Adult Animation Revolution: Alberto Vázquez’s ‘Decorado’
by Tito W. James
Alberto Vázquez has been an innovator within the adult animation space. I remember seeing the premier of Bird Boy: The Forgotten Children back in 2018 and his follow up, Unicorn Wars, in 2023. He is a visionary who combines beautiful hand-crafted visuals with disturbing satire on human nature. His latest film, Decorado is based on the short film of the same name (seen below) and follows a group of dysfunctional animals navigating the predatory modern world.
Adult animation has gone through a shift over the last ten years. We’ve seen the space expand beyond “toilet humor sitcoms” to explore stories that are highly aesthetic and rich in nuanced, mature themes. This change has been noticeable to those who are part of cartoon fandom as well as those who are working within the industry. But it has remained under-discussed within the realms of art and cultural critique. In an animation landscape, where we have Arcane and Blue Eye Samurai, it can be easy to forget the pioneers who pushed the medium forward. Vázquez is one such pioneer and his work deserves to be on everyone’s radar.
