:Mauricio de Sousa

The son of Antônio Mauricio de Sousa and Petronilha Araújo de Sousa, Mauricio was born in Santa Isabel, São Paulo,{{cite book|chapter=Capítulo 2 - Raízes |date=2017 |first=Mauricio de |isbn=978-85-68377-14-7 |last=SOUSA |page=20 |publisher=Sextante |title=Mauricio - A história que não está no gibi}} and lived in an environment surrounded by art, as his father, in addition to being a barber, was a poet, composer and painter, and his mother was a poet. His house was always full of books, providing a very cultural environment.{{cite web|access-date=2019-07-16 |editor=Diego Assis |publisher=UOL Entretenimento |title=Mauricio, 80 |url=https://entretenimento.uol.com.br/especiais/mauricio-80.htm#capa/1}} In his house, it was common to host soirees, artist meetings and chorinho circles.{{cite web|access-date=2019-07-01 |archive-date=2019-07-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701172130/https://www.estadao.com.br/blogs/jt-variedades/tenho-filhos-de-12-a-50-anos-aprendi-a-lingua-deles/ |date=2011-05-08 |publisher=Estado de S. Paulo |title='Tenho filhos de 12 a 50 anos. Aprendi a língua deles' |url=https://www.estadao.com.br/blogs/jt-variedades/tenho-filhos-de-12-a-50-anos-aprendi-a-lingua-deles/}}

According to himself, he learned to read with comic books when he was 5 years old and found an issue of the magazine O Guri, which was missing its cover in the trash, and asked his mother to read it, even at a time when he didn't know how to read, much less what the object he had found was. Seeing that her son liked it, Petronilha decided to teach her son to read, while Antônio Mauricio brought more comic books for their kid.{{Citation|title=Entrevista com Mauricio de Sousa {{!}} The Noite (10/07/17)| date=July 11, 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DOsgiarocM|access-date=2023-04-09|language=pt-BR}} (17:14-17:28) - Trecho em que o cartunista relembra de sua infância, citando o gibi e enfatizando o aprendizado que recebeu na infância.

His mother wanted him to become a child singer, but his shyness did not allow him to pursue it, even though his mother was firm and demanding with Mauricio.{{cite web|access-date=2019-07-01 |date=2017-06-18 |first=Adriana |last=Izel |publisher=Correio Braziliense |title=Em biografia, Mauricio de Sousa revela trajetória até se tornar quadrinista |url=https://www.correiobraziliense.com.br/app/noticia/diversao-e-arte/2017/06/18/interna_diversao_arte,602942/biografia-de-mauricio-de-sousa.shtml}} When he was just a few months old, Mauricio moved from Santa Isabel to neighboring Mogi das Cruzes, where he began drawing posters and illustrations for radio stations and newspapers.{{cite web|access-date=2019-07-01 |date=2017-06-18 |first=Adriana |last=Izel |publisher=Correio Braziliense |title=Em biografia, Mauricio de Sousa revela trajetória até se tornar quadrinista |url=https://www.correiobraziliense.com.br/app/noticia/diversao-e-arte/2017/06/18/interna_diversao_arte,602942/biografia-de-mauricio-de-sousa.shtml}} When he told his father about wanting to make a living as an artist, he told him: “Mauricio, draw in the morning and manage in the afternoon.”{{cite web|access-date=1 July 2019 |author=Vitoria Batistoti |date=11 May 2018 |title=Mauricio de Sousa: conheça a trajetória do criador da Turma da Mônica |url=https://revistagalileu.globo.com/Cultura/noticia/2018/05/mauricio-de-sousa-conheca-trajetoria-do-criador-da-turma-da-monica.html |work=Revista Galileu}}

