New exhibit celebrates Mexico’s comic book pioneers
An exhibition featuring the lives and works of several of Mexico’s most iconic cartoonists is being hosted at El Templo, a restaurant and bar in downtown Mérida.
The exhibit, which organizers describe as a tribute, coincides with the 150th anniversary of the birth of pioneering illustrator and lithographer, Juan Bautista Urrutia.
Bautista Urrutia is best known for his cartooning work in Mexico City newspapers, as well as his character Ranilla, who eventually branched out to a stand-alone comic book format in 1922 and is considered one of the earliest examples of Mexican comic book characters.
Strips and standalone books of the early era of Mexican comics in the 1920s feature themes and characters centered around contemporary events including the Mexican Revolution.
They mostly belong to the Western genre, which includes plenty of shootouts, persecutions on horseback, and the downing of evil villains.
Earlier: Mérida’s newest hot spot is a feast for the eyes
Also featured in the exhibition is the work and story of Delia Elisa Larios y Orozco, the creator of Mexico’s first female superhero, Adelita, who starred in a comic first published in 1936 called “Adelita y las guerrillas.”
In the comic strip, Adelita, a woman from Jalisco, seeks vengeance for the death of her brother and takes on an ever-expanding rogues gallery of villains.
This is until she meets her main antagonist known as La Tigresa del Bajío (the Tigress of the Bajío) who is equal to her in strength and with whom she does battle on several occasions.
The exhibit can be seen at El Templo on Calle 59, across from La Mejorada park, and will be open noon-10 p.m. daily until Saturday, Aug. 14.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer and adventure leader. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
