Condorito facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Condorito
Author(s)	René Pepo Ríos
Website	Condorito Online
Current status/schedule	Current daily strip
Launch date	6 August 1949; 75 years ago (6 August 1949) (in Okey) December 1955; 69 years ago (December 1955) (own magazine)
Syndicate(s)	United Feature Syndicate (c. 1949–1993) Universal Press Syndicate/Universal Uclick (1994-c. 2010)
Publisher(s)	Inverzag, S.A. Editorial Zig-Zag (1949-1971) Editorial Pinsel (1971-1994) Editorial Televisa Chile, S.A. (1994-2019) World Editors Chile (2020-present)
Genre(s)	Comical
Original language	Spanish

Condorito (which means Little Condor in Spanish) is a super popular comic book and comic strip series from Chile. It stars an anthropomorphic (human-like) condor who lives in a made-up town called Pelotillehue. This town is like a typical small Chilean town. Condorito is meant to show what the Chilean people are like.

The first Condorito comic was published on August 6, 1949. It was created by a Chilean cartoonist named René Ríos, who everyone knew as Pepo. Condorito is loved all over Latin America, and many people there feel like he's a part of their everyday culture. You can find Condorito and his friends in a new comic strip every day.

By 2012, Condorito comics were in 105 Spanish-language newspapers. These papers were sent to 19 different countries, even places like Canada, the United States, Italy, and Japan. Over 1.3 billion Condorito comic strips are published every year! This makes him one of the most important Hispanic comic characters in the world, right up there with Mafalda.

About Condorito

What Makes Condorito Special?

One funny thing about Condorito is what happens at the end of most comics. When a character has an embarrassing moment or is the target of a joke, they almost always fall backward onto the floor. This classic comic fall is usually followed by a sound like ¡Plop!. Sometimes, instead of falling, the character might say ¡Exijo una explicación! ("I demand an explanation!"). This often happens when there's a surprise ending. Another common phrase, used by Condorito and almost all the characters, is "Reflauta." They say this to show they are frustrated or surprised.

Humor and Style

The Condorito comics mostly use white humor and satire. White humor means the jokes come from situations that end in a silly or unexpected way. Satire means they use humor to make fun of or comment on society.

To make sure readers in different Spanish-speaking countries understood the jokes, some changes were made. They removed words that were too specific to Chilean Spanish and stopped making too many jokes only about Chile.

Over the years, the Condorito character has grown and changed. He looks a bit older now than when he first started, and he even has a bigger belly!

According to Alberto Montt, who manages the World Editors company:

«Condorito is successful because he shares the way people in Hispanic countries think and find humor. This is different from how people in English-speaking countries find humor. He shows the Latin American dream of living to have fun».

How Condorito Changed Over Time

Condorito often uses common types of characters and situations. While the humor is generally light, it shows the way people thought and joked in past decades. For example, there were jokes about people who were seen as silly or new to the city.

When kiosks (small shops) are drawn in the comics, they often show newspapers like El Hocicón. They also display many magazines that make fun of famous international magazines. For example, Vanidosa instead of Vanidades, Cosmopolita instead of Cosmopolitan, and Bad Housekeeping instead of Good Housekeeping.

Sometimes, Condorito himself is shown as belonging to different groups or cultures. Even though he is usually drawn as white, he often appears as a black or Asian character. The comics also use everyday language to make the jokes stronger.

Meet the Creators

Pepo and His Team

As the Condorito magazine became more frequent, Pepo needed help. He put together a team of cartoonists and helpers. Some of the first people to join were Renato Andrade Alarcón "Nato", Jorge Carvallo Muñoz "Jorcar", Ricardo González Paredes "Ric", and Eduardo de la Barra (cartoonist). Others included Hernán Vidal "Hervi" and Guillermo Durán Castro "Guidu". Later, Alberto Vivanco Ortiz and Víctor Hugo Aguirre Abarca "Tom" also helped out.

Many other talented people joined the Condorito team from the 1950s to the 1990s. This included artists like Samuel "Sam" Gana Godoy, Dino Gnecco Zavallia, and Luis Osses Asenjo. Writers like Nelson Pérez and Jorge Montealegre Iturra also contributed. In more recent times, people like Juan Cano Alcayaga and Luis Sepúlveda Suazo have been part of the team.

