Happy Sergio Day!

Photo by Bruce Guthrie

This is a photo of my best friend (male division), Sergio Aragonés. Today is his birthday. I have known Sergio since late 1968 so we're talking about more than a half-century and for most of that time, we have been collaborators and partners on various projects, including the comic book Groo the Wanderer.

During that time, we have had a grand total of two arguments which collectively lasted about five minutes. Each of them was about what Groo should eat in the story we were working on at the time. Both of them were settled when we agreed on what would be funnier. Some of you may be stunned that two allegedly-grown men could work together and only have two arguments in all that time. Me, I'm amazed we've even had the two. Why would you ever argue with someone like that?

You may know him as a brilliantly fast cartoonist and I will not tell you he is not that. I will tell you though that it can be frustrating. For instance, I would like to get him a lovely and funny card for his birthday but I am well aware that in half the time it would take him to open mine, he can drawn his own lovelier and funnier card.

What I know about him that you might not have fully realized is what a decent, kind and delightful man he is. You might think you already know that but I know it to be even truer than you can imagine. ¡Feliz Cumpleaños, mi amigo. Que cumplas muchos más!"