Family and friends had asked for prayers for the health of the famous cartoonist who had been hospitalized in intensive care since Wednesday.
Edwin Aguilar, the Salvadoran cartoonist who has drawn The Simpsons for more than 20 years, died of a brain thrombosis this Saturday, family and friends confirmed.
According to sources close to the artist, Edwin stayed in the Los Angeles hospital in intensive care for a few days after a “stroke.” Through social networks, his relatives asked for prayers for his speedy recovery.
For more than two decades, this talented Salvador was in charge of drawing the characters of Homero, Bart, Lisa, Marge and Maggie, from the Simpsons series, a production in which he served as an assistant director.
Edwin is originally from San Miguel. In the 1980s he emigrated to the United States where he lived since the age of nine. Photo EDH / Archives
Edwin Aguilar was originally from the canton of El Carao, in the department of San Miguel, in the east of the country. He was born in 1974. At the age of 9 he emigrated with his brother to the United States, where he would reunite with his family in Los Angeles.
In an interview with El Diario de Hoy, Edwin noted that he left El Salvador in order not to be recruited by the guerrillas or the armed forces during the armed conflict.
Also read: The story of Edwin Aguilar, the Salvadoran who has been drawing “The Simpsons” for 20 years
Being away from El Salvador changed his life. Thanks to a grant to study illustration at the “Art Center of Design” in Pasadena, California, and animation at the “Bridges Visual Institute” in Santa Monica.
He started animating for ‘Graz Entertainment’ when they produced ‘Transformers’ and ‘GI-Joe’, and for Hanna-Barbera he did episodes with ‘Pebbles’ and ‘Bam-Bam’, then looked for work with Chuck Jones, creator of animated shorts like “Merrie Melodies” and cartoon characters like “Looney Tunes” for Warner Brothers.
Photo EDH / Archives
In 1989, when Fox aired the Simpsons, created by Matt Groening, the Salvadoraan underwent and approved the pencil examination of the characters, it was there that he signed a contract to become the designer of the animated characters of the yellow family.
After learning of the news of his death, numerous condolences and memories of his life with friends, family and people who knew him have monopolized the social networks.
Over the years, Edwin has always maintained a close relationship with El Salvador, where he returned regularly and took the opportunity to share his knowledge of design and anime with children of children in different communities.
At this time, no more details have been given about the funeral acts.