Comics in Argentina

Historietas e historia

HistorietasArgentina has one of the most important comic traditions internationally. The figures and writers are as iconic as compare with those produced in New York and Paris in the 1930’s.

According to Oscar Masotta, comics began in Argentina during the early national period(19th C.) as single-panel political satire drawings on “hojas volantes”, eventually moving to magazines and then newspapers which “facilitated a more stable contact between artists and public” (La historieta en el mundo moderno 141)

The first Argentine comic books (Tit Bis and PBT) appeared in 1904-1905. Newspaper strips appeared later with Viruta y Chicharrón (1912,) by Manuel Redondo. El negro Raúl (1916), Las diabluras de Tijereta (1918) and Las aventuras de don Pancho Talero (1922) de Arturo Lantén (Lanteri). Lanteri was the first comic artist to achieve national recognition.

• Masotta argues that comics developed in three distinct genres:

• Historietas de aventuras: “Adventure comics”, generally sci fi or police serials which had the most in common North American comic books of the 1930s (i.e. Superman) though without the “imperialist ideology” of those. (ex. El Eternauta by Hector Osterheld)

• Historietas humoristicas: “Humor comics” which focused on “metaphysical humor” “sociological commentary” and “liberal/humanist ideology” (Ex. Mafalda by Quino)

• Historietas focloricas: “folk comics” focused on history (Fuerte Argentino by Valter Ciocco)

The Golden Age • The 1950’s is considered the “golden age” of

Argentine comics.

• The country experienced a publishing boom in 1953, in which “Argentine books and publications were export goods” (Torres 5) and the country produced 51 million copies with an average print run of 11,000.

• At the same time an influx of European immigrants following the war in Europe brought in a variety of new popular cultural expressions.

• During this period, the comic genre fully established itself both through the medium of newspapers and through the creation of genre specific magazines.

• In the 1950’s satire and comic magazines emerged, including Tia Vicenta by Juan Carlos Colombres (Landru) Hora Cero and Frontera by Hector German Osterheld and Misterix published by Editorial Abril.

• These comics frequently combined humor/sci fi with social commentary, occasionally arousing the ire of political figures who were targeted by the comic artists. (Tia Vicenta was shut down by the government in 1966)

• A group of Italian artists called the “Venice Group” also formed in Argentina at this time. The group consisted of Mario Faustinelli, Hugo Pratt, Ivo Pavone, and Dino Battaglia. They would go on to support and influence key comic artists of the period such as Solano Lopez and Alberto Breccia.

• This period also saw the introduction of iconic figures of the humor genre: Caloi (Carlos Loiseau) and Quino (Joaquin Salvador Lavado)

Comics During the Dirty War

• The genre experienced a slump in the late sixties and picked up again in the 1970’s.

• Torres suggests that comics didn’t receive that much censorial scrutiny during the 1976-1983 regime.

• Citing the “Banade” (Development Bank) archives which contain records of the regime’s communiques on culture, Torres finds only one memo referring to comic book writers in the entire eight year period.

• Torres argues that this was due to the “marginal” position of comics as well as their dissociation with the realms of education.

• Cases where comic artists were scrutinized or disappeared (Osterheld) had more to do with political involvements, almost nothing related to content of works.

Humor Genre:Mafalda

• Originally intended as a graphic ad to run in the newspaper Clarin in 1962.

• Picked up by the magazine Primera Plana in 1963 the comic would continue to run until 1974.

• Strongly influenced by the “Child-centric” worldview of Charles Schultz’s Peanuts.

• Comic features a precocious, highly intelligent six year old (Mafalda)of liberal sensibilities, parents, and classmates.

• Each of the characters represents a certain dimension of Argentine society.

• Mafalda’s parents are a typical bourgeois/middle class family. Mother is a housewife, Father is a horticulturalist.

• Friends include Felipe—a dreamer who dislikes school and is scared of girls, Manolito– a gallego, son of Spanish Immigrants who own a store, loves capitalism, Susanita—a girly girl who loves boys, romance and gossip, and Libertad –a brusque girl with radical social views.

