7 ms·

Quino, creator of Mafalda comic character, dies aged 88

213 points by anonymfus 6y ago

felipellrocha 6y ago
Ah... I spent so many hours of my childhood reading his comics. He will be sorely missed.
- diegof79 6y ago
  He is one of my idols too :..( His cartoons are timeless, and many of them don’t have any text so you don’t need to read Spanish to understand.
  - ericol 6y ago
    I don't know about any other country. but as an argentinian, at any point in my life I could read one of his cartoons and it feels like it was drawn yesterday.
    - Izikiel43 6y ago
      Argentina, the country that if you leave for a week, everything changes, if you leave for 20 years, everything is the same as you left.
      - cryptonector 6y ago
        Wow, is that accurate.
  - pvaldes 6y ago
    https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a3/44/cb/a344cb9e1ab0271102fc39de3db67514.png https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a3/44/cb/a344cb9e1ab0271102fc...
    - cryptonector 6y ago
      Ah yes, that's that good ol' argentine bureaucracy.
Daishiman 6y ago
Can't believe the article doesn't have samples of this man's amazing work. https://twitter.com/MechiValle/status/1311323302883930128/photo/1 https://twitter.com/MechiValle/status/1311323302883930128/ph... https://twitter.com/MechiValle/status/1311327158795743232/photo/1 https://twitter.com/MechiValle/status/1311327158795743232/ph... https://twitter.com/MechiValle/status/1311327628624826370/photo/2 https://twitter.com/MechiValle/status/1311327628624826370/ph...
- 29athrowaway 6y ago
  "This is not available to you"
  - gwuchnroguywb 6y ago
    Hopefully this does the trick: https://nitter.net/MechiValle/status/1311323302883930128/photo/1 https://nitter.net/MechiValle/status/1311323302883930128/pho... https://nitter.net/MechiValle/status/1311327158795743232/photo/1 https://nitter.net/MechiValle/status/1311327158795743232/pho... https://nitter.net/MechiValle/status/1311327628624826370/photo/2 https://nitter.net/MechiValle/status/1311327628624826370/pho...
    - 29athrowaway 6y ago
      Nice. This guy is like an Argentinean Banksy (or viceversa, Banksy is a British Quino).
      - gwuchnroguywb 6y ago
        Yeah, I think these non-verbal strips have a similar feel to it. Mafalda is more like Calvin and Hobbes IMO as another user pointed out.
        agumonkey 6y ago
        the few I've seen of mafalda hints at slightly larger reflections than calvin & hobbes, I think it does ring a bell with banksy's groove
clueless123 6y ago
So sad, such a genius.
flobosg 6y ago
If you are a fan of Calvin and Hobbes or Peanuts then definitely check out Mafalda.
pier25 6y ago
Is Mafalda popular in the English world? Even today, it's super popular in the Spanish speaking world. As popular as Peanuts or Garfield.
- smabie 6y ago
  A quick poll of my friends and I in the room right now would suggest a resounding 'no'. Is it translated? I don't know Spanish.
  - Izikiel43 6y ago
    I think not, also some of the jokes might lose sense in english. Edit: From the article "Mafalda's wit and her sharp observations of the adult world ensured the comic's popularity, which was translated into 26 languages." So you might be able to get it in english. From amazon, searching Mafalda and setting the book language to english: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mafalda&rh=p_n_feature_nine_browse-bin%3A3291437011&dc&__mk_es_US=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&qid=1601511871&rnid=3291435011&ref=sr_nr_p_n_feature_nine_browse-bin_4 https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mafalda&rh=p_n_feature_nine_brows...
    - estebank 6y ago
      Like Les Luthiers and any comedian making full use of their original language, many jokes lose their punch —or even don't make any sense— when translated. On the other hands, many of the Mafalda strips work well with literal translations too. I am reminded of her getting a turtle. Mafalda decided to call her Bureaucracy. Or her in the beach seeing a crab walking backwards and after a panel of contemplation letting the crab know "The future is forwards!" and when the crab continues on its merry way, backwards, her yelling at it "Reactionary!". Or her taking a globe and treating it like it has a cold after listening to the news in the radio. The strips seem to also be commonly used when teaching Spanish, as the simple art work lends itself to be easily described.
- anamexis 6y ago
  As a sample of 1 person from the US, I can say I have never heard of Mafalda.
tulsidas 6y ago
three generations (and counting) marveled by his work...
AbraKdabra 6y ago
As an argentinian, this is a really sad day for me and for the rest of the country, you can tell in the /r/argentina subreddit today which has been absolutely flooded with comics from him to remember his work, you don't need to know spanish to understand his work because he was a genius in semiology, there was no reason for words. I even named one my cats Mafalda 8 years ago in his honor for making my youth fantastic while reading his comics. He will be missed, RIP Quino.
- kace91 6y ago
  It was felt very strongly here in Spain, too. I have a giant Mafalda compilation book on a shelve next to me, I practically learn to read with those strips since my parents already had them by the time I was born. Along with Les Luthiers recordings, it's one of the few cases where my parent's preferences were completely transferable to me because it really transcends their time, you don't really need a lot of generational context to connect.
diego_moita 6y ago
I've seen people comparing Quino to Calvin & Hobbes and Gary Larson's Farside. Quino is very different from both. I prefer his non-Mafalda work. In there he his a lot more visual than those American authors. He is almost non-verbal. Also, I find his "magic realism" to be more in tune with the classic Latin American writers of his age (Borges, Marquez, Cortazar). I say it because, unlike Larson's absurdity and Calvin's dreams, his fantasies are still strongly tied to reality, they're a comment about reality, not just imaginary for the sake of it. He is the far opposite of escapism.
lbellomo 6y ago
Terrible news :( A few months ago I made a twitter bot with Mafalda comic every two hours (in Spanish). Maybe someone will find it of interest. https://twitter.com/mafalda_bot https://twitter.com/mafalda_bot
rvieira 6y ago
RIP Quino, such a witty and talented artist.