Who Are the Characters?

A statue of "Condorito" and "Washington" in San Miguel (Santiago, Chile).

• Condorito: He is the main character. Condorito is a condor who acts like a human. He is usually relaxed and doesn't try too hard, but he is also kind, loyal, friendly, and clever.
• Yayita: She is Condorito's "eternal fiancée" and is very fashionable. She loves Condorito but wishes he would talk about getting married more often.
• Don Chuma: Condorito's best and most loyal friend. He is a tall, thin, and kind man who often helps Condorito with his problems.
• Pepe Cortisona: He is Condorito's rival, especially when they both try to get Yayita's attention.
• Coné: Condorito's young nephew. Coné even had his own comic series for younger readers. Many of his uncle's friends' children were also in his comics.
• Yuyito: Yayita's niece. She is a bit of a tomboy and is Coné's best friend and partner in mischief.
• Don Cuasimodo and Doña Tremebunda Vinagre: These are Yayita's parents. They are often shown as big, grumpy, and very protective.
• Garganta de Lata ("Tin Throat"): A tall, happy, thin man with red hair. He likes to hang out at the "Bar El Tufo" or sleep outside.
• Ungenio Gonzalez: A friend of Condorito who isn't always the smartest.
• Huevoduro ("Hard-Boiled Egg"): A character with a big belly and a head shaped like an egg. He is completely white. Pepo said this character was based on a very pale, bald Canadian ambassador.
• Chuleta: A tall, thin, happy man with big teeth, long sideburns, a thin mustache, and green skin. "Chuleta" is a Chilean slang word for "sideburn."
• Don Máximo Tacaño ("Most Stingy"): A funny character who is very careful with his money. He would rather do anything than spend it.
• Padre Venancio: He is the Roman Catholic priest in Pelotillehue.
• Tomate ("Tomato"): A short, round, shy, and bald character. His head looks like a tomato because his face is always red from being shy.
• Comegato ("Cat Eater"): A friend of Condorito who has a cat-like face and wears a beret and a black shirt. As his name suggests, he sometimes hunts and eats cats, which his friends don't like.
• Cabellos de ángel ("Angel Hair"): This character has a big nose, is partly shaven, and has a big belly. His hair looks like a sea urchin.
• Chacalito ("Little Jackal"): A character who often gets into trouble. He is usually shown in jail or on trial.
• Che Copete: A character who looks like a typical Argentine tango singer from the old days.
• Titicaco: A friendly character from Bolivia who wears a traditional colla hat. He was removed from the comics in the late 1980s.
• Fonola: A very big and hairy man, about the same size as Pepe Cortisona. He has a very loud voice. "Fonola" is slang for "phonograph."
• Washington, Mandíbula and Matías: These are Condorito's pets. Washington is his dog, Mandíbula ("Jaw") is his horse, and Matías is his parrot.
• Juan Sablazo: This character is a trickster. He often tells a sad story or a good excuse to borrow money, but he never pays it back.
• Doña Peta, also known as "Misiá Petita": A big, round, gentle, middle-aged housewife who lives near Condorito.
• Condor Otto and Huevo Fritz: These are like different versions of Condorito and Huevoduro. They are German or German-descended characters often used for jokes with obvious puns or very silly punchlines.
• Emiliano: A very poor worker. He is often seen wanting a raise and reaching his hand under the boss's door, but he is usually ignored.
• San Guchito: He is the special saint of Pelotillehue. He is usually shown blessing people and holding a sandwich.
• Don Sata: This character is like Satan himself. He often tries to tempt Condorito and his friends by offering them power or riches.
• San Pedro ("Saint Peter"): He is the gatekeeper of Heaven and decides who can enter paradise.
• Maca and Potoca: Two young and beautiful girls who are often used as extra characters in the comics.

