Away from the drawing board to oversee the work of the 400 artists he employs, Mauricio de Sousa says the secret to maintaining Turma da Mônica’s success is to observe and copy reality, like this easy it is, and being careful not to be left behind, but also not bringing the signal forward.
That’s why, the artist tells this newspaper, he prefers not to get involved in politics or let political discussions become part of his stories. “My characters are kids, and kids don’t mess with politics. We don’t do activism. I need to use the old gum resource. ‘Apaga’. That is untouchable.”
It’s a strategy used since the military dictatorship, when he presided over the Association of Designers of São Paulo, considered a communist and eventually banned from the newspapers that bought his comics for engaging in political articulations against the supremacy of the Americans involved productions that were cheaper for Brazilian vehicles at the time.
That doesn’t mean “Monica’s Gang” stopped in time, says Sousa, who plans to create gay characters, has emphasized people with disabilities, and is making sure Milena, his first black female character created about five years ago, is the same will have roles as Mônica, Cebolinha, Magali and Cascão.
“Political correctness is one of the most boring things there is. Sometimes I give a little nudge so as not to totally spoil the freedom we need to have in a humorous scene, but I also make concessions.”
“Monica used to put a rock in Samsão to hit Cebolinha. Today that is impossible. Even Chico Bento’s language had to be changed a bit because the teachers didn’t like the ‘Caipirês’. I’m sensitive to what can hurt and what’s not acceptable to the family.”