213 points by anonymfus 6y ago

felipellrocha 6y ago

Ah... I spent so many hours of my childhood reading his comics. He will be sorely missed.

diegof79 6y ago
He is one of my idols too :..( His cartoons are timeless, and many of them don’t have any text so you don’t need to read Spanish to understand.
- ericol 6y ago
  I don't know about any other country. but as an argentinian, at any point in my life I could read one of his cartoons and it feels like it was drawn yesterday.
  - Izikiel43 6y ago
    Argentina, the country that if you leave for a week, everything changes, if you leave for 20 years, everything is the same as you left.
    - cryptonector 6y ago
      Wow, is that accurate.
- pvaldes 6y ago
  https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a3/44/cb/a344cb9e1ab0271102fc39de3db67514.png https://i.pinimg.com/originals/a3/44/cb/a344cb9e1ab0271102fc...
  - cryptonector 6y ago
    Ah yes, that's that good ol' argentine bureaucracy.

Daishiman 6y ago

Can't believe the article doesn't have samples of this man's amazing work. https://twitter.com/MechiValle/status/1311323302883930128/photo/1 https://twitter.com/MechiValle/status/1311323302883930128/ph... https://twitter.com/MechiValle/status/1311327158795743232/photo/1 https://twitter.com/MechiValle/status/1311327158795743232/ph... https://twitter.com/MechiValle/status/1311327628624826370/photo/2 https://twitter.com/MechiValle/status/1311327628624826370/ph...

