Manolo Ruiz Pipó was born in 1929 in Granada, Andalusia in the south of Spain. From the time he was a small child he had a strong interest in drawing. His family was well-to-do and he was sent to exclusive schools in Granada however, he was frequently expelled from the classroom because he neglected his schoolwork preferring to spend his time drawing caricatures of his teachers and classmates.

One night in 1936 during the turbulent prelude to the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) Ruiz Pipó's father was taken from his home by force due to his political beliefs. No one would see him again. In 1940 Pipó's mother moved her family to Barcelona where they found safety under the protection of her father. In 1942 wi...