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Don Goyo y Obes Sarrasqueta

Posted in Faces and Masks in the decades of the '10 and '20 of the last century, Don Goyo Sarrasqueta y Obes - of Manuel Redondo - is considered the first cartoon character (and therefore also humorous) Argentina. Here are some comments on this topic and the story itself:

"In those early years (early twentieth century), and begins to show the influence of American artists, especially in advertising illustrations. And a clear inspiration Frederick Burr Opper and "Happy Hooligan", the first comic to be recurring characters Argentina: Chip and Chicharrón, Manuel Redondo. Redondo had already published numerous illustrations in Faces and Masks and some comic pages without character fixed. Finally, in 1912, after having seen The mechanism of the strips after playing in U.S. and features the poetic Chicharrón bum Opper, started the first "cartoon" national weekly continuity (...).
initiated in the year following Chip and Chicharrón, Manuel Redondo takes a character and the artist Alonso had used during the previous year to devise short political satire, and in developing a series that showcases the small, petty tricks she practices in a English immigrant avid figuration. The comic is named after this character, Sarrasqueta and (...) never used balloons, always developing the story written at the foot of each table. " (Carlos Trillo and Guillermo Saccomanno: Cartoon History of Argentina, Ediciones Record, 1980).

First published (1913), in CyC no. 777

"It is the English artist Manuel Redondo - which had joined Faces and Masks, short time before - create in 1913 the first Argentine cartoon character: Don Goyo Sarrasqueta and Obes. This character takes any profession, to the point of becoming a painter because it takes less work to clean boots, will be a war correspondent in 1914 and an expert on fashion in 1927. But whatever you do, do not lose sight of the issues current, and already in the initial year of the comic "bored with the high cost of living, decided to use for feeding the economic and scientists that advises the modern science ..." (...). Sarrasqueta's popularity will continue for several years, and not because of the sympathy of his physical features, are rightly say that the joy and sadness "at the grim face of Sarrasqueta are quite similar to each other." (Oscar E. Vázquez-Siulnas Lucio: "History Written and Graphic Humor in Argentina, Volume 1 - 1801/1939, Eudeba, 1985).

CyC nro 792 (1913) and a page from 1914 where we see Sarrasqueta immersed in the topic of World War

"Sarrasqueta is considered as the first Argentine cartoon character (.. .). prefigured in "The employee lazy", number 743 (1912), Don Goyo Sarrasqueta y Obes, by name, first appeared on August 23, 1913 (No. 777), in the sequence "Food futurist ", and since then would be present in Faces and Masks for over fifteen years. You need to talk about this character back on the thematic influence, formal and argumentative that the theater served in the first comic Sarrasqueta (...), in the powerful prevailing of theatricality has an unmistakable tone of farce. On the one hand, the protagonist is a simulator, a poor immigrant who tried to appear not simply in search of social prestige but because it was intimately an alienated cultural (...). Sarrasqueta was an actor in search of a character impossible to let him settle. As such, Sarrasqueta had only two terms, reduced to grimaces (...), either contempt or bitterness and miserable submissiveness and satisfaction (...)." (Jose Maria Gutierrez. From the first political cartoon series, National Página/12-Biblioteca, 1999).

The series also had its color plates

(CyC 1014 and 1027, of 1918)

"Drawn by Alonso, the character first appeared in Faces and Masks in 1912 to make satirical comments from reality, and a year later settled in sheet form, from the hand of Manuel Redondo. Sarrasqueta is a English immigrant, opportunists and climber , eager for easy money and figuration. Readers of the newspaper La Prensa, was defined by its author as "a convinced socialist, enthusiastic Democrat, a former radical, conservative thing, defender of human rights and duties of women. "

In the comic, whose atmosphere is full of information, the city is not stage but only a critical part of the historical value that gives the comic. Act founding the genus in Argentina, the anchor character events in a national context, a milestone that had just been developed by their predecessors Chip and Chicharrón.

The effect achieved by Sarrasqueta (...) helped shape the stereotype of Buenos Aires, that gender exploded from its beginning to these days: personal ambitions, mandapartes, womanizing, nostalgic coffee, frustrated office. " (Judith Gociol, Diego Rosemberg: The Cartoon Argentina, a story, De la Flor, 2000).

CyC 1034 and 1040 (1918)

Manuel Redondo died in mid-1928. Within the pages devoted to current and social notes, Faces and Masks in the no. 1548 of 2 June that year says: Artist humble and quiet, helped since the initial time in its pages, through which he yielded to the popular cartoon figure more widespread. Lone incorrigible, quiet temperament, spirit, skeptical by nature, provided, nevertheless, uplifting work to this house where I wanted it, and their contribution was at all times that seal of modesty was characteristic of his life. It was, above all his merits as a draftsman, a man simply good. Faces and Masks saw it from the emotion that inspires the departure of friendly beings. "

CyC 1182 and 1192 (1921)