El Callejón del Cuajo...
Gabriel Vargas Bernal (1918-2010) fue
un dibujante mexicano que tuvo su primer éxito a los 13 años de edad, cuando
ganó un concurso de dibujo que mereció que el Maestro Alfonso Caso (arqueólogo,
filósofo y ex-rector de la UNAM) le ofreciera una beca para estudiar dibujo en
Francia, misma que Vargas declinó. Obtuvo una plaza para trabajar en el
periódico Excélsior, donde se convirtió en jefe del Departamento de Dibujo. Su
obra en el periódico se caracterizó por su seriedad, su calidad de trazo y su
sentido crítico sin perder un gran sentido del humor. En el diario Novedades
publicó una historieta llamada La Vida de Cristo, durante la época de
persecución religiosa en México, por lo que Gabriel Vargas terminó en la cárcel
y el diario a punto de la clausura. Posteriormente concursó en un certamen
promovido por José García Valseca, en la época inicial del cómic en México,
para destacar al mejor dibujante de historietas del país. Ahí nació el diputado
Jilemón Metralla, arquetipo del político mexicano, corrupto, prepotente,
presuntuoso y altanero. Después de alcanzar tirajes de medio millón de
ejemplares semanales, Vargas decidió terminar con su personaje y sacar a la luz
pública a quien sería, hasta hoy su personaje más entrañable, doña Borola
Tacuche de Burrón.
La familia Burrón se publicó por vez
primera en 1948 y desde entonces, ininterrumpidamente de manera semanal, hasta
el 2009.
La familia Burrón es un retrato de la
clase trabajadora de la ciudad de México que es, más que delimitada a una época
política o cronológica, verdaderamente atemporal. Sus personajes, Borola,
Regino (peluquero de barrio), sus hijos Macuca y Regino "el Tejocote"
y su entenado Foforito, habitan una vecindad del Callejón del Cuajo, sitio que
podría representar cualquier calle de la ciudad de México. La historieta cuenta
con un lenguaje recreado por el mismo Vargas (tomando alocuciones propias del
caló de México y mezclándolas con términos que podríamos llamar "burronismos"),
las carencias de la vida a las que esta familia se enfrenta, los medios que
deben utilizar para subsistir y las consecuencias que sus actos individuales
tienen para su comunidad, la vecindad. Todo esto es incidental, sin embargo. Probablemente
las aventuras de los Burrón reflejen el estilo de vida del noventa por ciento
de la población del mundo. El que hayan sido ubicados en la ciudad de México es
un hecho, también, incidental: Vargas nació en Hidalgo y viajó al DF a la
muerte de su padre. En un país en que el clasismo y el racismo son tan
evidentes como lo son en México (aunque no nos guste es cierto; tan cierto que
aún se usa la palabra indio para
señalar al ignorante, al de otro color de piel más morena, o al pobre, en el
peor de los casos), el leer fuera del DF la historieta La Familia Burrón se
considera un acto de chilanguez suprema.
Probablemente los que critican a los lectores de Gabriel Vargas desconozcan que
su obra es estudiada en estudios de sociología en universidades como La Sorbona
o que la colección completa se exhibe en Italia. El desprecio por lo nacional,
duramente criticado por Vargas en las páginas de la revista, es sufrido por la
misma obra.
Pero la teoría política le corresponde
a los teóricos. Yo solo quiero decir que por lo menos tres generaciones de
mexicanos hemos podido disfrutar de las ocurrencias de Borola, desesperarnos
con la parsimonia de Regino, enojarnos de las argucias de Caperuzo, conmiserarnos
de la mala suerte de Ruperto Tacuche o exasperarnos de la pereza de Avelino
Pilongano.
Afortunadamente, la editorial Porrúa
ha recopilado en una serie de, hasta el momento, catorce tomos de doce números
cada uno, unas cuantas de las historietas publicadas en esos 48 años (hasta la
muerte del autor principal) que deben sumar más de dos mil números. Aún cuando
los libros vienen con varias faltas de ortografía (por ejemplo, la falta de
acentos), vale la pena leerlos.
Ojalá que se dé Usted oportunidad de disfrutarlos
y de enseñar a sus hijos otra parte de esta gran cultura que se agrupa,
arbitrariamente, bajo el término "mexicana".
Imagen: https://www.google.com.mx/search?hl=es&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=611&q=la+familia+burr%C3%B3n&oq=la+familia+burr%C3%B3n&gs_l=img.3..0j0i24.1032.3948.0.4225.17.12.0.5.5.0.329.1957.0j6j2j1.9.0.msedr...0...1ac.1.61.img..3.14.1979.5booJYtqkCw#imgdii=_&imgrc=6QiUnHvEeeh-uM%253A%3B20rBWqA-L9mU9M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmx.globedia.com%252Fimagenes%252Fusuarios%252Fnoticias%252F34422%252F1254159649.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmx.globedia.com%252Fcaricaturas-mexicanas-familia-burron%3B252%3B400
Rennet Alley...
Gabriel Vargas Bernal
(1918-2010) was a Mexican artist who had his first success at age 13, when
he won a drawing competition which
won the Master Alfonso Caso (archaeologist, philosopher and former
rector of UNAM) will
offered a scholarship to study drawing in France, same as Vargas declined.
