Mauricio de Sousa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mauricio de Sousa
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Mauricio de Sousa (2015)
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| Born | Mauricio Araújo de Sousa October 27, 1935 (age 89) Santa Isabel |
| Occupation | Comics artist, entrepreneur, journalist, writer, animator |
| Works | Monica and Friends |
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Mauricio Araújo de Sousa, born on October 27, 1935, is a famous Brazilian cartoonist and businessman. He is best known for creating over 200 characters for his popular children's comic series, Turma da Mônica (Monica and Friends).
When he was 17, Mauricio worked as a reporter for a newspaper called Folha da Manhã. In 1959, he left that job to start his career in comic books. This is when he created Monica and Friends. Mauricio's characters were inspired by children he knew growing up and by his own children. His drawing style later became a bit like that of Osamu Tezuka, a famous Japanese manga artist and a personal friend. Mauricio's work has won many awards both in Brazil and around the world.
Contents
Early Life and Inspiration
Mauricio Araújo de Sousa was born in Santa Isabel on October 27, 1935. His father, Antonio Maurício de Sousa, was a poet. His mother, Petronilha Araújo de Sousa, also wrote poetry. Mauricio became interested in drawing at a young age. He started by drawing posters and pictures for magazines.
Creating Comics and More
At 17, Mauricio worked as a crime reporter for the newspaper Folha da Manhã. In 1959, he left this job to begin his career in comic books. This is when he created Monica and Friends.
Mauricio's comics became famous worldwide. They have been used on many products and turned into movies, TV shows, and video games. There is even a Parque da Mônica ("Monica's Park") amusement park in São Paulo. His comic books were first published by Editora Abril from 1970 to 1986. Then, Globo took over in 1987. Since 2007, Panini Comics has published the series.
In 1997, Mauricio started the Maurício de Sousa Cultural Institute. This group creates social campaigns using comic books. They explain important topics to both young and adult readers in a fun way.
Teenage Adventures
In 2008, Mauricio began publishing Turma da Mônica Jovem ("Monica Adventures"). This series shows Monica and her friends as teenagers. It uses black-and-white pages and a style similar to manga. One issue, where Monica and Jimmy Five shared their first real kiss, sold 500,000 copies!
In 2012, Mauricio published a special two-issue story in the Monica Teen comic. In this story, some of Osamu Tezuka's famous characters, like Astro, Sapphire, and Kimba, joined Monica and her friends. They went on an adventure in the Amazon rainforest to stop a group cutting down trees. This was the first time Tezuka Productions allowed other artists to use Tezuka's characters. Rock Holmes, another character by Tezuka, appeared as a villain in this story.
Awards and Recognition
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Mauricio's work for the public has earned him international recognition. He received a special medal from the Brazilian president for promoting human rights. He also got an honorary degree from La Roche College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Brazilian International Press Association gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award for his amazing career.
Family Life and Inspiration
Mauricio has many children, and many of them inspired his famous characters. For example, his daughters Monica, Magali, and Marina became the basis for characters like Monica, Maggy, and Marina in his comics. His sons, Nimbus and Nick Nope, also inspired characters.
Mauricio's Main Comic Series
Mauricio de Sousa has created many popular comic series. Here are some of his most famous works:
- Monica and Friends: This is Mauricio's most famous series. It was first based on his childhood and later featured his own children as the main characters.
- Monica Adventures: This is a spin-off series from Monica and Friends. It shows Monica and her friends as teenagers in a manga-style comic. It started in 2008.
- Blu: This series features talking domestic animals like dogs and cats. Blu often talks with the "Tracer" of the comic.
- Chuck Billy 'n' Folks: This series is about a farm boy and his friends who live in a rural village in Brazil. In 2013, it also got a spin-off series like Monica Teen.
- Tina's Pals: This series is about a group of teenage friends. It is made for an older teenage audience.
- Bug-a-Booo: These are funny horror stories. They feature a ghost (Penadinho in Portuguese), a vampire, a werewolf, a mummy, and a grim reaper (Lady MacDeath in English). All of them live in a cemetery.
- Lionel's Kingdom: This series is about wild animals from Africa and Brazil. They live under the rule of a lion king.
- The Cavern Clan: This series stars a smart caveman named Pitheco and his friends from the Lem village. They live with dinosaurs.
- Horacio's World: This series is about an orphaned dinosaur named Horacio. He is a tyrannosaurus, but he is a vegetarian! He also has his own group of friends. It was first published in 1963.
- The Tribe: This series features a Native Brazilian child (Curumim in the Tupi language) and his friends. They live in an Amazonian village called a taba.
- Bubbly the Astronaut: This series is about a Brazilian space adventurer who flies a round spaceship. He is called "Astronauta" in the original version. It was first published in 1963.
Discontinued Works
Mauricio also created other comics that are no longer published regularly:
- Boa Bola: This character was created in 1964. His strips were for adults and often linked to sports, especially football. He was popular in the 60s but was stopped as Mauricio focused on children's comics.
- Niquinho: An innocent and kind boy who always had bad luck. He was first in a picture book in 1965. He appeared in newspaper strips from 1968 to 1971.
- Nico Demo: A mischievous boy with horn-shaped hair who loved causing trouble. He was created in 1966 as the opposite of Niquinho. His humor was sometimes dark, and he was eventually censored.
- Os Souza: A series for adult audiences about a childless couple. The husband was based on Mauricio de Sousa himself. This series was gradually stopped in the 80s.
- Pelezinho: This comic was a tribute to the famous football player Pelé. It was about young Pelezinho ("Little Pelé") and his friends playing football. It was published from 1977 to 1986. Mauricio also made similar comics inspired by other Brazilian football players like Ronaldinho Gaucho (2006) and Neymar Jr. (2013). Only Ronaldinho Gaucho was shared with newspapers worldwide.
Images for kids
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Mauricio de Sousa's signature
See also
In Spanish: Mauricio de Sousa para niños
