Jacques Lacasse
Joaquín Salvador Lavado Tejón, known universally by his pen name Quino (17 July 1932 – 30 September 2020), remains one of Latin America’s most beloved and incisive cartoonists. Best known for his iconic comic strip Mafalda (1964–1973), Quino’s ability to mix humor, social commentary, and philosophical depth into deceptively simple drawings won him global acclaim. His characters, often small in stature but grand in thought, served as mirrors for society, reflecting both its absurdities and its enduring hopes.
Early Life: Andalusian Roots and Artistic Beginnings
Born in Mendoza, Argentina, to Andalusian Spanish immigrants, Quino grew up surrounded by Spanish language, flamenco music, and cultural tradition. He was affectionately dubbed “Quino” from childhood to distinguish him from his uncle Joaquín, a professional illustrator who first inspired him to draw.
The path to artistry was marked by loss and resilience. Quino’s mother died when he was 13, followed by his father’s death when he was 16. He enrolled in the Escuela de Bellas Artes de Mendoza but abandoned formal education in 1949 to pursue a career in cartooning—a risky but ultimately defining decision. His first commercial success came with an advertisement for a fabric store, which opened the door to regular publication in Argentine periodicals such as Leoplán, Esto Es, TV Guía, and Rico Tipo.
Mafalda: A Child’s Eye on a Grown-Up World
Quino’s artistic breakthrough arrived almost by accident. In 1963, while designing a character for a failed appliance ad campaign, he created Mafalda, a six-year-old girl with a globe-sized curiosity and a razor-sharp tongue. Though the campaign never materialized, the character found life in print, first in Primera Plana and later in El Mundo and Siete Días Ilustrados.
Mafalda quickly became a cultural phenomenon. With her friends Felipe, Manolito, Susanita, Libertad, Miguelito, and baby brother Guille, Mafalda expressed the frustrations and dreams of a postwar generation. She hated soup, loved the Beatles, and questioned authority, gender roles, war, and capitalism—all from the perspective of a curious child trying to make sense of a senseless adult world.
Comparisons with Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz are frequent, though Mafalda was perhaps more political, reflective of Argentina’s volatile 1960s and ’70s. Censored in Francoist Spain and embraced in dozens of countries, Mafalda was translated into over 20 languages. Though the strip ended in 1973, its legacy endured, as did its creator’s voice.
Beyond Mafalda: Quino’s Mature Satire
After retiring Mafalda, Quino shifted his focus to more general social satire. His humor sin Mafalda—humor without Mafalda—explored adult life with biting wit and deep empathy. He skewered bureaucracy, marriage, medicine, religion, gender roles, and the evolving role of technology in increasingly alienated societies.
His later comics, published weekly in Clarín and compiled in albums such as ¡A mí no me grite! (1972), Bien gracias, ¿y usted? (1976), and Potentes, prepotentes e impotentes (1989), featured no recurring characters but rather archetypes: the overbearing boss, the apathetic doctor, the desperate husband, the confused consumer. These vignettes combined visual simplicity with profound philosophical observations, offering insights that transcended language and geography.
Quino’s collaborations also extended to animation. In the 1980s, he worked with Cuban animator Juan Padrón on the Quinoscopios, a series of six animated shorts, and later produced 104 animated Mafalda shorts in 1994. His art moved across media without losing its satirical edge.
Exile, Activism, and Legacy
Following Argentina’s 1976 military coup, Quino and his wife Alicia Colombo chose exile in Milan, Italy. Though he eventually returned to Argentina after democracy was restored, the experience of dictatorship shaped his worldview. He remained a fierce advocate for human rights, lending Mafalda’s voice to causes such as UNICEF’s Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1977), Spain’s Right to Education Law (1986), and Argentina’s COVID-19 awareness campaign (2020).
In 2017, Quino suffered from degenerative glaucoma that severely limited his vision, effectively ending his drawing career. He passed away on 30 September 2020, at age 88, after a stroke.
Recognition and Awards
Throughout his career, Quino garnered both popular and institutional accolades:
- 1982: Named Cartoonist of the Year by international peers.
- 1997: U Giancu’s Prize at the International Cartoonists Exhibition.
- 2000: Second Quevedos Ibero-American Prize for Graphic Humor.
- 2014: Prince of Asturias Award for Communication and Humanities.
- 2014: French Legion of Honour.
- 2022: Konex of Honour.
- Asteroid 27178 Quino was named in his honor.
- Declared an Illustrious Citizen of Mendoza.
- A Buenos Aires square was named Plaza Mafalda in his honor.
Charles M. Schulz once said of him:
“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.”
A Global Voice in a Small Frame
Whether through the sharp wit of Mafalda or the bleak satire of his one-off cartoons, Quino spoke a universal language of empathy, absurdity, and critique. His humor emerged not from slapstick or caricature, but from keen observation of society’s contradictions.
He once remarked that if he had continued to draw Mafalda during Argentina’s dictatorship, “they would have shot me.” This was not an exaggeration. His work didn’t just entertain; it questioned, provoked, and resisted.
Through more than six decades of work, Quino gave Latin America and the world a mirror, held up by a six-year-old who hated soup and loved justice.
Essential Works
Mafalda Collection Highlights:
- Mafalda 1–10 (1970–1974)
- Toda Mafalda (1993)
- Mafalda Inédita (1988)
- 10 años con Mafalda (1991)
Humor Books (Selected Titles):
- Mundo Quino (1963)
- ¡A mí no me grite! (1972)
- Quinoterapia (1985)
- Esto no es todo (2002)
- La aventura de comer (2007)
Quino’s work defies boundaries of age, nationality, or ideology. Through children and common folk, he distilled profound truths, always with gentleness and biting wit. As long as injustice exists and questions remain, Mafalda and Quino’s drawings will continue to speak to new generations—clear, clever, and uncompromising.
Read also: Top 10 Famous Latin American Cartoonists: Masters of Satire and Illustration
