Memin Pinguin

Memín Pinguín (erroneously known as Memín Pingüín) was the name of a Mexican comic strip and its central character, created by Yolanda Vargas Dulché in 1943. It is a weekly publication that became, over the years, a controversial icon of the comic strip in its country, due to the illustration of its main character through the stereotypical representation of Afro-Mexicans, which some personalities have pointed out as racist.

The main character is constructed through international racist stereotypes around the figure of black people: without intellectual aptitudes, effective at hard work and as a laughingstock, content expressed in the representation of Memín Pinguín and his mother (the only Afro-Mexican characters in the publication) with shapes close to racist illustrations constructed during the time of segregation in the United States. Therefore, it is easy to find coincidences with American characters such as Aunt Jemima, Golliwog, Sambo, among others. Due to the scandals surrounding the racist structure in the content of the famous Mexican comic, it is often A part of society questions and widely denies the justification of its relevance in the trajectory of the Mexican comic as an example of family values, and it is considered that it represents a stage of explicit manifestations in the acceptance of the racism within the history of the 20th century in Mexico.

The comic became popular internationally with translation into other languages, so for a time in the Philippines the Ministry of Education made its reading mandatory in schools, arguing that its content "praised human values." towards the family and the State.^{[citation required]}

In 2008, Walmart supermarkets in the Houston, Texas, area removed the publication from their shelves due to protests by African-Americans and Latin Americans, who considered that the way it was illustrated was similar to that of a monkey, so they pointed out its content as racist. The comic was criticized and rejected in 2008 by figures from Afro-Mexican civil associations.

Career

The character was created by Yolanda Vargas Dulché, a white Mexican woman. She took the name from the nickname of her husband, Guillermo de la Parra Loya, who worked in a bank in those years and would later be the founder of Editorial Vid, whom his friends called that way, "because he was quite a pingo", that is, very, very naughty ("Memín" is the affectionate diminutive of Guillermo; "Pinguín" is the affectionate diminutive of pingo).^{[citation required]}

In 1943, when she began writing Dulché for the comic magazine 'Pepín', her characters were born, inspired by real people she had met: her boyfriend, who would later be her husband, and all those friends of his from primary school in the Guerrero neighborhood, who became the companions in the adventures and adventures of his character Memín Pinguín.^{[citation required]}

His adventures were published in the series Almas de niño in 1943, within the pages of the aforementioned comic journal Pepín, owned by General García Valseca, with argument by Yolanda Vargas Dulché herself and drawing by Alberto Cabrera, a Dulché-Cabrera artistic alliance that remained for almost the entire decade. Subsequently, Yolanda founded her own publishing house (EDAR) together with her husband Guillermo de la Parra and Alberto Cabrera, who was replaced in the line in 1962, for the reissue of the character's adventures, by Sixto Valencia Burgos.^{[citation required]}

The comic consisted of 372 weekly chapters in sepia and were republished in 1952, and later in 1963 and in 1988, this time in color. The comic, in its version from 1963, when it reached number 372, repeated the episodes from number one, but with consistent numbering of 372. In 1980, it reached number 1000. In 2002, it was He republished this magazine, and in 2005, taking advantage of the controversy created by postage stamps, another edition was published, this time titled 'Tribute Edition'. In 2008, when the comic was at number 327, it was decided to create new stories with new drawings, and its quality dropped significantly. It reached 442 until 2011, and that same year the edition 'Memín Pinguín Regresa' was published, which was interrupted in April 2015, at number 186. In 2014, the return was announced of Memín as a '50th Anniversary' edition, interrupted after issue 7 was published. Finally, a new edition reached number 6, in January 2016.^{[citation required]}

The comic is about the adventures of Memín and his companions "Carlangas", "Ernestillo", "Riquis". Memín Pinguín takes the role of "a nice little black man", according to its author, with an indefinite age (between 9 and 11 years old). He is represented as a mediocre third grade student, whose character is based on the idea of naivety, but also malicious and even deceitful. The stories in the comic suggest that his character is a constant cause of conflict mixed with the participation of his white friends, who demonstrate constant contempt for his presence. His way of explaining things is reminiscent of the Mexican comedian Cantinflas, since the "cantinfleo" It is shown in all its splendor. The same comic strip describes him as a "little black guy with huge eyes and very funny." For Memín's physical appearance, Dulché said she was inspired by the Cuban children she had met on a trip to the island, when she was part of the duet 'Rubia y Morena'; However, the representation of Memín Pinguín as a black child coincides with traditional racist representations towards people of African descent: the deformation of physical appearance through the insinuation with animality, huge and wide eyes, long trunk but short legs, exaggeratedly wide lips Regarding the face, which do not coincide with the rest of the representations of the other characters in the comic.