Maurício's father criticized the Vargas government in his newspapers Vespa and A Caveira. In 1940, the police raided and destroyed his printing shop, and the family moved to São Paulo{{cite book|chapter=Capítulo 4 - A descoberta dos gibis |date=2017 |first=Mauricio de |isbn=978-85-68377-14-7 |last=SOUSA |page=33-34 |publisher=Sextante |title=Mauricio - A história que não está no gibi}} for two years.{{cite book|chapter=Capítulo 5 - O pequeno cantor |date=2017 |first=Mauricio de |isbn=978-85-68377-14-7 |last=SOUSA |pages=40 |publisher=Sextante |title=Mauricio - A história que não está no gibi.}}

At 17 years of age, Mauricio worked for a daily newspaper called Folha da Manhã as a crime reporter.[http://www.monica.com.br/ingles/index.htm Mauricio de Sousa – The Cartoonist] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071229074037/http://www.monica.com.br/ingles/index.htm |date=December 29, 2007 }}{{cite web|title=Os 80 anos de Maurício de Sousa|url=http://portaldosjornalistas.com.br/noticia/os-80-anos-mauricio-sousa|website=Jornalistas & Cia|access-date=October 29, 2015|language=pt|date=October 27, 2015}} In 1959, Mauricio quit that job and began his comic book career, and created Monica and Friends.{{cite news|last1=Ferreira|first1=Luana|title=The cartoonist called the 'Walt Disney of Brazil'|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37284939|access-date=September 12, 2016|work=BBC News|date=September 12, 2016}}

Mauricio's comics gained international fame, been featured on licensed merchandise, and have even been adapted for movies, television, video games, and even a São Paulo amusement park, the Parque da Mônica ("Monica's Park"). Two other Parque da Mônica facilities were also located in Curitiba and Rio de Janeiro, but they both closed in 2000 and 2005, respectively. From 1970 to 1986, Maurício's comic books had been published by Editora Abril, until Globo took over in January 1987. His work has been published in many magazines and newspapers since 1959. Since January 2007, the comic book series is published by Panini Comics.{{fact|date=April 2024}}

In 1997, the cartoonist founded the Maurício de Sousa Cultural Institute, whose mandate is to develop social action campaigns that translate serious subjects into a comic book format to appeal to both young and adult readers.{{fact|date=April 2024}}

Mauricio started publishing Turma da Mônica Jovem ("Monica Adventures") in 2008, an offshoot series from "Monica and Friends", featuring Monica and her friends now as teenagers, adopting black-and-white pages, as well as art style heavily influenced from manga. Issue No. 34 of the "Monica Teen" comic book, presenting the first real kiss between Monica and Jimmy Five (they had already kissed in two previous occasions, but in a different context) had 500,000 sales.{{cite web |first=Rich |last=Johnston |url=http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/09/13/this-is-what-a-half-million-selling-american-comic-looks-like/ |title=This Is What A Half-Million-Selling American Comic Book Looks Like |publisher=Bleeding Cool |date=September 13, 2011 |access-date=February 28, 2012 }}

In 2012, Mauricio published a two-issue story arc in the Monica Teen comic book featuring some of Osamu Tezuka's main characters, such as Astro, Sapphire and Kimba, joining Monica and her friends in an adventure in the Amazon rainforest against a smuggling organization chopping down hundreds of trees in the jungles of the Amazon. This is the first time that Tezuka Productions has allowed overseas animators to use Tezuka's characters.{{cite web |first=Ari |last=Hirayama |url=http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/AJ201202010008 |title=Brazilian cartoonist to publish manga with Osamu Tezuka |work=Asahi Shimbun |date=February 1, 2012 |access-date=February 28, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729085553/http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/AJ201202010008 |archive-date=July 29, 2013 }} Rock Holmes, another character created by Tezuka, has featured as a villain in the story arc.

File:16 05 2018 - “Turma da Mônica e a Indústria da Defesa” (40368843820).jpg

Mauricio's public service work has earned him international recognition. Among the honors was awarded are the Brazilian presidential medal of honor for his promotion of human rights; an honorary doctorate in public service from La Roche College of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Brazilian International Press Association.

