The life of Miquel Fuster unfolds like a graphic novel drawn in real time. A gifted cartoonist and illustrator, he faced years of hardship before his art became a bridge between his past struggle and the here and now. After 15 difficult years living on the streets, he passed away at 78, a fate confirmed by the Arrels Foundation, which had stood by him and supported his return to a life that valued shelter, safety, and expression. The question— Isn’t it a normal thing? — echoes as a reminder that the stories of people who wander the margins deserve attention, empathy, and a clear path toward dignity.
The son of Aragon and a native of Barcelona, Fuster began his professional journey on February 7, 1944, at the age of 16. He cut his teeth as an apprentice at Editorial Bruguera, then joined a team at Illustrated Selections, where he specialized in romantic comics. That period laid the groundwork for a prolific career in visual storytelling, blending a keen eye for character with a talent for narrative flow that could captivate readers across generations.
During the 1970s, Fuster continued his work with Norma Editorial, carving out a distinctive voice within the European comics scene. In 1987 a fire at his home, followed by battles with alcoholism, altered the course of his life, forcing him into a period of street wandering. The experience did not erase his artistry; instead, it intensified his commitment to telling the truth of what it means to live on the margins.
For 15 years, stretching from 1988 to 2002, Fuster endured life on Barcelona’s streets and in nearby towns such as Reus in Tarragona. He earned small incomes by selling watercolor pieces of bulls and flamingos to tourists, a humble practice that kept his hand steady and his spirit connected to the world he observed so closely. There were moments when begging became a necessity, a stark reminder of the fragility of life for those without a fixed place to sleep.
In 2003, a turning point arrived. He weighed just over 40 pounds and stood about 1.82 meters tall, and found support from the Arrels Foundation. The organization helped him address his alcohol use and offered a room where he could begin painting again. The stability mattered; it allowed him to reconnect with the act of creation, to reclaim a personal space where brushes, colors, and memories could coexist in a more hopeful way.
By December 2007, Fuster began sharing sketches of his daily experiences on a blog, a digital journal that reached a broad audience. The publishing house Glénat recognized the power of his visuals and offered a collection, which later became an album. In 2009, his work received an honorable mention from the Generalitat at the XXVII Serra i Moret al Civisme Awards, a nod to the social impact of his storytelling and his willingness to speak openly about adversity.
As a creator, Fuster produced several graphic novels in which he used his art to illuminate what it means to live without a permanent home. His writings and drawings have inspired hundreds of students and young people who encountered his personal blog in recent years. The public’s understanding of street life benefited from his intimate, unfiltered perspective, bringing attention to the daily realities faced by people who are often unseen.
Throughout his career, Fuster participated in numerous exhibitions of his illustrations and collaborated on projects supported by Arrels. The most recent collaboration was a large-format mural titled ‘#Visibles,’ featuring his photograph on the façade of the Cotxeres-Casinet building in the Sants neighborhood, where he lived at the time. The mural stood as a public testament to the life he had lived and the art he continued to create, inviting passersby to reflect on issues of visibility and belonging.
“I live my past in my present,” Fuster once said. “The disgusting life I lived yesterday continues to shape me today. It is the existential drama of those thrown into the street.” In his own words, the stark reality of street life carried a relentless weight, a wretchedness etched on faces and souls that could outlive any one person. His reflections offered a candid window into a world where tension can flare into violence, and where resilience must coexist with the threat of danger.
He described street life as an independent, mysterious world—quiet yet volatile—where solitude can feel suffocating and danger lurks behind every alley. It was a place of retaliation, suffering, and pain, where moments of beauty in art were interwoven with episodes of hardship and isolation that many observers might never fully grasp.
As a professional illustrator, Fuster never stopped drawing, even during the 15 years he spent on the streets. Eventually he found housing and rejoined a community that valued his expertise. He served in a leadership role with Arrels and became a trustee, offering his perspective to help others understand life on the margins while contributing to the organization’s broader mission of support and advocacy for homeless people.
The Foundation mourned his passing. His life stands as a stark reminder that living on the street carries serious health risks and can shorten life expectancy, underscoring the urgency of programs that provide shelter, stability, and creative outlets for those who have been displaced. Fuster’s legacy lives on in the artworks that document his journey and in the countless conversations his work sparked about dignity, memory, and community support. [citation: Arrels Foundation records and public exhibitions]
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