Pumby
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pumby was a Spanish comic magazine published by Editorial Valenciana between 1955 and 1984, with a total of 1,204 issues.[1]
| Editor | Editorial Valenciana |
|---|---|
| Categories | Children's comics |
| Frequency | Weekly (1958–1984) |
| Format | Comic magazine |
| Publisher | Editorial Valenciana |
| First issue | April 1955 |
| Final issue | November 1984 |
| Country | Spain |
| Based in | Valencia |
| Language | Spanish |
In addition to the comic strips featuring the eponymous character created by José Sanchis, it included many other series, most of them featuring animal protagonists, drawn by the majority of artists who also worked on Jaimito.[2]
Popular and of high quality, Pumby eventually became the leading tebeo in the Spanish children's market,[3] surpassing Hipo, Monito y Fifí and Yumbo by Ediciones Clíper.[2] Its success led to the launch of a spin-off magazine, Super Pumby (1959).[2]
Publication history
The magazine debuted in April 1955 with the subtitle Publicación Infantil (“Children’s Publication”). It measured 26 × 18 cm,[4] appeared biweekly, contained 19 pages (half in color), and sold for 2 pesetas—making it, according to comic historian Juan Antonio Ramírez, a magazine aimed at the “middle-class audience.”[2]
During its first years, it featured series such as:
| Year | Issues | Title | Author(s) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 1, 30, 32, 211, 430, 436, 437, 677 | Pumby el gatito feliz | José Sanchis | "Jaimito" |
| 1955 | 1 | Pulgarín | Karpa | |
| 1955 | 1 | Renato y Sapete | Liceras | |
| 1955 | 1 | El gatito Tom | Marten Toonder | Dutch |
| 1955 | 1 | Lanitas el pequeño osito | Marten Toonder | Dutch |
| 1955 | 1, 30 | Don Jirafito | José Sanchis | "Jaimito" |
| 1955 | 1, 30, 32, 211, 430, 436, 437, 677 | Caperucita Encarnada | Edgar | |
| 1955 | 30 | Sim y Sam | ||
| 1956 | 30, 32, 430, 437, 677 | Cangurito | Karpa | |
| 1956 | 32 | Lobito | Brocal Remohí |
By 1956 the price had risen to 2.50 pesetas.[2] On 29 July 1958 it became a weekly publication.[5]
Gradually, it incorporated new series:
| Year | Issues | Title | Author(s) | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | 211 | Perico Fantasías | Federico Amorós, Alfonso Arizmendi, Vicente Tortajada, Liceras, Karpa[6] | New |
| 1958 | El pirata Malapata y su grumete Emilín | Gustavo Alcalde Rodríguez / Cruz Delgado[7] | ||
| 1959 | 100 | La familia Conejil | Serafín | |
| 1959 | 115, 430, 436, 437, 677 | Payasete y Fu-Chinín | Palop | "Jaimito" |
| 1960 | 128, 677 | Peluca | Sifré | |
| 1960 | 130 | Centaurito | Rojas | |
| 1960 | 145 | Jimmy | Karpa | |
| 1961 | 160 | Ivanchito | Carbó | |
| 1961 | 190, 430, 436, 437, 677 | El corsario Barbudín | Grema | |
| 1962 | 235 | Diávolo, corsario de la reina | Sbatella | |
| 1962 | 235, 430, 436 | Plumita | Enrique Cerdán | |
| 1963 | 295 | Ricardín | José Sanchis | |
| 1963 | 295 | Selvita | Cerdán |
From issue no. 334 onward, the subtitle began listing the prizes received by the magazine, starting with the National Children's Magazine Award.[8]
| Year | Issues | Title | Author(s) | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 370 | La alegre tripulación del barquito Cascarón | Enrique Cerdán | |
| 1965 | 430, 436, 437 | Aventuras de Lobito Navy | Cerdán | |
| 1966 | 436, 460 | Simbad el marino | Karpa |
From issue no. 461 (1966) to no. 1203, it was published in a larger 28 × 21 cm format, with greater use of color and a higher price—likely in response to the crisis then facing the Spanish comics industry.[2]
By 1973, weekly circulation reached 40,000 copies,[9] and by 1975 it had risen to 56,000.[2]
| Date | Issues | Title | Author(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 May 1970 | 655 | El corral | Lanzón |
| 1972 | Tarzanete | Palop | |
| 24 Dec 1983 | 1185 ff. | Héctor | Chiqui de la Fuente |
The magazine ended with issue no. 1204, dated November 1984, measuring 26.5 × 18.5 cm.
Awards
Pumby received Spain's National Children’s Magazine Award in 1963, 1965, and 1975.[5]