Unidad Gráfica Jesús Menéndez (author/illustrator: Luis Bencomo Guzmán, cover designer: Heriberto De Haro), "Univerzoo," October 1988. Offset print,

Luis Bencomo Guzmán - "Univerzoo" (1988)

A spectacular debut work by Cuban artist and illustrator Luis Bencomo Guzmán (born Havana, March 16, 1957), featuring his surrealist "zoo" of imaginary creatures. The book showcases two distinct visual approaches: psychedelic color illustrations with blue-faced figures, flowing organic forms, and robot-like beings rendered in vibrant pinks, yellows, and blues; alongside intricate black-and-white pen drawings showing vintage automobiles perched on twisted organic root systems.

A graduate of the Escuela de Artes Plásticas de San Alejandro, Bencomo worked as an illustrator at CNICM (the Ministry of Public Health) before becoming a designer at Pionero magazine. He exhibited his work in group shows and contributed to magazines including Sepmí, Enigma, and El Muñe. "Univerzoo" represents his first book-length work, fusing the imaginative creatures from his drawings with atmospheric texts.

Published during the "Año 30 de la Revolución" (Year 30 of the Revolution) with cover design by Heriberto De Haro, the book was printed at the Unidad Gráfica Jesús Menéndez. The publisher's logo "El Huérfano" (The Orphan) appears throughout, suggesting an independent or alternative press within revolutionary Cuba's publishing landscape.

A unique example of late-1980s Cuban surrealist illustration and graphic storytelling.