Condorito's Journey: From Idea to Popular Comic

How Condorito Started

The first Condorito collection, published in Chile in 1955

In 1942, the Walt Disney Company made an animated movie called Saludos Amigos. This film showed Donald Duck and other human-like characters who represented different countries in the Americas. For example, there were characters for Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico. Chile was shown as Pedro, a small airplane on his very first flight. Pedro's funny attempt to fly over the Andes mountains to pick up mail from Mendoza was shown in the film. Pepo created Condorito because he felt this movie didn't show Chile in the best way.

The first Condorito comic strip was in the first issue of Okey magazine on August 6, 1949. In this comic, Condorito was a chicken thief who later felt bad and tried to return the chicken. But a police officer stopped him and put him in jail. While in prison, Condorito imagined the policeman eating the tasty chicken. This first comic strip was two full pages long.

Later Condorito comics showed a character who came from the countryside to the city. This was common in Chile during the 1950s. Condorito was known for being a joker, witty, and a bit mischievous. According to writer Jorge Montealegre, Condorito's early comics focused on the Chilean common person. They also showed very Chilean ideas like strong friendships and families.

During the Okey magazine days, Condorito's stories got a real setting in the made-up town of Pelotillehue. He also got family members and situations that felt more real to people. By 1955, when the first collection of Condorito jokes came out, the character looked the way we know him today. The Condorito comic strip has always been printed using a specific set of colors: red, brown, pink, black, white, gray, and sometimes green.

One of the few cartoonists who worked with Pepo at the very beginning of Condorito is Hernán Vidal (Hervi). He became Pepo's assistant when he was just 13 years old.

Growing Popularity

In 1961, Condorito started to be published twice a year. From issue number 7 to number 82, they were called "Numbered Condoritos" because their number was clearly shown on the cover. Condorito book number 9, which came out in 1962, was about the Soccer World Cup held in Chile that year. From 1965 to 1982, it was published sometimes, but not always on a set schedule. However, it started coming out every three months from 1970 until the end of 1979.

Condorito Goes Global

In 1974, the first products related to Condorito came out, like coloring books. In February 1975, the first Condorito collection was released, called Especial Condorito: Clásicos de la historieta (Condorito Special: Comic Classics). For Christmas 1975, the first Condorito toys were made, including dolls of Condorito and Coné. In 1976, a company called Editors Press Service bought the international rights to Condorito. In 1977, the first international edition of Condorito came out in Argentina. Also in 1977, other companies started publishing the magazine in Colombia and Venezuela.

The 1980s were a great time for Condorito. Starting in 1980, Condorito began to be published every two months. In February 1979, a series of special, high-quality, large-sized editions with hard covers went on sale. This collection was called Selección de Oro de la revista Condorito (Gold Selection of Condorito magazine) and had eleven issues, each with 64 pages.

In 1982, Condorito came out nine times a year. That same year, the first Condorito edition not in Spanish was published in Brazil. In October 1982, Coné el Travieso (Coné the Naughty) was released for the first time. This was a small magazine that came out every month with jokes about Condorito's mischievous nephew. New characters were added to Coné el Travieso, like Huevito and Genito. From 1983 to 1989, Condorito was published monthly. In 1986, the first special editions came out. In 1987, the first Libro de Oro (Golden Book) was published in Mexico. Since 2004, this became the Libro Gigante de Oro (Golden Giant Book), and since 2006, it includes puzzles called Condoripuzzles. In 1988, Juegos Condorito (Condorito Games) appeared, which was published every three months. Between 1989 and 2019, Condorito magazine was published every two weeks.

Condorito and Society

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Condorito often showed a traditional view of Chile and its society. It would sometimes make fun of new artistic movements or social groups. In its early days, the jokes were very simple. For example, women were sometimes shown as bad drivers or as jealous wives.

After the military coup of 1973, some Chilean cartoonists faced censorship from the new military government. However, Condorito continued to be published because it focused on general humor rather than strong political messages. Many other Chilean comics that did have political views were forgotten. Condorito remains the most famous Chilean comic character.

Condorito on the Big Screen

To celebrate 66 years since the comic strip first launched, an animated movie was released. Condorito: La Película came out on October 12, 2017, in Latin America, released by 20th Century Fox. It was then released in the United States on January 12, 2018, by Pantelion Films.