Mauricio was married to Marilene Sousa for 12 years and together they had four children; Mariângela, Mônica, Magali and Maurício Spada. Later on, while being in a relationship with Vera Lúcia Signorelli, he had two daughters named Vanda and Valéria. His relationship with Vera lasted until her death by a car accident in 1971. Two years later he married Alice Keiko Takeda, and together they had three children; Marina, Mauro and Maurício Takeda de Sousa. Mauricio’s last child was Marcelo de Sousa, who happened to be a fruit of a relationship while he and Alice were already divorced.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

Most of his children were the source of inspiration of the creation of characters such as Monica,{{Cite web |url=http://www.brazzil.com/pages/p35dec95.htm |title=BRAZZIL – News from Brazil – Monica, Cascao, Cebolinha – Mauricio de Sousa's Comics |access-date=January 24, 2008 |archive-date=June 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615151137/http://www.brazzil.com/pages/p35dec95.htm |url-status=dead }} Maggy,{{Cite web |url=http://www.monica.com.br/personag/turma/magali.htm |title=Magali at Turma da Mônica's official website |access-date=January 24, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080130161323/http://www.monica.com.br/personag/turma/magali.htm |archive-date=January 30, 2008 |url-status=dead }} Marina,[http://www.monica.com.br/ingles/mauricio/cronicas/rounding3.htm Mauricio writes...Rounding Out Marina (Part Three)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080402232833/http://www.monica.com.br/ingles/mauricio/cronicas/rounding3.htm |date=April 2, 2008 }} Mary Angela,[http://www.monica.com.br/ingles/personag/turma/ma-cebo.htm Mary Angela at Mônica’s Gang official website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621212355/http://www.monica.com.br/ingles/personag/turma/ma-cebo.htm |date=June 21, 2009 }} Nimbus,[http://www.monica.com.br/ingles/mauricio/cronicas/rounding.htm Mauricio writes...Rounding Out Nimbus (Part One)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080402232808/http://www.monica.com.br/ingles/mauricio/cronicas/rounding.htm |date=April 2, 2008 }} and Nick Nope.[http://www.monica.com.br/ingles/mauricio/cronicas/rounding2.htm Mauricio writes...Rounding Out Nick Nope (Part Two)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080402232812/http://www.monica.com.br/ingles/mauricio/cronicas/rounding2.htm |date=April 2, 2008 }} One of his sons, Maurício Spada e Sousa, died of a heart attack on May 2, 2016.{{cite web|last1=Soares|first1=Rodrigo|title=Maurício de Sousa fala sobre a morte do filho Maurício Spada|url=http://ego.globo.com/famosos/noticia/2016/05/mauricio-de-sousa-fala-sobre-morte-do-filho-mauricio-spada.html|website=Ego|publisher=Grupo Globo|access-date=May 2, 2016|location=São Paulo|language=pt|date=May 2, 2016}}

Mauricio de Sousa is portrayed by his son Mauro de Sousa in the 2025 Brazilian biographical film Mauricio de Sousa: O Filme.{{Cite web|url=https://cinebuzz.com.br/noticias/cinema/saiba-tudo-sobre-cinebiografia-de-mauricio-de-sousa-que-estreia-em-breve.phtml |title= Saiba tudo sobre a cinebiografia de Mauricio de Sousa, que estreia em breve |first=Angelo |last=Cordeiro |date=31 March 2025|website=Cinebuzz |access-date=2025-04-08 | language=pt-BR}}

Some of Mauricio's creations include:

• Monica and Friends – Mauricio's long-running signature series. Originally based on his childhood in Mogi das Cruzes and later adapting his children to be protagonists of the comics.
• Monica Adventures – Offshoot series from Monica and Friends, featuring Monica and her friends as teenagers in a manga-style publication. First published in 2008.
• Blu – Anthropomorphized domestic animals (dogs, cats, etc.). Blu regularly exchanged dialogue with the "Tracer" of the comic.
• Chuck Billy 'n' Folks – A farmer boy and his friends who live in a rural village in a city in the interior of Brazil. In 2013 it also had an offshoot series serving as an extension for Monica Teen.
• Tina's Pals – A series about a group of teenage friends, aimed at teenagers and young adults. It originally started as a children's series created in 1970 focusing on several different characters until consolidating the character Tina as the protagonist in the following years.
• Bug-a-Booo – Comic horror stories featuring a ghost (the title character, called Penadinho in the original version), a vampire, a werewolf, a mummy, and a grim reaper (Dona Morte – Lady MacDeath in the English version), all of whom lived in a cemetery.
• Lionel's Kingdom – Group of wild animals (both African and Brazilian) who lived under the reign of a lion king.
• The Cavern Clan – Starring a smart and unmarried caveman named Pitheco and his friends from the Lem village, living with dinosaurs.
• Horacio's World – An orphaned and ethical dinosaur; a tyrannosaurus who happened to be a vegetarian and also has his own gang, like most of Mauricio's creations. First published in 1963.
• The Tribe – a Native Brazilian child (Curumim in Tupi language) and his friends, who live in an Amazonian taba (village).
• Bubbly the Astronaut – A Brazilian space adventurer who pilotes a round ship (called "Astronauta" in the original version). First published in 1963.

• Boa Bola – A character created in 1964 in strips aimed more at an adult audience about a character who was often linked to the world of sports, especially football. The character was quite popular during the 60s, but was discontinued over time as Mauricio focused more on children, although he is frequently referenced in modern comics either as one of his forgotten characters or among his football-related characters.
• Niquinho – An innocent and good-hearted boy, but with immense bad luck. He was originally created in 1965 for a picture book known as "A Caixa da Bondade" (The Kindness Box) where he was originally a poor boy who ends up having his life improved by a special box.{{Cite web |date=2009-06-25 |title=A Caixa da Bondade |url=https://universohq.com/reviews/a-caixa-da-bondade/}} This book carried a different art style inspired by United Productions of America cartoons. He was adapted into newspaper strips in 1968 and published until 1971, since then he has only been referenced in modern Mônica comics as one of Mauricio de Sousa's forgotten characters.
• Nico Demo – A wicked boy with a horn-shaped hair who is known for frequently causing trouble and chaos for people, originally created as an antithesis to Niquinho in 1966. The character became known for his dark and politically incorrect humor, eventually being censored and discontinued after a certain time, although he was successful enough to gain cult status in the following years being referenced in modern Monica comics and having his strips republished in books in the 2000s.{{cite web|title=Tiras clássicas de Nico Demo e Os Sousa ganham novos volumes|url=https://universohq.com/noticias/novos-volumes-das-tiras-de-nico-demo-e-os-sousa/|website=Universo HQ|accessdate=August 9, 2024|language=Portuguese|date=March 8, 2018}}
• Os Souza – A series aimed at adult audiences about a family consisting of a childless couple whose husband is a personification of Mauricio de Sousa (with the difference that his name is written with a Z instead of an S), his wife (based on Mauricio's first wife, Marilene Sousa){{cite web|url=https://www.terra.com.br/diversao/gente/ex-de-mauricio-de-sousa-tambem-era-madrinha-do-cascao,d160399ae915a310VgnCLD200000bbcceb0aRCRD.html|title= Ex de Mauricio de Sousa também era 'madrinha do Cascão'|author= |date=February 8, 2011|publisher=Terra|accessdate=}} and having a brother named Mano who in turn was based on Mauricio de Sousa's brother. The characters were created in 1968 and had comics until they were gradually discontinued in the 80s when Mauricio began to focus more on children. However, republications of the old strips occurred in the 2000s.
• Pelezinho – A tribute to Pelé that centered around young Pelezinho ("Little Pelé") and his football playing friends. Published between 1977 and 1986. Other similar versions inspired by other Brazilian soccer players like Ronaldinho Gaucho[http://universaluclick.com/comics/strip/ronaldinhogaucho Ronaldinho Gaucho is internationally syndicated by Universal Uclick] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818094523/http://www.universaluclick.com/comics/strip/ronaldinhogaucho |date=August 18, 2011 }}, www.universaluclick.com and Neymar Jr. have also been published by Mauricio in 2006 and 2013 respectively. Only Ronaldinho Gaucho was syndicated (by Atlantic Syndication) worldwide.