The plot of the comic was handled in a similar way to a soap opera, since at the end of the comic the plot was not closed, leaving a sign 'To be continued'; inviting the user to buy the next magazine. The next issue began by recounting with Memín the events of the previous comic, something that would later appear in other Mexican comics. Her stories range from the gang's innocent adventures to completely dramatic and crude stories, as well as some plots that would cause controversy. ^{[ citation needed ]}

Main characters

One of the main characteristics of Memín Pinguín's friends that connects them immediately is that they are all only children, although the reason for this is not explained. (Although, temporarily, Memín has a younger sister adopted during a plot.) Also, three of the gang members lack a father or mother, except Ricardo, who throughout the plot has both of his parents, and Carlos, who after certain adventures also manages to unite his parents. Memín and Ernesto for some seasons must endure their parents attempting a new relationship, and Ricardo experiences an attempted divorce from his parents. ^{[ citation needed ]}

Carlos

His full name is Carlos Arozamena Martínez (same as his father). He is the strongest and most aggressive member of the gang. Her mother is a middle-class worker who, out of economic necessity, temporarily goes to a cabaret (the scene where Carlos surprises her dancing happens in the first numbers). His father is a rich businessman who abandoned them shortly before Carlos was born, due to the orders of her mother, a very domineering old woman, but who later returns with Carlos and her mother to form a new family. United family. He often resorts to force when it comes to protecting his friends or his mother, which repeatedly leads to numerous consequences. He never knew he had a father until one day, his father ran over him when he was crossing the street while selling newspapers. After a series of events, including his parents' reunion and his mother's pretending to return to the cabaret, she leaves with his father until she falls ill and his mother leaves with him. him to take care of him. His father, some time later, offered marriage to his mother (which he could not accept because of his mother), and went to Europe, although some time later he returned to Mexico to start a family. At school, he proves to have a lot of intelligence, although not as much as Ernestillo's, which is confirmed several times. When he gives it away, his mother punishes him by not talking to him for a while. Despite his brave character, he is also sensitive deep down, since he cannot live without his mother: this is demonstrated when he is taken to the Tutelary Council and worries about knowing how he will be. On one occasion, his grandmother Candelaria tells him that he inherited his brave character. ^{[ citation needed ]}

Ernesto

His full name is Ernesto Vargas. He is the poorest member of the gang, but he is also the smartest. His father is a carpenter who for a time was addicted to drink. He is an orphan of his mother, who died when he was younger. His own situation has allowed him to be a noble person determined to help his friends; he is always the last to resort to violence. He is the smartest in the class, and almost always gets a 10 in everything. At first he decided to follow the path of alcoholism so, according to his father when he was drunk, he could "talk to his mother", but he gave it up after his friends supported him and his father gave up alcohol.. At first, he did not wear shoes and went to school barefoot and wore patched pants, but later he is seen wearing shoes and better pants. He always helps his father with carpentry, so it seems like he's already an expert. When he commits an act that deserves punishment, his father scolds him and hits him with a cane.

Ricardo

His full name is Ricardo Arcaraz Refugio, he is the richest member of the gang. In the first issue of the comic, he is shown as a spoiled and conceited rich boy, who despises others for being poor (especially Memín, for being black); He even constantly gets into fistfights with Carlos, and takes the brunt of it, but then learns to accept others and becomes one of the best friends of the gang. He is the only one who can boast of a complete family: his father, Rogelio Arcaraz, is a rich man who studied in a government school as a child; His mother, Mercedes Refugio, is a woman who interacts socially with her friends and is very overprotective of Ricardo. As mentioned before, he studied in a private school, where he got straight A's and spoke English very well, although in the government school it is shown that he gets eights, but he still does well in school. When he commits an act that deserves punishment, his father hits him with his belt. ^{[ citation needed ]}

Family and friends of the main characters

Eufrosina Vda. by Pinguín

Memin's mother. Black and very obese woman. She is a lower-class washerwoman, very strict with her son since, as punishment, she hits him with a board with a nail, but at the same time she is affectionate with him. Memín affectionately calls her "Ma'nice" and she, "My child". She married a garbage man named Guillermo Pinguín, whom she met in an absurd incident where she put her shoes in a garbage can and the garbage man took the can by mistake. After the incident, they got married and went to live in Durango, but he died shortly after, according to a chapter, from being crushed between the legs of some horses. Eufrosina became a widow with her son Memín and returned to Mexico City. Although she only appears to discipline her son after some mischief, whether hitting his butt with a nail board or making him help her at work, she and her son are involved in a long adventure in which they both look for work in the United States. where Memín gets lost. In general, she appears very overweight, but when she meets her husband she is a thin woman. In one chapter, she tells Memín that her father is buried in the city of Durango, so possibly both of Memín's parents were originally from this city. Despite not knowing how to read or write, she always tries to show as much love as possible to her son and defend him when she is in trouble. Although she has held various jobs, she generally appears as a washerwoman. There are various criticisms of the racist character built around this character. Ochy Curiel has come to express:

"The image of Memin's mother continues to generalize and universalize a black woman, as if we were all equal and as if only domestic work were what we know to do and we were "essentially" condemned for it. I wonder: if Memin's mother had been a doctor, a lawyer or an engineer, would she be the character as presented in this comic book? I'm sure not. "

Professor Antonio Romero

Professor Antonio Romero

He is understanding with his students and the confidant of their adventures, but at the same time very strict when necessary. His laziest student is Memín, since he hardly likes studying but, thanks to the teacher, he always manages to pass the year or at least not fail the year. In the middle of an incident caused by Memín, the teacher meets a kindergarten teacher and marries her. Later, during his honeymoon in Acapulco, Guerrero, he meets the gang, who had run away from their homes trying to find treasure. Thanks to that, he manages to reunite the boys with his parents, but not before imposing a punishment on each one according to his academic deficiencies. Although his origin is never clarified, in one chapter he mentions that he has family in the city of Córdoba, Veracruz. ^{[ citation needed ]}

Juan Vargas

He is Ernestillo's father, he was widowed after the death of his wife when he was very little, and because of this he became an alcoholic. Despite his widowhood, he is very dedicated to his work as a carpenter and very proud of his son. During a Brave Vikings trip as boy scouts, he starts drinking again, and has an accident that leaves him on the verge of having a leg amputated; However, thanks to Ernestillo and Memín reaching an agreement with a Russian doctor, he manages to avoid amputation. In one chapter he revealed that he did the same feat that the Vikingos Bravos did when they went to Acapulco. After leaving the hospital, he finds his carpentry shop completely remodeled with the help of his son and his friends.

