Javier Mariscal studied philosophy at Universidad de Valencia before continuing with graphic design at the Escuela Elisava in Barcelona. In 1973 Mariscal, together with a group of other graphic artists launched Spain’s first underground comic El Rrollo enmascarado.
From 1977 Mariscal worked as a freelance designer, creating textiles, products for producers such a Magis, Akaba, Amat, Andreu World and Moroso and as a graphic designer for a.o. Barcelona Zoo, Sweden’s Social Democratic Party and Expo 2000 in Hannover.
In 1979 Mariscal designed the logo and poster BAR CE LONA which gave him a greater, public acknowledgement. Together with Fernando Salas, Mariscal designed the interior for the bar Dúplex in Barcelona, that included the post modernistic, colorful Duplex bar stool in 1980. One year later Mariscal participated in the Muebles Amorales exhibition in Barcelona and contributed to the collection of the Memphis Milano group.
From the mid 1980’s, Mariscal worked on interiors of bars and nightclubs together with architect Alfredo Arribas. In 1986 Mariscal founded his own design company Akaba for which he a.o. designed the chair Garriris inspired by his own cartoon character Los Garriris in 1987.
In the late 1980’s Mariscal participated in the exhibition Nouvelle tendances: Les Avant-gardes de la fin du XXe siècle at the Centre Pompidou in Paris while also designing the ticket booths for the Documenta 8 fair in Kassel. In 1988 Mariscal designed the Cobi mascot for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics which became his big international breakthrough. During the same year he had his first retrospective, 100 años con Mariscal at Lonja de la Seda in Valencia.
During the last year of the 1980’s Marischal founded the Estudio Mariscal in Barcelona and ten years later he was awarded the Premio Nacional de Diseño by Spain’s Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness. The retrospective Mariscal: Drawing Life opened at the Design Museum in London 2009.
