), an adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ science fiction classic. The first volume was published in 2024, with JD Morvan writing the script and Ortiz providing the art and colors: the graphic novel blends adventure, exploration, and a fantasy world in a rich and detailed design.