Isabel Martínez

She is Carlos's mother; She is very affectionate with him and understanding. She is a very attractive woman. At some time she dedicated herself to dancing in cabarets, because she lost her job and it was the only way to pay for her household expenses; Following rumors of this, Carlos and her friends look for her in cabarets, where they surprise her fighting with a man who is harassing her. Isabel is seriously injured during the fight, but Carlos throws a bottle at the man's head, who ends up in reform school. She had a relationship with Carlos Arozamena, who could not marry her because she was poor and he was rich. When her father accidentally meets his son and they begin a relationship, seeing that her son rejects his father and taking into account the economic possibilities that his father has, and that her son rejects him, Isabel pretends to return to her work as a filer to causing his son to leave with his father; After a while, she returns to her son when he is sick. Some time later, she marries Carlos Arozamena, impoverished after some bad deals, although that same night her mother-in-law dies, but not before asking for forgiveness for all the unhappiness caused to Isabel.

Carlos Arozamena

He is Carlos's father. His mother supposedly told Carlos that he had died when he was born, but the truth was that Carlos had abandoned Isabel at the behest of his mother, since she controlled him. Son of a rich, domineering and overprotective widow, her mother never looked favorably on the relationship between her son Carlos and her daughter-in-law Isabel, because she was very poor. She convinces her son to study in the United States, but during his stay in that country his son Carlos is born, since her daughter-in-law Isabel had become pregnant. He cowardly denies his paternity. Later, and due to chance, she meets his son Carlos and establishes a relationship with him. Finally, upon the death of his mother, he recognizes his paternity and marries Isabel.

Rogelio Arcaraz

He is Ricardo's father. Her wife is Mercedes Refugio, who is very overprotective of her son and always insists on taking Ricardo to a paying school, but as the story goes on, she becomes less and less overprotective and more and more supportive. to Ricardo. In number 3, when he invites his friends to bathe at his house, he tells Ricardo to explain well to his mother, in case he found them and accompanied Professor Antonio Romero to Acapulco when Los Vikingos Bravos were looking for a supposed treasure; He is also strict with his son and at a festival on May 10, he teaches Mercedes that it is not necessary to be rich to have all the happiness in the world, since Ricardo, just by having his parents united, is very happy. He revealed that he studied in government school and it never bothered him.

Mercedes Refugio

She is Ricardo's mother. In some comics her character has contact with Memín Pinguín, where she is represented very excited and with signs of great phobia in the presence of a black person in her house whom she treats like an intruding animal, due to this her character can be categorized as a white, bourgeois and racist woman. She is very overprotective of her son and she always insists on taking him to a paying school. On one occasion he succeeds, but Rogelio picks him up to take him to the government school, since he was also enrolled in the government school and on Mother's Day, Rogelio finally decides to confess that Ricardo does not go to the paid school, but to that of government. And in two episodes, she fights with Rogelio, since he has an extramarital relationship with his secretary. Rogelio mentions that he spoke with his lawyers and that Ricardo can go to his side, but Mercedes tells him that the child is going to stay with her and that is why Ricardo decides to go with his godmother to Guadalajara, Jalisco, because she says that if his parents leave They separate, he will stay to live with his aunt, and on this adventure Memín accompanies him. Mercedes and Rogelio reconcile and return to the Federal District with their friends. It is very, very difficult for Mercedes to be strict with Ricardo, because when he, in the company of the Brave Vikings, go in search of a supposed treasure, but it turns out that it was only the dream of a madman and when they return to their parents, they You can see that she receives Ricardo with a strong hug, but Rogelio tells her that this is not the correct way to receive him after everything they have put his parents through. On several occasions, Mercedes asks Rogelio to think things through, on the occasion when they go to Africa accompanied by the expeditionary Samuel Hostes and when they are selected to play on the children's soccer team against Dallas, TX, Texas, although not She seems so worried, because she knows that they are going to spend that season at the house of Tryphon's aunt. It has been revealed that all her life she has lived in wealth and opulence with very high social relations and therefore this is her personality.

Other characters

Alma Pinguín

She was Memín's younger sister for 10 episodes. She is a pretty, blonde girl with blue eyes. She is left in the care of Eufrosina, since the girl had a letter among her clothes, written by an old neighbor of Eufrosina who could not support her. The letter that she found Eufrosina mentions that the little girl was the daughter of a couple who unfortunately died in a fire. Shortly after being in the Pinguín home, she suffers from measles, later in another chapter, she and Memín go to the López house, and the Mrs. becomes very interested in her and proposes to adopt her, but Eufrosina refuses.. A few chapters later she falls ill again and is diagnosed with a serious lung condition, being on the verge of death. Realizing that the little girl needs attention that they cannot provide, Eufrosina and Memín make the hard decision to hand her over to Mr. and Mrs. López, and they give them $10,000MXN in cash for this favor.

Mrs. López

A couple with a lot of money, who suffers the loss of their only daughter. Euphrosyne washes their clothes and delivers them to her house. Alma and Memín go to their house and Mr. and Mrs. López become interested in Almita. When Eufrosina can no longer pay for the girl's medications, the gentlemen send Dr. Alcántara, who gives them money put towards his financial position. In the last chapter where Almita and Mr. López appear, they send a letter to Eufrosina where they tell her that they will go to the United States to treat her, and they give her $10,000MXN in cash.

