04/06/2024 – 17:32
Creator of famous characters such as Menino Maluquinho, writer and designer died in his sleep at his residence in Rio de Janeiro. Writer and cartoonist Ziraldo, one of the biggest names in Brazilian children's literature, died this Saturday (06/04), at 91 years, as confirmed by the artist's family. He died in his sleep, at his residence in Rio de Janeiro, around 3 pm (local time).
Ziraldo became known worldwide for creating famous characters, such as Menino Maluquinho and Turma do Pererê. His professional qualifications are many, having created cartoons, caricatures, children's books, comic books, chronicles, posters and paintings.
He was born on October 24, 1932 in the city of Caratinga (MG). The oldest of seven siblings, his name was a combination of his mother's name, Zizinha, and his father's name, Geraldo.
At just 7 years old, in 1939, he presented his first drawing in the newspaper Folha de Minas. In 1949, he moved to Rio de Janeiro, where he established his career. The cartoonist began to gain greater expression in the 1960s, in Jornal do Brasil.
During the dictatorship (1964-1984), he stood out for his resistance to repression. Also a journalist, he was one of the founders of the newspaper O Pasquim, one of the main vehicles fighting the military regime and fighting for democracy.
In December 1968, one day after the publication of Institutional Act nº 5 (AI-5), the most repressive of the dictatorship, Ziraldo was arrested at home and taken to the Copacabana Fort because he was considered a “dangerous element”.
In 1969, he published his first children's book, Flicts, and later dedicated himself to literature for children. His best-known creation, Menino Maluquinho, was born in the 1980s and was inspired by the writer's son.
The character gave rise to a best-selling children's book and a highly successful film in the country's cinemas. The book has been translated into English, Spanish, Basque, German and Italian and has been adapted for cinema, theater and television.
With so many striking characters from children's stories, Ziraldo stopped producing texts and drawings in September 2018, when he suffered a stroke.
His studio, where he worked for 70 years, located in the Lagoa neighborhood, south of Rio, is being transformed into the Ziraldo Institute.
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