29athrowaway 6y ago
"This is not available to you"
- gwuchnroguywb 6y ago
  Hopefully this does the trick: https://nitter.net/MechiValle/status/1311323302883930128/photo/1 https://nitter.net/MechiValle/status/1311323302883930128/pho... https://nitter.net/MechiValle/status/1311327158795743232/photo/1 https://nitter.net/MechiValle/status/1311327158795743232/pho... https://nitter.net/MechiValle/status/1311327628624826370/photo/2 https://nitter.net/MechiValle/status/1311327628624826370/pho...
  - 29athrowaway 6y ago
    Nice. This guy is like an Argentinean Banksy (or viceversa, Banksy is a British Quino).
    - gwuchnroguywb 6y ago
      Yeah, I think these non-verbal strips have a similar feel to it. Mafalda is more like Calvin and Hobbes IMO as another user pointed out.
      - agumonkey 6y ago
        the few I've seen of mafalda hints at slightly larger reflections than calvin & hobbes, I think it does ring a bell with banksy's groove

clueless123 6y ago

So sad, such a genius.

flobosg 6y ago

If you are a fan of Calvin and Hobbes or Peanuts then definitely check out Mafalda.

pier25 6y ago

Is Mafalda popular in the English world? Even today, it's super popular in the Spanish speaking world. As popular as Peanuts or Garfield.

smabie 6y ago
A quick poll of my friends and I in the room right now would suggest a resounding 'no'. Is it translated? I don't know Spanish.
- Izikiel43 6y ago
  I think not, also some of the jokes might lose sense in english. Edit: From the article "Mafalda's wit and her sharp observations of the adult world ensured the comic's popularity, which was translated into 26 languages." So you might be able to get it in english. From amazon, searching Mafalda and setting the book language to english: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mafalda&rh=p_n_feature_nine_browse-bin%3A3291437011&dc&__mk_es_US=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&qid=1601511871&rnid=3291435011&ref=sr_nr_p_n_feature_nine_browse-bin_4 https://www.amazon.com/s?k=mafalda&rh=p_n_feature_nine_brows...
  - estebank 6y ago
    Like Les Luthiers and any comedian making full use of their original language, many jokes lose their punch —or even don't make any sense— when translated. On the other hands, many of the Mafalda strips work well with literal translations too. I am reminded of her getting a turtle. Mafalda decided to call her Bureaucracy. Or her in the beach seeing a crab walking backwards and after a panel of contemplation letting the crab know "The future is forwards!" and when the crab continues on its merry way, backwards, her yelling at it "Reactionary!". Or her taking a globe and treating it like it has a cold after listening to the news in the radio. The strips seem to also be commonly used when teaching Spanish, as the simple art work lends itself to be easily described.
anamexis 6y ago
As a sample of 1 person from the US, I can say I have never heard of Mafalda.

tulsidas 6y ago

three generations (and counting) marveled by his work...

AbraKdabra 6y ago

As an argentinian, this is a really sad day for me and for the rest of the country, you can tell in the /r/argentina subreddit today which has been absolutely flooded with comics from him to remember his work, you don't need to know spanish to understand his work because he was a genius in semiology, there was no reason for words. I even named one my cats Mafalda 8 years ago in his honor for making my youth fantastic while reading his comics. He will be missed, RIP Quino.

kace91 6y ago
It was felt very strongly here in Spain, too. I have a giant Mafalda compilation book on a shelve next to me, I practically learn to read with those strips since my parents already had them by the time I was born. Along with Les Luthiers recordings, it's one of the few cases where my parent's preferences were completely transferable to me because it really transcends their time, you don't really need a lot of generational context to connect.

diego_moita 6y ago

I've seen people comparing Quino to Calvin & Hobbes and Gary Larson's Farside. Quino is very different from both. I prefer his non-Mafalda work. In there he his a lot more visual than those American authors. He is almost non-verbal. Also, I find his "magic realism" to be more in tune with the classic Latin American writers of his age (Borges, Marquez, Cortazar). I say it because, unlike Larson's absurdity and Calvin's dreams, his fantasies are still strongly tied to reality, they're a comment about reality, not just imaginary for the sake of it. He is the far opposite of escapism.

lbellomo 6y ago

Terrible news :( A few months ago I made a twitter bot with Mafalda comic every two hours (in Spanish). Maybe someone will find it of interest. https://twitter.com/mafalda_bot https://twitter.com/mafalda_bot

rvieira 6y ago

RIP Quino, such a witty and talented artist.