Obtained a place to work in the newspaper Excelsior, where he became head
of the Drawing Department. His work
in the newspaper was characterized
by its seriousness, drawer quality and his
social critical sense without losing a great sense of humor. The diary Novedades published a story called The
Life of Christ, during the time of
religious persecution in Mexico,
so Gabriel Vargas ended up in jail
and the newspaper about the closure. Later he
competed in a contest promoted by
José García Valseca,
in the early days of comics in Mexico, to
highlight the best cartoonist
in the country. This is the time of deputy
Jilemón Shrapnel, archetype of the Mexican politician,
corrupt, presumptuous and arrogant. After reaching runs of half a million copies
a week, Vargas decided to end his
character and take into light who would,
until today most endearing character of his, Mrs. Borola Tacuche of Burrón.
The Burróns was first
published in 1948 and, since then,
continuously on a weekly basis, until 2009.
The Burróns is a portrait of the working class in Mexico City, more than bounded to a political o chronological age, a truly timeless one. Its characters Borola, Regino (neighborhood barber), their children Macuca and Regino "the Tejocote" and his stepson Foforito, inhabit a vecindad (many houses in one sole area, usually sharing a patio o series of patios... sorry I do not know the English word for it) of the Rennet Alley, a place that could represent any street in Mexico City. The cartoon has a language recreated by Vargas himself (taking addresses form the vernacular of Mexico and mixing them with terms that I like to call "burronismos"), ans show us the shortcomings of life to which this family faces, the means they use to survive and the consequences that their individual actions have for their community, neighborhood. All this is incidental, however. Probably the adventures of the Burróns reflect the lifestyle of ninety percent of the world's population. The fact that their stories were located in Mexico City is a fact incidental, too: Vargas was born in Hidalgo and traveled to Mexico City after his father died. In a country where classism and racism are as obvious as they are in Mexico (although we do not like it, it is true, so true that even the word indio is used to indicate the ignorant, the other with darker skin or the poor, in the worst case), reading Burróns cartoon out of Mexico City is considered an act of supreme chilanguez. Probably those who criticize Gabriel Vargas´ readers unaware that his work is used in sociology studies at universities such as the Sorbonne or that the entire collection is exhibited in Italy. Or mayhap they do not care. Contempt for national, harshly criticized by Vargas in the pages of the magazine, is suffered by itself.
The Burróns is a portrait of the working class in Mexico City, more than bounded to a political o chronological age, a truly timeless one. Its characters Borola, Regino (neighborhood barber), their children Macuca and Regino "the Tejocote" and his stepson Foforito, inhabit a vecindad (many houses in one sole area, usually sharing a patio o series of patios... sorry I do not know the English word for it) of the Rennet Alley, a place that could represent any street in Mexico City. The cartoon has a language recreated by Vargas himself (taking addresses form the vernacular of Mexico and mixing them with terms that I like to call "burronismos"), ans show us the shortcomings of life to which this family faces, the means they use to survive and the consequences that their individual actions have for their community, neighborhood. All this is incidental, however. Probably the adventures of the Burróns reflect the lifestyle of ninety percent of the world's population. The fact that their stories were located in Mexico City is a fact incidental, too: Vargas was born in Hidalgo and traveled to Mexico City after his father died. In a country where classism and racism are as obvious as they are in Mexico (although we do not like it, it is true, so true that even the word indio is used to indicate the ignorant, the other with darker skin or the poor, in the worst case), reading Burróns cartoon out of Mexico City is considered an act of supreme chilanguez. Probably those who criticize Gabriel Vargas´ readers unaware that his work is used in sociology studies at universities such as the Sorbonne or that the entire collection is exhibited in Italy. Or mayhap they do not care. Contempt for national, harshly criticized by Vargas in the pages of the magazine, is suffered by itself.
But political theory corresponds
to the theoretical. I just want to say that at least three generations of Mexicans have been enjoying Borola´s occurrences,
despair with parsimony
from Regino, got angry of the tricks of
Caperuzo, have felt pitty to unlucky
Ruperto Tacuche or
exasperate of the sloth Avelino Pilongano.
Fortunately, Porrúa publisher has compiled a series of, so far, fourteen
volumes of twelve numbers each, a few of the books published in those 48 years (until
the death of the principal author) that must total more than two thousand
numbers . Even when the books come with several misspellings (eg, lack of accents),
worth reading.
Hopefully that gives you a chance to enjoy them and teach your children some
new in this great culture that is grouped arbitrarily under the term "Mexican".
image: https://www.google.com.mx/search?hl=es&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=611&q=la+familia+burr%C3%B3n&oq=la+familia+burr%C3%B3n&gs_l=img.3..0j0i24.1032.3948.0.4225.17.12.0.5.5.0.329.1957.0j6j2j1.9.0.msedr...0...1ac.1.61.img..3.14.1979.5booJYtqkCw#imgdii=_&imgrc=6QiUnHvEeeh-uM%253A%3B20rBWqA-L9mU9M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmx.globedia.com%252Fimagenes%252Fusuarios%252Fnoticias%252F34422%252F1254159649.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fmx.globedia.com%252Fcaricaturas-mexicanas-familia-burron%3B252%3B400
