Mafalda: The Comic Strip That Was Ahead Of Its Time

Ahoy Captain Cats here and today we are going to look at a comic strip that was way ahead of its time in terms of using humor to address social commentary that is still relevant to this day and that comic strip was Mafalda.

The series was created by Argentine cartoonist Quino and was introduced to Argentina in September of 1964. The series focused on a 6-year-old girl named Mafalda who was concerned about world peace and humanity while at the same time trying to enjoy life like any 6 year old would. Along with an incredible cast of characters and handling such topics as fascism, militarism, the middle class of Argentina, the way of life, and so on, the comic strip became a hit around the world.

The comic strip ran for only 9 years and in Quino reason for ending the comic strip was he didn’t want to repeat himself with the stories and also at the time a huge change in the Latin American political landscape Quino said this:

“If I had continued drawing her, they would have shot me once or four times.” – Quino

Many people compared Malfalda to Peanuts that even Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz had this to say about Quino and Malfalda:

“The kind of ideas that he works with are of the most difficult, and I am amazed at their variety and depth. Also, he knows how to draw, and to draw in a funny way. I think that he is a giant.” – Charles M. Schulz

Sadly Quino passed away in 2020, but he and Malfalda will never be missed thanks to the numerous life-size statues in Angouleme, France, Spain, and in front of Quino’s old home in the San Telmo neighborhood in Buenos Aires, Argentina.