A Pretty "Squared" Life

A couple of weeks back I wrote something about my beginnings as a reader. Now I'd like to take a look at another part of the same story: comic books.

I started reading comics long before I could read prose. I cannot say which was the first comic book I ever read but I'd dare to think it was an issue of Supercomic, an anthology title by Editorial Novaro which featured Spanish translations of stories from the various Superman titles published by DC Comics. Novaro published several titles under three different formats identified by the names of Avestruz (Ostrich), Aguila (Eagle), and Colibri (Hummingbird). Avestruz format was about the same size as Golden Age Comics or Treasury Editions, Aguila format was similar to manga size (about 5 by 7 in.) and Colibri format was tiny, little pocket sized editions (I'd say about 3 by 5 in.) Most titles were published in the Aguila format.

I think I was about 4 or maybe 5 when I started collecting comic books. I couldn't read 'em, but my mom would read them aloud to me. Eventually they became a tool for me to learn to read and write a lot faster than my schoolmates. By 6 I was eagerly hunting down, reading and collecting as many comics as I could. DC Universe characters were my first heroes. Later I found out about Marvel Comics, published in Mexico by Novedades Editores in a format very similar to the one used in the U. S. As for Mexican comic books I remember only the mini-editions of Capulinita and Zor y Los Invencibles, which were even smaller than colibri format. And there was Condorito, a Peruan title published (I think) in a Mexican edition. I know that other Mexican titles such as Kaliman, or La Familia Burron were still available, but in those years I didn't found 'em attractive. Besides, I had my hands full with all the material published by Novaro and Novedades, with al least one new issue published every single day.

At least until 1982, a year of crisis in many senses.

In Mexico that was an election year and the transition between administrations brought forward a period of economic unstability that produced an economic depression. Most industries were affected by this and the publishing world was no exception. Novaro changed its publishing schedule and removed the whole line of Avestruz and Colibri editions. Novedades cancelled all of its titles with the exception of Amazing Spiderman. All of a sudden there were no more diversity of titles nor the economic ability to keep up with it.

And in that same year my parents decided to separate themselves.

I think I can remember fights and troubles over the two years before that. There was a time when fights were pretty common and suddenly they just stopped. If only because they decided not to talk to each other anymore. For months we wouldn't even see my father. Apparently he decided to go get his clothes and stuff and leave some money when he was sure there would be nobody there. Eventually he resigned (or was fired, we are not sure) from his job without even telling my mother about it. One of his bosses told my mom about it because we had a few weeks to leave the house, which was owned by the company. And that's how we ended moving to my grandparents' house. I guess it's redundant to say that my life was radically transformed overnight.

At least for two years I wasn't able to buy any single comic book or magazine. This could have been a fatal blow to the voracious reader I had become, but fortunately my grandpa's house was full of reading material. There were lots of books and magazines and even some comic books. These were far different from the ones I was used to read, but I discovered many new things. Like the fact that Mexican comic books had a past. I found boxes full of titles I had never seen before. Los Supersabios, Rolando el Rabioso, Hermelinda Linda, Chanoc, Panzón Panseco and Los Supermachos showed me that there was much more to comic books than just superheroes. About the same time I found out about satire and parody, mainly through a weird magazine by the simple title of MAD.

Additionally, my grandpa used to collect the Sunday Funnies from at least three different papers. La Prensa, El Universal and Excelsior, if memory serves me well. Prince Valiant, Tarzan, Dick Tracy, Mandrake, Roldan el Temerario (Flash Gordon, actually), The Phantom, Trucutu, Mafalda, Peanuts, and many others engrossed the ranks of my newly found friends.

For my 9th birthday I received from an uncle in law (my Godfather, by the way) what was arguably the best present I received as a kid. A box full of comic books, with over 200 issues, mostly Novedades editions of Spiderman (a full run of 190 issues, starting at the first issue), as well as some by other publishing house, MAAC. And those Spiderman comics had a deep impact in my life. But that's something I'd discuss further in a future post.

And if anyone is wondering what became of my relationship with my father, well, I guess I can say that it was pretty uncomplicated. I never saw him again.