Clemente: • Created by Carlos Loiseau (Caloi) in 1973. Comic published daily in

the Newspaper Clarin up until the artist’s death in 2012.

• “Clemente” is an bird-like creature with an oversized head, tiny legs and no arms. Loves soccer, is a fan of the Boca Juniors, drinks Mate and loves women, (Mulatona)

• Clemente often makes “innocent” observations and inferences to the political situation in Argentina including during the regime. A television spot featuring Clemente was cancelled in 1982 for this reason.

• At the world-cup match in 1978, Clemente opposed the dictatorship by encouraging spectators to throw confetti in the stadium, an Argentine tradition at soccer matches which the dictatorship tried to discourage.

Las puertitas del Sr. Lopez

• Written by Carlos Trillo with drawings by Horacio Altuna in 1979. Associated with the magazines Humor Registrado and Pendulo.

• Series describes a meek character who ends up in another dimension every time he goes to the toilet. Usually in hiding from society.

• “Humiliated and with no voice, a witness of repression and abuse, manipulated and with no way out, Lopez is less than a tepid consciousness. “ Juan Sasturain (“Cerrame la puerta, Lopez)

Adventure Comics: El Eternauta

• Created by Hector German Osterheld and drawn by Solano Lopez between 1957-1959, a second version was created in 1969 for the magazine Gente and a Part II was created in 1976 for the magazine Skorpio.

• Each re-creation increased in political content and as Osterheld became more involved with the Montoneros.

• The story begins with an apocalyptic event, a “poisonous snowfall” that kills off a majority of the population of Buenos Aires. The main character Juan Salvo eventually discovers the snowfall as the product of an alien invasion. Survivors gather to resist a series of invaders. A series of events leads to a rift in the space time continuum which causes Salvo and his family to enter different timelines.

• Osterheld, along with his two daughters went into hiding during the creation of the second Eternauta. Eventually Osterheld was disappeared by the regime in 1977,

Barbara • Created by Juan Zanotto (drawings) and Ricardo Barriero for

Skorpio Magazine in 1979.

• Like Eternauta, the plot features a postapocalyptic Buenos Aires, destroyed by war and ruled by a regime.

• The title character is a (very chesty) insurgent who leads an armed rebellion against a regime imposed by Alien invaders.

• The comic features veiled references to outlawed political ideas and figures. The astronaut who helps the rebellion is named “Ernesto Medina” (Reference to Che Guevara) upon whose death the insurgents chant “Victoria!”. There are also intertextual references to Osterheld and El Eternauta

Editorial Urraca/El Pendulo/Superhumor

• Editorial Urraca was founded in 1978 by humorist Andres Casicoli as a publishing house for the comic genre. Invited other well known comic artists to contribute. Urraca would sponsor comics with more vigorous political content including Humor Registrado, El Pendulo and Superhumor

• Humor Registrado in1980 would become bolder in its political content. The magazine featured political satire, comics, articles and journalism and often featured cover art mocking members of the junta.

• The financial success of Humor Registrado would lead to the creation of El Pendulo, (primarily sci fi content) and Superhumor (humor and satire)

• Humor comics featured in the first issues of El Pendulo feature more direct references to the dictatorship such as Los Viajes del Marco Mono about a monkey who travels to “ciudad feliz” in which society is paralyzed under the rule of a “tyrant” and General Gori de Bosquivia which would feature depictions of torture.

• Superhumor would eventually come to focus entirely on the humor comic genre. After the restoration of democracy the magazine Fierro would take its place.

• Questions for discussion:

• Describe your relationship with comics? Are you a fan/reader of them? Which comics do you read? Do you prefer the adventure genre or the humor genre and why?

• What is your view of comics as art?

• How would you characterize the relationship between Science Fiction and Society? In what ways is sci-fi more able to reflect on social problems/crises?

• To what do you attribute the long-term success of the comic genre in Argentina?

• How do you think social unrest in Argentina (both during the Dirty War and prior to it) influence the comic genre?

• Why do you think the Urraca magazines were able to publish images and strips mocking the regime in the early 1980’s? There was censure of some editions, but the magazines continued to publish.