Guntra Graudins Santiago (who was known professionally as G.G. Santiago), the creator of Rainbow Brite, passed away peacefully at her home on February 21, at the age of 82. Her death was announced by her longtime friend Muriel Fahrion, the creator of Strawberry Shortcake and the Care Bears. The two met while illustrating greeting cards for American Greetings and remained lifelong friends. Santiago later moved to Hallmark, where she created the Rainbow Brite characters.
G.G. was born in war-torn Rega, Latvia on March 5, 1943, to Monvid “Monty” and Elizabeth (Grobins) Graudins. During World War 2, the family moved constantly in an attempt to evade Nazi persecution. G.G. and her family witnessed the execution of her grandfather, August, and saw her father taken away as a prisoner of war. He spoke five languages so instead of being executed, he was used as a translator. After confirming that his wife and children were still alive at an Allied refugee camp, he escaped the Nazis and reunited with his family at the camp. After the war ended, the Red Cross sponsored the family, enabling them to sail to the United States.
In 1984, she created the Rainbow Brite character for Hallmark. Following that, she became the departmental art director at Enesco where she designed she designed the beloved “My Little Kitchen Fairies” collection. She later created pieces for the Franz Porcelain Collection Inc. Known for blending traditional Asian artistry with Art Nouveau-inspired design, Franz porcelain became her canvas for delicate vases, busts and figurines adorned with meticulously painted, Asian-inspired tattoos — pieces that often sell for five figures. It is even rumored that guitarist Carlos Santana requested one for his personal collection and was subsequently gifted one, a quiet testament to the reach of her talent.
G.G. inherited her father’s gift for languages and was fluent in German, Latvian, English, and Spanish. She was married to Waldemar “Jesse” Santiago until his death in 2007. She is survived by their son Jaime, her sister, and her nieces. Her obituary also mentioned her four cats Teta, Nala, Louie, Twitch, and Schmutz and her two Amazonian parrots.