• Dieguito – Following the success that Pelezinho had in the 80s, Mauricio de Sousa tried to reach an agreement with Diego Maradona to develop a comic based on Maradona's childhood also made along the lines of his other creations. However, the project was discontinued due to the numerous transfers in Maradona's career and also his controversies involving drugs and alcohol.{{cite web|title=Maradona quase entrou na Turma da Mônica, diz Mauricio de Sousa|url=https://oglobo.globo.com/cultura/maradona-quase-entrou-na-turma-da-monica-diz-mauricio-de-sousa-1-24765395|website=O Globo|accessdate=August 29, 2024|language=Portuguese|date=November 20, 2020}}
• Beatles 4 Kids – In the late 80s Mauricio felt inspired to create a project for a franchise based on The Beatles (of which Mauricio is a declared fan), redesigning them as children, with the aim of maintaining the band's legacy for future generations. Despite efforts and sketches having been made, the project ended up being vetoed and abandoned in 1990 after Mauricio was unable to reach a contract agreement with the band and Yoko Ono to develop the project on a worldwide scale.{{cite web|title=O dia em que Mauricio de Sousa criou os seus próprios Beatles|url=https://arkade.com.br/retroarkade-o-dia-em-que-mauricio-de-sousa-criou-os-seus-proprios-beatles/|website=RetroArkade|accessdate=August 29, 2024|language=Portuguese|date=October 17, 2021}}
• Ronaldinho Fenômeno – At the time of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, with the success of footballer Ronaldo, there was an attempt by Mauricio to produce a series along the lines of Pelezinho with a child version of Ronaldo as the protagonist, however, due to Ronaldo's constant contracts and transitions, the project ended up being later moved to Ronaldinho Gaúcho for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. However, the character was kept for future tributes.{{cite web|title=Maurício de Sousa faz desenho em homenagem a Ronaldo e divulga no Twitter|url=https://extra.globo.com/esporte/mauricio-de-sousa-faz-desenho-em-homenagem-ronaldo-divulga-no-twitter-1981629.html|website=Extra Globo|accessdate=October 22, 2024|language=Portuguese|date=June 7, 2011}}
• Os Amazônicos - In 2002 Mauricio felt inspired to create a new series featuring cute characters inspired by his friendship with the president of Sanrio Japan, Shintaro Tsuji.{{cite web | title=A Turma da Amazônia. | website=Turma da Mônica | url=http://turmadamonica.uol.com.br/cronicas/a-turma-da-amazonia/ | language=pt | access-date=2025-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150918045552/http://turmadamonica.uol.com.br/cronicas/a-turma-da-amazonia/ |archive-date=2015-09-18 |url-status=dead}} The characters were a couple of indigenous children (no relation to The Tribe) who lived in the Amazon Rainforest with several animals and they were supposed to debut in a series of products, however the project ended up not being carried out with the characters only being occasionally referenced among his other works.{{cite web|title=Craque Ronaldo será "irmão" da Mônica|url=https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/fsp/negocios/cn2803200402.htm|website=Folha de S.Paulo|accessdate=March 5, 2025|language=Portuguese|date=March 28, 2004}}

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20050820084308/http://www.monica.com.br/mauricio-site/ Mauricio de Sousa's website] {{in lang|pt}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060721222546/http://content.uclick.com/content/ron.html Ronaldinho Gaucho summary and sample strips]

{{Monica's Gang}}

{{Order of Cultural Merit}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sousa, Mauricio de}}

Category:1935 births

Category:Brazilian comic strip cartoonists

Category:Living people

Category:Brazilian people of Portuguese descent

Category:Brazilian journalists

Category:People from Santa Isabel, São Paulo

Category:Monica and Friends

Category:Brazilian animators

Category:Brazilian comics writers

Category:Brazilian comics artists

Category:Sports comics artists

Category:Osamu Tezuka

Category:Prêmio Angelo Agostini winners

Category:Recipients of the Grand Cross of the Order of Ipiranga