Reading Again Mafalda

Mafalda is one of the world's most beloved and successful cartoon characters. But how was she born? This episode tells the story of Mafalda's origin and of its creator, the Argentine Quino, as it reveals the secrets behind the comic strip's birth. From the first sketches, the result of a commission for a failed advertising campaign, to its original publication, Mafalda became a rebellious heroine from the 1960s who could be seen as a feminist from today's point of view. Through stock material, analysis from cartoonists such as Maitena, Liniers, and Tute, and the testimony of historians, editors, and Quino's friends and family, this episode travels to the creation of a character that, more than fifty years later, is still more alive than ever.

This episode introduces Mafalda's friends and reveals why Quino decided to add new characters as well as his source of inspiration for them. Mafalda's friends all have well-defined personalities. Felipe is a dreamer who dreads going to school and is in love with a girl he doesn't dare speak to. Manolito works at his father's store and dreams of becoming a millionaire. Susanita is the opposite of Mafalda, and her only aspiration is to get married and have children. Miguelito, the youngest, is self-centered and naive. Liniers, Montt, Rep, Maitena, Tute, and Raquel Riba Rossi analyze emblematic strips featuring these characters while revealing the influence of cinema on Quino and the new ideas that the author brought to the world of comics.

Mafalda and her friends are part of the Argentine middle class of the 1960s. Through his cartoons, Quino gives us a glimpse at the lifestyle of those years, but he also addresses universal themes. With his realism, Quino makes readers relate to the character's habits, tastes, customs, and interests, from Mafalda's globe and the Citröen 2CV that her father drives to her neighborhood, school, and her vacations at the beach. But Quino also offers a look into the social inequalities and the circumstances of those times. This episode delves into the overarching themes of Mafalda and how the 1966 coup in Argentina caused an increase in the strip's political commentary and made Mafalda's dislike of soup acquire new meanings.

When Mafalda's younger brother Guille is born, the family changes, while the appearance of Libertad revolutionizes the gang of friends. These new characters are an update to the strip and reflect the radicalization that was taking place in the world and especially in Argentina, where repression and political differences become even more pronounced. Aware of the violence from authorities and out of fear of repeating himself, Quino decides to end Mafalda, and soon after, he goes into exile in Milan. But that end is a new beginning: through Mafalda's books, which are reprinted again and again and translated into more than twenty-six languages, the comic's popularity keeps growing and attracting readers who share her enthusiasm.