Javier De Suberville

A tycoon who lives in New York City, owner of a huge castle. In the first chapters where he appears, he has a very despotic and cold character, and even tries to seriously hurt Memín. No person approached his castle, due to the legends that were told about him. The secret was that Rosendo, Javier's brother, lived in the castle tower, who was locked up since Javier claimed that he was completely crazy. When Rosendo tries to take the castle, Javier becomes much more optimistic and saves Memín and Eufrosina. He was the one who invited Eufrosina to go to New York to work in her castle.

Rosendo De Suberville

Brother of Javier. He was locked up in the castle for this, since he considered him crazy. Memin finds him because of his constant grievances. He was actually a smart scientist who tries to make contact with Mars' people and he does it one night, since out of nowhere comes a kind of flying saucer. In the last chapter where he appears he dies as he falls from the highest floor of the castle, being buried by Javier in the castle garden.

Doña Candelaria Arozamena

It is the mother of Carlos Arozamena, mother of Isabel Martínez and grandmother of Carlos Arozamena Jr. An old woman with very bad character and class tendencies that always overprotected her son, very dominant and who always opposed the union of Carlos and Isabel. When Carlos goes to the United States Isabel discovers that she is pregnant, and Doña Candelaria denies her help. When her son takes her grandson, at first she rejects him, but then accepts him by seeing in him the same character she has. Grandma and grandson forge a special relationship. After Carlitos decided to stay with her mother and not go to study abroad, she and her son go to Europe; later, Carlos sends a letter mentioning the drop in her business, and that her mother finds herself very serious, so soon they return to Mexico, where finally the lady is no longer strong because of chronic illnesses she has long suffered, she dies, not before asking her daughter Isabel for forgiveness and begging her to accept her husband.

Trifón Godínez

He is a child who suffers from a lot of obesity and stuttering, his age is not known nor his father is known, but he arrives in the city from Caborca, Sonora and his uncles are Cleto de la Garza and De la Garza y Canuta Treviño de la Garza from Monterrey, Nuevo León. He meets the Viking Braves when he is new in their classroom. Memín calls it "Trypon" and he believes that he has a balloon instead of a belly and, first, in the classroom, he pokes his belly with a safety pin to deflate the balloon and as punishment, he does not play with the rest of the gang. Later, when Carlos, Ricardo and Ernesto go to Ricardo's house for another bat, since the one they brought had broken, Trifon supposedly plays with Memín by running over him and he jumps on Trifoncito's belly twice and he faints. Memín finally discovers that Tryphon was not carrying a balloon and that he is really very fat. Despite everything Memín says and does to him in the episodes, Tryphon loves him very much and calls him 'black baby'. In another chapter, when the Brave Vikings go to the cemetery to visit Ernesto's mother, Memín talks to Tryphon and he tells him that he is not afraid of graves, that, on the contrary, he would like to die, which makes him very afraid. to Memín and he starts to run, trips, falls into a pit and faints; In his innocence, Tryphon believes that Memín died and bury him and when the boys ask him about him, Tryphon answers that he already died and that he himself has just buried him. However, the boys find him and he attacks Tryphon furiously, but Ernestillo tells him not to complain, since he did the same thing to Tryphon in the episode called "Bobalicón", when Memín insisted that Tryphon He was carrying a balloon under his suit and, as he was passed out, Memín believed that Tryphon had died and buried it between bags of cement and only Tryphon's shoes were visible. In chapter 91 ("The Expected Day"), Tryphon falls prey to a terrible fever, and Memín decides to go apologize to him before making his first communion, since he decided to be very bad as a child. of his class named Rolando, told him that there was no use in making his first communion, because according to him, there were no black angels in heaven or God, which drove Memín to be very bad and during the season of that behavior, He severely hit Trypho in the face, as he had made fun of Memin trying to smoke a cigarette, but it tasted very ugly to him, which caused Trypho to mock him.

Later, when he arrives at Tryphon's house with the rest of the Brave Vikings, he finds his mother crying desperately because of the child's illness and they decide to go to his bedroom to see him and Tryphon is very, very sick and pale, Memín He apologizes to him for hitting him and for all the bad things he has done to him. In episode number 92, after making his first communion, he agrees with Ricardo, Carlos and Ernestillo to give his candle to Tryphon, but when they get home they do not find him in his bed and they believe that he died, but the maid says that He went with his mother to the hospital, because Tryphon was going to have his spleen removed, since it was not working well. And in '93, Trifón miraculously recovers after the operation and his serious illness. Memín gives him his first communion candle as he had promised and days later, she takes him for a walk in the park. This is a clue that, on the one hand, Memín also loves Tryphon very much.

Aunt Canuta

A woman of short stature, but with a big heart, proud to have been born in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León, although she also mentions that she grew up in Dallas, Texas. She is Trifón Godínez's aunt. She receives him and the Vikings Braves at her mansion when they are invited to reinforce the city's team against Dallas. When the children arrive, she mentions that her husband has not returned in 4 years, to go buy some tortillas, and what she has left of him are her favorite chair in the dining room pinky and a portrait of her. She always dresses like a cowgirl with a gun, hat and boots. After the first soccer game in which Mexico and the United States tie, the aunt takes them to eat at the same restaurant where they had previously gone and when she arrives she finds that her amnesiac husband works there. She forcibly takes him to the house where she eventually regains his memory of her. She takes the children along with her husband Cleto to compete in the tiebreaker in the city of Dallas, where she has a fight because of the racism towards Memín and is imprisoned along with the boys, who had destroyed a refrigerator in retaliation for the treatment they had given her. given to Memin. Finally everything is resolved and she stays in Monterrey with her husband, Cleto.

