Mafalda. Everything is complicated, not childish

Mafalda – the main character of the eponymous series of short comics, or rather, comic strips (from English strip – a strip, where one horizontal row of frames is one story), created by the world-famous Argentine cartoonist Joaquín Salvador Lavado (1932–2000), better known by the pseudonym Quino.

The unusually wise and thoughtful six-year-old Mafalda has a remarkably sound view of things. She loves to ask uncomfortable questions, expresses herself clearly about everything she sees, and, to put it mildly, is puzzled as to why the modern world is arranged the way it is by the efforts of adults.

From 1964 to 1973, black-and-white comics about Mafalda were published in Argentine newspapers and magazines, as well as released in book collections that instantly became bestsellers. Mafalda became a cult character not only in Latin America but also in Europe after the release of the first Italian edition with a preface by Umberto Eco in 1969.

Today, the strips about Mafalda have been published in 26 languages with a total circulation of over 20 million copies. This is the most popular Latin American comic in the world. The clever remarks of the main character and her friends are still quoted. By 2026, the premiere of the animated series "Mafalda" based on the comics is planned on the Netflix platform.

"Mafalda. Everything is complicated, not childish" – the long-awaited first publication of Quino in Russian. This collection includes stories that will be understandable and relatable to readers of any age. In addition to classic strips from 1964–1973, it includes a special project by Quino from 1977 – "Declarations of the Rights of the Child, commented on by Mafalda and her friends for the UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund).