The Genius of Jodorowsky

Alejandro Jodorowsky (b.1929); film maker, iconoclast, poet, magician, actor, philosopher, scholar in comparative religion, playwright, director, producer, composer, mime, comic book writer, tarot card reader, historian, and psychotherapist.
Jodorowsky began his artistic activities at a very young age inspired greatly by film and literature. He began publishing his poetry in Chile when he was 16. At this time he worked alongside the Chilean poets, Nicanor Parra and Enrique Lihn. He developed an interest in puppetry and mime. At 17, he debuted as an actor and a year later he created the pantomime troupe, Teatro Mimico. In 1953 Jodorowsky wrote his first play, El Minotauro. That same year he traveled to Paris to study pantomime with Etienne Decroux, the teacher of Marcel Marceau. The next year he joined Marcel Marceau theatre troupe; the performances realized during this collaboration toured worldwide. After performing in Mexico in 1960, Jodorowsky decided to continue his stay in order to pursue other theatrical endeavors.
In February 1962, in Paris, Jodorowsky with Fernando Arrabal and Roland Topor, initiated El Panico, an artistic movement centered around three basic elements: terror, humor, and simultaneity. These acts combine layers of physical postures inspired by the imagination and integrate artistic elements. Acts of this movement include Cuentos Panicos, Teatro Panico, Fabulas Panicas and Efimeros Panicos.
Throughout the 60’s and 70’s, working in Paris and Mexico, Jodorowsky created over one hundred theatrical productions. He directed works of his own in addition to those written by Leonora Carrington, Samuel Beckett, Ionesco, Strindberg and others. El Acto Efimero, or ephemeral performances were acted out in public spaces drawing attention to the quotidian while promoting critical awareness in both participants and audience. During these ephemeral acts the public is often unaware that an act of drama is being performed. Jodorowsky once stated "the Panic man is not, he is ever becoming " to reference Alfred Korzybski's influence on his thought.
Beginning in 1966, Jodorowsky created comics relating to El Panico. These comics were made independently and in collaboration with illustrators including Jean "Mœbius" Giraud. In the course of his comic career Jodorowsky has created approximately 21 series including Fabulas Panicos, Los Ojos del Gato and El Incal. All translated in over ten languages.
Jodorowsky first experience with film was in 1957 in Paris where he adapted Thomas Mann’s Las Cabezas Trocadas as La Cravate. He next created Fando y Lis in Mexico in 1967. Two years later Jodorowsky created his most renowned film, El Topo. In the following years additional films were realized including La Montana Sagrada in 1972 .