Cleto De La Garza and De La Garza

Tryphon's uncle and Doña Canuta's husband. When he goes to get some tortillas he misses 4 years because he becomes amnesiac for an unknown cause. A woman named Serafina finds him and "rebaptizes&#34 him; as Honorato. Being Honorato, he works in a snack shop, where he receives the Brave Vikings, and for some reason he remembers the name of Tryphon. He has an incomplete hand, because he accidentally cut off his little finger with a chainsaw, and Aunt Canuta keeps it in a jar of alcohol.

When Canuta finds him, he does not remember her and between Serafina and Canuta a fight is made over who stays with him, with Canuta winning because he is still legally her husband. They manage to take him to Doña Canuta's mansion and the children make failed plans for him to recover from amnesia. Cleto tries to escape and Carlos tackles him, causing him to hit his head on a flowerpot and regain his memory. Later, when the Vikings and the guys go to Dallas, he gets a job selling hotdogs.

Olivia

She was the secretary of Rogelio, Ricardo's father. Rogelio had a certain attraction for her so he wanted to divorce Mercedes, but because Ricardo is going to Guadalajara, Jalisco, Rogelio and Mercedes go in search of her. Before Ricardo leaves with her godmother, Olivia goes on a trip and is never heard from again.

Serafina

A woman who runs a food stall. She finds Cleto on the street, she falls in love with him and names him Honorato. Doña Canuta manages to find out about this and starts a fight against Serafina. In the last chapter where she appears, she leaves disappointed and the last thing she says is that she will close her business, since without Honorato she doesn't care about anything.

Don Nicéforo Melquiades

A poor old man who can't stand his life, decides to give his kidney to Eufrosina who suffers from kidney disease, Memín meets him on the street and he offers to donate his kidney to Eufrosina, in the end he doesn't have to donate it since The state of Eufrosina's illness had not reached such a complication and, since Eufrosina had been out of danger of death and subsequently relieved, she helps Memín start studying so that he can fulfill his promise that he had made to the virgin for the health of his mother, he stays a while longer with Eufrosina and Memín, until he realizes that his stay caused the jealousy of his mother (who could not do jobs for a while and he had to do them) and decides to leave the house to go out into the street, where he is later taken by the police to a nursing home, a place where he teaches the old people and has a good time, and he stays there despite the fact that Memín and his friends come for him, since they understood that he they needed there.

Don Pancracio

An alcoholic man who is a friend of Juan Vargas, Ernestillo's father, appears only in 3 chapters, and in these he and Don Juan drink as much as they can. In his last appearance, Ernestillo mentions that he is very happy that Don Pancracio no longer comes to the carpentry shop to take his father, since he breaks his leg, and nothing is ever heard from him again..

Leobard

He is Ricardo's uncle, his mother's brother who has a horrible scar on his face. He turns out to be a thief who only wanted to be at his sister's house to steal his jewelry and almost succeeded if it hadn't been for his nephew and his friends, including Tryphon, who stopped him. The scar originated from a car accident, arguing that it happened in a race in Indianapolis, then he reveals that he went on an excursion to Africa and that he was about to be eaten by cannibals, but he manages to survive, and he also says that he has a full room of wild animals in New York. He was about to get married, but his fiancee died a few days before.

Don Teodoro Cabeza de Vaca

He is an old man that Ernestillo rescues when he goes to work in a luxurious house. This old man was cruelly tortured by his son-in-law Mr. Lemus, some nephews and by the butler Pablo. This character dies a few chapters after starting to date, but before dying he leaves Ernestillo as heir to the “La Puerta” hacienda, he leaves Ricardo some sheep and a rifle, Carlos some goats, Doña Eufrosina some cows and some bulls and Memín the calves. Many people said that the hacienda was very haunted and that's why almost no one went there. Her deceased daughter was the wife of Mr. Lemus but upon her death she was locked in a dark room and Pablo fed her. Mr. Lemus goes on a trip and nothing is heard from him again, while his nephews and Pablo die on the road after escaping, since Pablo did not know how to drive.

Juancho

He is a farmer who lives on the “La Puerta” farm and at night he was scared by pretending to be a ghost. He worked on a farm and one of his friends had a sister named Chole whom Juancho marries, but almost soon after he becomes a widower, and then he goes to the city to look for work and ends up joining a gang of thieves. and one night when the police arrived at where he lived, they found a bunch of stolen bills, so he went to jail, but he ended up killing the foreman because he was exploiting him, so Don Nicolás, the guard, gave him the order. to flee so that they cannot find him. Ricardo almost killed him with his rifle when he was wearing his ghost costume. Finally, thanks to the children, he remains as the guardian of the estate.

Chemita

He is a little Indian, he accidentally meets Memín while he is trying to dive in a nearby river. He lives on a ranch near Ernestillo's ranch, in the company of his parents; His mother is a very good woman who is mistreated by her husband who is a drunk who usually hits Chemita and her mother. In an episode where a jaripeo is organized, his father forces him to ride a horse to earn a thousand pesos, which Chemita does not get, but Carlangas wins them and gives them to him, but Chemita and his mother use that money to go to D. F. and they disappear for a while until chapter 134 where they suddenly appear at Ricardo's house looking for work. After their arrival, Chemita enters school, but is discriminated against for his way of dressing, and Memín ignores him for a moment.

