On September 30, 2020, we received sad news: Quino, the cartoonist and creator of the iconic character Mafalda, passed away. With an inspiring life story and great works, Quino became one of the most memorable and famous figures in Argentina. His influence on culture is compared to what Maurício de Souza has done in Brazil.
In his memory, we will learn more about his story and legacy of success that will never be forgotten.
- Youth And Early Career
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Joaquín Salvador Lavado Tejón was born on July 17, 1932, in Mendoza, Argentina. His family gave him the nickname Quino so they could differentiate him from his uncle, who was also called Joaquín. Quino’s uncle was a draftsman, because of him, little Quino was able to fall in love with art. His parents were Spanish immigrants from Andalusia, an autonomous region on the south coast of Spain, and died when Quino was just a teenager.
The cartoonist never graduated from college, dropping out of it to focus on his comic books. When you have talent, things happen and Quino soon sold his first job: an ad for a silk shop. Already established in Buenos Aires, Quino started to collaborate with several magazines, some of them humorous. In 1963, his first book “Mundo Quino” was published, full of humorous drawings, without any texts.
- Mafalda
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Who doesn’t love Mafalda, a little girl, revolted by the conditions that the world is in, so concerned with humanity and world peace? The character was created in 1963 from an advertisement for the appliance company Mansfield, which would be published by the newspaper Clarín. The name Mafalda came from another character in the film called “Dar La Cara” and it was necessary that the name start with “Ma” due to the similarity with the name of the company. The deal did not work because the newspaper broke the contract and the campaign had to be canceled.
One year after that, Mafalda was finally published in Primera Plana magazine on September 29, 1964, and officially became a cartoon. Despite a legal dispute and bankruptcy of newspapers that published their stories, Mafalda remained firm and increasingly popular not only in Argentina, but throughout Latin America and Europe. Many people talk about the similarity of Mafalda and Snoopy’s traits and this is true, since the Argentine cartoonist was inspired by Charles M. Schulz.
- Repression
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In the 70s, Quino decided to put an end to the comic strip because, as he said, he was unable to comment on the latest news and was becoming repetitive, as the comics had to be delivered two weeks before they could be published in the Siete Días Illustrados newspaper. After a while, it was discovered that Quino was also scared of political repression because of a violent civil-military dictatorship happening in Argentina at that time.
This was not Quino’s only problem with censorship: between 1965 and 1967, his books and comic strips began to be published in Spain, where censorship forced him to label his works as “adult content”.
- Retirement And His Last Days
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Since 1973, the year he decided to stop making the strips, Quino drew Malfada only a few times, mainly to promote campaigns on Human Rights. In 2009, he decided to retire from the drawings. With the death of his wife, Quino returned to his hometown and remained there until his death at the age of 88.
- His Unforgettable Legacy
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Quino was one of the greatest cartoonists of all time and responsible for creating one of the greatest symbols in Argentina. Malfada has been edited in 16 languages and over 30 countries. Throughout the city of Buenos Aires, there are tributes to Quino and his works, from statues to a square called Malfada.
His legacy is unforgettable and much admired by everyone around the world. Rest in peace, Quino.
The article above was edited by Laura Enchioglo.
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