Says Mauricio de Sousa about Ziraldo’s death

This Saturday, the 6th, the designer and writer passed away at the age of 91 Ziraldo, father of “Menino Luquinho”. According to information released by the family, the renowned author died at around 3pm, of natural causes, while sleeping in his apartment, in the Lagoa neighborhood, in the South Zone of Rio de Janeiro.

The wake of Ziraldo It will take place tomorrow, the 7th, at MAM — Museu da Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro, starting at 10 am, opening to the public. The burial reserved for friends and family is scheduled for 4:30 pm, at Cemitério São João Batista, in Botafogo.

After the announcement of his death, one of the author’s great friends, and also a big name in Brazilian comics, Mauricio de Sousa, father of “Turma da Mônica”, also spoke out on social media, lamenting the loss of the cartoonist.

“What a sadness! I have no words. I lost more than a great friend. I lost a brother”, wrote Mauricio in the publications.

The pair have known each other for years, since the 1960s. Mauricio He was even invited to write some Pererê comic strips, however, during the 2018 Book Biennial, the cartoonists revealed that the partnership did not happen because the comic strips were lost.

However, years later, the long-awaited collaboration would finally happen. Still in 2018, Mauricio de Sousa It is Ziraldo they released “Mônica e o Menino Maluquinho na Montanha Mágica” and, the following year, they would collaborate again on “Mônica e o Menino Maluquinho Perdidos no Espaço”.

More about Ziraldo

Ziraldo Alves Pinto was born in Caratinga, Minas Gerais, on October 24, 1932, son of Zizinha It is Geraldoand the oldest of seven brothers.

Passionate about drawing from a young age, his first drawing was published when he was just 6 years old, in 1939, in the newspaper Folha de Minas. In 1957, he graduated in law, however, at that time, his career was already focused on drawings. In the same year, he started working in the magazines “A Cigarra” and “O Cruzeiro”, publishing political cartoons and cartoons. The following year he married Vilma Gontijowith whom he had three children: Daniela, Fabrizia It is Antonio.

In the following decade, the characters Mineirinho, Supermãe and Jeremias appeared. It was also at this time that the first Brazilian children’s magazine was published, with “Turma do Pererê”, which closed in 1964 due to the military dictatorship. With the end of the first publication, he founded “O Pasquim” alongside other comedians.

During the dictatorship, he participated in the fight for democracy, and was even arrested on December 13, 1968. His drawings were composed of acidic texts and illustrations full of mockery, something that the government of the time did not like.

One of his biggest hits, “O Menino Maluquinho”, would only arrive in 1980. The character, considered one of the greatest phenomena of all time in the Brazilian publishing market, became so popular that he left the pages, and was adapted into games, cinema, theater and television.