Fernando Arteaga

In his youth he was a humble painter and had a pretty girlfriend named Alicia. When Rosalinda appears, a wealthy young woman known from Alicia's childhood who humiliated her for being poor, Fernando abandons Alicia and marries Rosalinda. Shortly after, they have a son who becomes seriously disabled. Fernando loses all his money and his artistic talent and becomes an alcoholic. Given the situation, Rosalinda flees, and Fernando stays taking care of the child, who finally decides to give him a very high dose of an analgesic, causing his death, due to the serious pain that the child was suffering. Fernando goes to jail for a while and tells the whole story about him to Don Nicolás, the watchman. After getting out of jail he lives in a run-down house and watches the Vikings Braves play, and also tells them why he went to jail, but in a different way. The Vikings help him to return to making paintings, but he does not dare, then he meets a boy named Luis who turns out to be Alice's son, but who was actually his son with Rosalind and who, on his deathbed, I had confided in Alicia. They both meet again and eventually marry and move away, and nothing more is heard of them.

Alicia Sandoval

She was Fernando's girlfriend for 5 years, until he left her for Rosalinda and married her. She worked as a secretary in an office for a long time and not much is known about her, until Fernando meets Luis and Alicia tells him that Rosalinda died sick and when she died she left baby Luis in her custody, she also tells him that despite everything She never stopped loving him. Shortly afterward they get married and are not mentioned again.

Rosalinda

A very attractive and rich woman. She seduced Fernando and took him away from Alicia to marry him. At first she helped Fernando become a renowned painter thanks to her good position and her friendships, but she ended up having a very bad relationship with him since her son grew up with a disability caused by a blow he had received when she fell as a child. a baby, which causes a malformation of his spine and the impossibility of his legs developing properly. Both try to do everything possible to correct the problem, but they fall into poverty and Fernando gives in to alcoholism. Not being able to do anything and with a new pregnancy in tow, she decides to abandon Fernando without telling him anything. Later it is known that Rosalinda, sick with her heart and admitted to a charity hospital, seeks out Alicia to ask her to take care of her baby, and when she accepts, she dies peacefully.

Luis Sandoval

He is the second son of Rosalinda and Fernando, adopted by Alicia when Rosalinda died. He mentions that he was born in the state of Durango, and is a very good draftsman, Memín envies him, but Luis tries to be his friend and makes him win a school drawing contest. When he meets Fernando he feels a certain affinity and ends up finding out that he is his father, then at the wedding he asks heaven for his parents to always be together, then they move and nothing more is known about them.

Fernandito

He was the first child of Fernando and Rosalinda. He had been born well, but his mother always left him in the care of nannies to go to parties and social engagements. At some point in his childhood, he suffered an injury that caused his spine to atrophy and his legs to not develop along with his body, causing him to always have small legs. of a baby. He does not know the severity of his problem until one day at school someone pushes his wheelchair and uncovers a blanket where his deformity is revealed. Over time, the malformation of his spine causes him terrible pain that is only slightly relieved by a very expensive and dangerous painkiller. Fernando, in a fit of great pain, decides to end his suffering by taking his life through an overdose of the medication, for which he goes to jail.

Don Nicolás The old watchman of the prison where Fernando was. He told her his tragic story and then he tells it to the Vikings. He sometimes brought food and clothes to Fernando.

Armando Jiménez

He is an orphaned boy and was a friend of Memín in the United States when he lost his mother, and he mentions that his father went to work in another state, leaving him abandoned in New York. He met Memín when he was running with Harry and John, other orphans, since they had just stolen some ribs for dinner. He lived with Harry and John in the belly of the statue of a Pachyderm, which was in the center of a Park in New York, whose eyes were also pierced to be able to breathe better. It is said that these two found another shelter to live in and nothing is ever heard from them again. In total, together with Memín, he earns ninety dollars from the sale of newspapers, but they spend them on medicine, since Memín falls prey to fever due to pneumonia, for which he is rushed to an emergency hospital and recovers.. He was adopted by a well-matched couple when he was in prison for 48 hours, due to a fight that he had with Memín and Doña Eufrosina with some police officers and that appeared in the newspapers.

Harry

An orphan friend of Armando and John, appears for the first time in the episode in which Memín loses his mother and is seen running with some ribs under his arm for dinner. He is said to have found another shelter where he lives with John, but it is not known what kind of shelter.

John

Another orphan friend of Harry and Armando, lives with them in the belly of the statue of a Pachyderm and sells newspapers. Armando mentions that he, with Harry, finds another place to live.

Doña Leonides Goyescos

A little old lady who received a letter from her son telling her that her grandson would visit her. Days later, Memín arrives with a suitcase that smells horrible. Doña Leonides believes that Memín is her grandson Guillermo (curiously, Memín's real name is Guillermo) and when he finished eating cakes and drinking chocolate and wanted to flee from that house, Memín decides to open the suitcase, from where he notices that nauseating smell, he discovers that It is the body of Doña Leonides' grandson decapitated with a message from his captors and murderers. Since the old woman becomes fond of him and cannot leave her alone, because the butler coveted her fortune, Memín, who was about to leave with his mother Doña Eufrosina, decides to confess the truth to that little old woman and she tells him that Deep down he knew that Memín was not his grandson. Days later she arrives with Memín's mother and gives her a check for 2 million pesos for Memín's studies. After her nothing more is known about her.

The Manotas

A very big man with some mental retardation since he acts as if he were a child. When Memín is kidnapped by the murderers of the boy in the suitcase, Manotas is in charge of watching him. Memín tries to gain his sympathy by telling him the sad story of an orphaned boy named Periquín. Manotas is also an orphan of parents and ends up becoming fond of Memín. He is killed by a trailer on the road.

Miss. Patricia de Romero

At first Carlos attacks her thinking she is a girl from the attached school, but they realize that she is really a first grade teacher. At first she has a nerdy appearance, since she wore glasses and braids, but she is actually very pretty. At first she quarrels with Professor Romero and they have several altercations, but they realize that they are made for each other and they fall in love, so they get married, and the Vikings find them in Acapulco on their honeymoon.. Some time later they have a baby named Rubén, who is kidnapped and the Vikings try to do everything possible to rescue him.

El Cacarizo

A ferocious fugitive criminal escaped from prison by killing two guards. He takes refuge in a cabin on a mountain in Iguala, Guerrero, where the Vikings Braves in their adventure to find a & # 34; treasure & # 34; They hide since an inspector does not let them get to Acapulco because they do not have a permit. When the Vikings find him, they fight with him and observe that he thinks he is a redskin Indian since he plans to sacrifice them all. Fortunately, after Memín flew out of a window, it fell on his neck and the Vikings fled safely..

Sparks

Her real name was María. A girl of great beauty but with rude manners, she is used to fighting and punching. She is nicknamed Sparky because those who have been hit by her see colorful sparks. She was a friend of Memín who first appeared watching the Vikings Braves playing baseball. She lived in the opposite neighborhood, where she was mistreated by her alcoholic father and her stepmother Doña Romualda. She escapes with the Cripple to live away from her stepmother, and after being abandoned by him she reappears when Memín travels to Minatitlán, Veracruz. While there she has a great romance with Bernardo, but unable to change his aggressive and rough behavior, they end their relationship and upon returning to the city she says goodbye to Memín forever.

The Tullido

His real name was Germán, he lived in the same neighborhood as Chispitas and was his best friend. A studious and intelligent boy, orphaned of father and mother, who was mistreated by his stepmother Doña Chita. She escapes with Chispitas to never live with her stepmothers again, but in episode 255 she goes to a hospital to have her leg treated and decides to abandon Chispitas, so as not to be a burden on her and so that she would accept the housing offer. and education of a rich man so that he could improve his life. Nothing more is heard from him in episode 257.

Pulgoso

He was the faithful dog of Chispitas and Germán, he appears for the last time when Chispitas says goodbye to Memín.

Doña Chita

She was Germán's stepmother. She was a dry and heartless woman, and she didn't care about Germán's polio to hit him, plus she wouldn't let him study.

Doña Romualda

Chispitas' stepmother, whom she nicknamed Doña Verrugas. A hypocritical woman envious of Chispitas' beauty, whom she inherited from her mother.

Bernardo

He is the foreman of Don Fernando Duprá's hacienda in Minatitlán, where Chispitas and Memín traveled so that she could pose as her granddaughter Olga Duprá and collect the inheritance that belonged to her, by orders of that woman's ambitious widower. At first Chispitas and Bernardo hated each other and had many altercations, even leading to violence, but over time a great passion was born between them. Bernardo believes that Chispitas is only interested in the inheritance money, but Memín tells her the truth and later she confesses that she is not really Olga Duprá. However, her relationship does not prosper because Chispitas does not mature, and Bernardo decides to forget her.

Count Ramiro Duprá

He is one of the relatives of grandfather Don Fernando Duprá, who arrive at the hacienda from Europe after learning of the grandfather's death to read his will. An ambitious aristocrat, he teams up with his sister Petra to get rid of the other members of the family and keep part of his inheritance. However, he then betrays her and betrays her and she murders him.

Petra Duprá

Sister of the Count and aunt of Rosaura, Gilberto and Chispitas "Olga". A single and bitter woman, her plan to poison her other relatives to keep her inheritance is discovered by her brother Ramiro and they decide to ally themselves with her. She decides to start with Rosaura and after several frustrated attempts by Memín, whom she tries to get rid of with her brother, she manages to poison her, but she is saved from her and when she is betrayed by Ramiro, she kills him and loses her sanity.

Rosaura Duprá

A blonde, attractive and elegant woman, niece of Don Fernando Duprá, arrives with her other relatives at the hacienda and falls in love with Bernardo. She tries to win him over but finds out that he is in love with Chispitas, so she tries to help them get together, but she really wants Bernardo for herself. She is poisoned by her aunt Petra but she manages to save herself from her and continues her attempts to conquer her with Bernardo. Chispitas hates her out of jealousy of her and ends up hitting her before leaving the hacienda.

Gilberto

Cousin of Rosaura and Chispitas "Olga". He is an arrogant and conceited man who felt a strong attraction to Sparky since he first saw her. He tries to win her over but Chispitas only uses him to make Bernardo jealous when he is with Rosaura. One day he takes her to a distant place and tries to abuse her, but Bernardo rescues her from her and hits Gilberto. After this he decides to distance himself from Chispitas and becomes enraged when he learns that Bernardo is the universal heir to Don Fernando's assets.

Uncles Spyridion and Nicolás

A couple of old cousins of Don Fernando Duprá who lost their minds and suffer from dementia. Espiridión is an inveterate collector and botanist, while Nicolás considers himself a great poet. The will is not read until they arrive at the hacienda, and Bernardo gives each one enough money to pay for their stay in the asylum, at the grandfather's request in the will.

Silvia

She was Memín's friend in the United States, blind from birth. At first Memín thinks she was unfriendly, but over time they become good friends. When he regains his sight, Memín fears that she will despise him because of her skin color and she mistakes him for Federico. Memín is disappointed and when Silvia finds out that he and Armando went to jail, she tells him that she doesn't care about her skin color because she loves him very much.

