Patoruzú
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Patoruzú is a
comic a Media (communication), medium used to express ideas with images, often combined with text or other visual information. It typically the form of a sequence of Panel (comics), panels of images. Textual devices such as speech balloons, Glo ...
character created in 1928 by
Dante Quinterno Dante Quinterno (Buenos Aires City, October 26, 1909Buenos Aires City, May 14, 2003) was an Argentine comics artist, agricultural producer, and prolific editorial businessman, famous for being the creator of the Patoruzú, Isidoro Cañones and ...
and is considered the most popular hero of
Argentine Argentines (mistakenly translated Argentineans in the past; in Spanish (masculine) or (feminine)) are people identified with the country of Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Argentines, s ...
comics. Patoruzú is a wealthy Tehuelche ''
cacique A ''cacique'' (Latin American ; ; feminine form: ''cacica'') was a tribal chieftain of the Taíno people, the indigenous inhabitants at European contact of the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles, and the northern Lesser Antilles. The term is a Spa ...
'' with great estate properties in Patagonia, and possesses both superhuman physical strength and a charitable yet naive heart. He was originally only a side character in Quinterno's series "Don Gil Contento", but became so popular with readers that the comic was renamed after him.


History

Patoruzú first appeared on October 19, 1928, in the ''Las Aventuras de Don Gil Contento'' strip in the ''Crítica'' newspaper, under the name of ''Curugua Curuguagüigua''; ''last cacique of the giant Tehuelches'', of whom ''Don Gil'' becomes tutor. The name was deemed too difficult to pronounce and was soon changed to Patoruzú, after the then-popular candy ''Pasta de Orozú''. Nevertheless, the strip was canceled by the newspaper after only a few days. Later that year Dante Quinterno started working for '' La Razón'' newspaper with the strip ''Don Julián de Monte Pío'' (predecessor of another of Quinterno's popular characters: the playboy Isidoro Cañones). In September 1930, Patoruzú was again introduced into the strip when Don Julián became his tutor. Slowly, Patoruzú assumed greater importance in the strip, which on December 11, 1931, was renamed to ''Patoruzú''. In 1935 Quinterno sold the publication rights to ''El Mundo'' newspaper, and the first compilation of the adventures of the ''cacique'' was published. The strip was also published in newspapers in other Argentine cities outside of Buenos Aires. In November 1936 the first Patoruzú monthly magazine was released and completely sold out the same day. The magazine was then published fortnightly, and then weekly. The magazine reached a record circulation of 300,000 copies, soon requiring a team to create its scripts and drawings, under the supervision of Quinterno. On April 30, 1977, the 2,045th and last issue of Patoruzú was released. Slightly adapted versions of the original have been published, as well as the comic ''Patoruzito,'' about the life of young Patoruzú. In 1942 the 12-minute short film ''
Upa en apuros ''Upa en apuros'' is a 1942 Argentine short animated colour film written and directed by Dante Quinterno. The film premiered on November 20, 1942 at the Ambassador cinema in Buenos Aires. At the 1943 Argentine Film Critics Association Awards, ...
'' was the first Latin-American animated film produced in colour. The series also inspired French comics writer and artist Rene Goscinny who grew up in Argentina from 1928-1945 to create the characters Oumpah-pah in 1958, and Asterix and Obelix a year later in 1959 with artist Albert Uderzo.


Characters

* Patoruzú Patoruzú is the last descendant of the fictional Tehuelche ''Patoruzek'' dynasty. The source of his uncommon strength seems to be related to what he was fed as a child—soup made from the bones of an extinct giant animal—but also to the strength of all his ancestors, which he receives whenever he faces injustice. He is extremely generous and charitable but is often deceived by greedy characters, who in the end are always properly punished. Patoruzú uses many native expressions that give his speech an aboriginal flavor; however, they derive from different tribes of Argentina and so are not consistent with each other (e.g. Guaraní ''gurí'', Guaraní ''Che'', etc.). * Isidoro Cañones An incorrigible playboy and stereotypical '' porteño'', he is supposed to be Patoruzú's tutor and look after him, but he spends most of his time trying to find new ways of getting more ''patacones'' bills out of him, to spend on parties, cars, and horses. * Upa Patoruzú's teenage brother is shy and naive, yet more aware of modern ways than his older brother. He has a big belly that he uses as a weapon whenever injustice is to be fought. * Patora Patora is the youngest sister; she lives in a convent in Patagonia because her obsessive desire to get married makes her fall for the first man she sees. * La Chacha Patoruzú's nanny and wet nurse lives on the ''estancia'' (ranch), far from any city. In spite of her age, she is vigorous and hard-working. Her empanadas are highly appreciated by the other characters. * Ñancul The foreman of Patoruzú's ''estancia,'' he is often in a bad mood, but Patoruzú respects and trusts him. * Coronel Cañones The Colonel, the quintessential retired military man, is the uncle and tutor of Isidoro. A very correct and respected person, he is always trying to straighten out his nephew. * Pampero Pampero (''from the
Pampa The Pampas (from the qu, pampa, meaning "plain") are fertile South American low grasslands that cover more than and include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and Córdoba; all of Uruguay; and Brazil ...
'' and also the name of a strong southern wind, meaning in essence that he "runs like the wind") is Patoruzú's faithful horse, one of the fastest, if not ''the'' fastest, in the world. He responds only to Patoruzú's call. * Patoruzito This modern comic is set during the early years of the life of Patoruzú, with ''Isidorito'' (young Isidoro), ''Patoruzito'' (young Patoruzú) and his horse ''Pamperito'' (young Pampero).


References


External links


Patoruzú web
(Archive, 2007)

on Historieteca

on Oni Escuelas (Archive, 2007)

on Todo Historietas

on Flores Azuladas blog
Patoruzito film review
on Arte Latino * {{DEFAULTSORT:Patoruzu Argentine comic strips Fictional Argentine people Fictional indigenous people of the Americas Male characters in comics 1928 comics debuts Comics spin-offs Argentine comics adapted into films Comics adapted into animated films Comics magazines published in Argentina Magazine mascots Magazines established in 1936 Magazines disestablished in 1977 Defunct magazines published in Argentina Comics characters introduced in 1928 Comics characters with superhuman strength