Gabriel Vargas Venegas
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Bernal Vargas was a Mexican
painter
, artist
and cartoonist
, whose comic strip
La Familia Burrón was created in 1937. This cartoon has been described as one of the most important in Mexican popular culture
. Vargas won Mexico's "Premio Nacional de Periodismo" (National Journalism Prize) in 1983 and the "Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes en el área de Tradiciones Populares" (National Sciences and Arts Prize) in 2003.
, on February 5, 1915 and had 11 siblings. His father was a merchant
and died when Gabriel was four years old. In 1922, his mother, Josefina Bernal, moved the family to Mexico City
. Around 1928, Vargas began work as a draftsman for the Excélsior
newspaper and eventually became its chief drawer by 1931 when he was sixteen. Vargas won an art contest sponsored by Panamericana Editorial which led to him penning his first comic, Los Superlocos, whose main protagonist
s became the basis
for La Familia Burrón.
Mexican barrio
. At the height of its popularity, the comic strip helped circulation sales
to reach 500,000 copies a week. The comic was temorarily suspended but resumed in 1978.
, who is a patron
of the arts, opened the Museo de El Estanquillo with an exhibition of Vargas' La Familia Burrón paintings with the artist in person. The Burrón Family were represented in painted forms by Regino Burrón and Borola Tacuche de Burrón, Regino and Foforito. Vargas sat paralyzed because of an affiction
he had suffered for the past twenty years.
The Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes stated Vargas died on 25 May 2010 at his Mexico City
home. His health had declined in recent years but no cause of death was given. According to a statement released by this council, Vargas was "one of the greatest representatives of the golden age of Mexican comics" and an "undeniable reference point for the nation’s popular culture".
. At the time of his death, a complete exhibition
of La Familia Burrón was on display at a museum
in Florence, Italy
.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
, whose comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
La Familia Burrón was created in 1937. This cartoon has been described as one of the most important in Mexican popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
. Vargas won Mexico's "Premio Nacional de Periodismo" (National Journalism Prize) in 1983 and the "Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes en el área de Tradiciones Populares" (National Sciences and Arts Prize) in 2003.
Early life and education
Gabriel Vargas was born in Tulancingo, HidalgoTulancingo
Tulancingo is the second-largest city in the Mexican state of Hidalgo. It is located in the southeastern part of the state and also forms one of the 84 municipalities of Hidalgo, as well as the Archdiocese of Tulancingo...
, on February 5, 1915 and had 11 siblings. His father was a merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
and died when Gabriel was four years old. In 1922, his mother, Josefina Bernal, moved the family to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
. Around 1928, Vargas began work as a draftsman for the Excélsior
Excélsior
Excélsior is a daily newspaper, founded by Rafael Alducin and published in Mexico City since 1917.During the 1950s and 1960s, the newspaper's editorial stance was of a relatively liberal bent, under the editorship of Julio Scherer...
newspaper and eventually became its chief drawer by 1931 when he was sixteen. Vargas won an art contest sponsored by Panamericana Editorial which led to him penning his first comic, Los Superlocos, whose main protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
s became the basis
Explanation
An explanation is a set of statements constructed to describe a set of facts which clarifies the causes, context, and consequencesof those facts....
for La Familia Burrón.
La Familia Burrón
In 1937, Vargas began drawing La Familia Burrón as a separate piece which documented parents, Regino Burrón and Borola Tacuche de Burrón, their two teenage children, Regino and Macuca Burrón, and Foforito Cantarranas, a younger kid who was adopted by the Burróns. La Familia Burrón profiled a lower class family's daily comedic struggles in an impoverishedPoverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
Mexican barrio
Barrio
Barrio is a Spanish word meaning district or neighborhood.-Usage:In its formal usage in English, barrios are generally considered cohesive places, sharing, for example, a church and traditions such as feast days...
. At the height of its popularity, the comic strip helped circulation sales
Newspaper circulation
A newspaper's circulation is the number of copies it distributes on an average day. Circulation is one of the principal factors used to set advertising rates. Circulation is not always the same as copies sold, often called paid circulation, since some newspapers are distributed without cost to the...
to reach 500,000 copies a week. The comic was temorarily suspended but resumed in 1978.
Later life and death
In 2007, Carlos MonsiváisCarlos Monsiváis
Carlos Monsiváis Aceves was a Mexican writer, critic, political activist, and journalist. of French decent He also wrote political opinion columns in leading newspapers and was considered to be an opinion leader within the country's progressive sectors. His generation of writers includes Elena...
, who is a patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
of the arts, opened the Museo de El Estanquillo with an exhibition of Vargas' La Familia Burrón paintings with the artist in person. The Burrón Family were represented in painted forms by Regino Burrón and Borola Tacuche de Burrón, Regino and Foforito. Vargas sat paralyzed because of an affiction
Suffering
Suffering, or pain in a broad sense, is an individual's basic affective experience of unpleasantness and aversion associated with harm or threat of harm. Suffering may be qualified as physical or mental. It may come in all degrees of intensity, from mild to intolerable. Factors of duration and...
he had suffered for the past twenty years.
The Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes stated Vargas died on 25 May 2010 at his Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
home. His health had declined in recent years but no cause of death was given. According to a statement released by this council, Vargas was "one of the greatest representatives of the golden age of Mexican comics" and an "undeniable reference point for the nation’s popular culture".
Awards
In 1983, Vargas received the "Premio Nacional de Periodismo" (National Journalism Prize) in the field of Popular Traditions. In 2003, the "Premio Nacional de Ciencias y Artes en el área de Tradiciones Populares" (National Sciences and Arts Prize) was presented to him. In 2007, the Federal District government recognized Vargas as a Distinguished Citizen. In addition, the Estanquillo Museum Collections exhibited many of his painted works as a homageHomage
Homage is a show or demonstration of respect or dedication to someone or something, sometimes by simple declaration but often by some more oblique reference, artistic or poetic....
. At the time of his death, a complete exhibition
Exhibition
An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within museums, galleries and exhibition halls, and World's Fairs...
of La Familia Burrón was on display at a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
in Florence, Italy
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
.