Frederick

Silvia's cousin, he bothered Memín when he arrived at Silvia's house. When Silvia undergoes surgery for her blindness, he mistakes Federico for Memín. In the end Federico understands him and asks for forgiveness.

Chemita's mother

She was an Indian, she had a very noble heart and she was mistreated by her husband. She is helped by the Vikings Braves in episode 78. She reappears in episode 134 for the second time with Chemita and Mercedes, Ricardo's mother hires her as a maid and she is never heard from again.

Don Tiburcio

He was Chemita's father and he was a drunk without values, he exploited his family in exchange for pulque. Chemita mentioned that he would hit them if he got drunk and when he was sober he was somewhat friendly. In his last appearance, Memín pricks him with a maguey tip and the others leave him unconscious while his wife and his son escape.

Simon

He was an antagonist of Memín, taking away his role in The 3 Musketeers. Chemita helps Memín get even but for this action Professor Romero tells him that he is no longer worthy of the role of D'Artagnan.

Ti-lin

He was Memín and Ernestillo's friend because of their dream of traveling to China. His grandfather is the Mandarin.

Tea flower

It was Ti-lin's mother, she was forced to abandon her son and when she finds Memín she thinks he was covered in ink but then they see that he was not her son. She is the daughter of the Mandarin.

Doctor Varonoff

A Russian doctor declared an eminence in the world of medicine. He arrives in Mexico to give a lecture on osteology accompanied by his assistant Natasha who charges for the consultations. Each consultation had a value of $500MXN, so Ernestillo put together some savings to give him a consultation and see if there is a possibility for him to operate on his father. At first he refuses but Memín manages to convince him to study Don Juan's case and tells him that his son could be the future president of the republic because of his virtues. He appears in two chapters.

Don Cenobio

An obese man who almost always plays cards with his friends. He tells Ernestillo that his father went on a party while he was not with Toribio & # 34; El Greñas & # 34; and gives him money to go to his house and ask him where his father is.

Toribio El Greñas

It is apparently another compadre of Juan Vargas and while Ernestillo goes from camp he invites him to get drunk again and then Juan ends up hurt as both are run over but only Juan goes to the hospital with the risk of being cut off a leg. Ernestillo threatens him violently by telling him that if he doesn't tell him where his father is he will kill him but then he tells him what happened and Ernestillo runs to find him on the Red Cross. He lives in a very bad street next to a lady who apparently is his wife.

El Greñas

A juvenile delinquent of around 14 or 15 years of age who is in the Juvenile Guardianship when Carlos is locked up. He knows how to get cigarettes and alcohol while in prison. It is known that his mother worked in a factory. He uses a dagger as a weapon to kill anyone who gets in his way. He and his fellow inmates devise a plan to escape but Carlos doesn't want to, so they force him. During the escape El Greñas kills the watchman on duty, but when he wants to give him the final stab Carlos stops him, believing that he is finally dead but with the last minutes of his life he manages to blow his whistle and then dies; His whistle calls serve to warn of the escape. After Carlos jumps over the fence, El Greñas proceeds to do so, but when he falls to the ground, he buries the dagger in his own bowels, causing his death almost instantly. Carlos wants to save him but he tells him to run away so he better go back to the bedroom. The head guard blames Carlos for the death of the watchman and does not believe him that it was Greñas, but then the guard tells him that it was Greñas who killed him and that he confessed shortly before dying.

Li-yung

Ti-lin's stepfather exploited him daily and escaped with Memín and Ernestillo. The Mandarin condemns him to hanging but Ti-lin asks that he not be harmed.

Colombian edition

In 1983, the publishing company Editora Cinco began circulating the comic in several countries such as Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Puerto Rico, Panama and the Dominican Republic. For this edition the magazine reached number 343, but this does not include the official title of FIN. Each magazine had a title that appeared on the cover as follows:

Controversies

Postal Stamps

On October 28, 2005, Memín appeared on 5 stamps as part of the series 'The Caricature in Mexico'. These stamps caused controversy when the US government considered them racist because they were a stereotype of black people. Among other consequences, this caused the stamps to be sold in various places around the world at high prices. Due to the commotion, publisher Vid decided to republish the comic series again starting from number one.

Magazine renewal

In issue 328 the magazine stopped having Sixto Valencia Burgos's drawings, and it was changed to a format of drawings more similar to those of American comics, this was due to differences and editorial issues that Valencia had with him. Vid group, since then they did not allow him to continue drawing the rest of the plots that he made for the first time decades ago, also various sources cite that Valencia had no longer been paid for his work.

Copyright

With the renewal of the magazine's format, Sixto Valencia filed a lawsuit over the property rights of Memín Pinguín and the rest of the characters. After several years of trial, on February 28 the character was registered in the name of Sixto.

Endings and continuations

In issue #350, it was said that the story would end, although it was decided to extend it, in addition to the fact that from issue #335 the plot of several chapters dealt with science fiction plots, finally in the year 2010, in the episode #442 the end was made official, since on the last page you can see the announcement that Memín Pinguín #1 would soon be released, but without actually saying "END", since it did not contain the legend "To be continued" which appeared on the last page of each episode, although in 2011 it was decided to launch a final edition that would become the definitive one. In one of the many reprints, the end of the series is that Eufrosina and Memín go to a fair to celebrate the end of school years and enter a store where a fortune teller is who tells them the events that occurred in issue #1 giving the effect of a paradox.