Pumby (magazine)

'Pumby'
EditorEditorial Valenciana
CategoriesChildren's comics
FrequencyWeekly (1958–1984)
FormatComic magazine
PublisherEditorial Valenciana
First issueApril 1955
Final issueNovember 1984
CountrySpain
Based inValencia
LanguageSpanish

Pumby was a Spanish comic magazine published by Editorial Valenciana between 1955 and 1984, with a total of 1,204 issues.[1]

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]

Reception

According to Juan Antonio Ramírez, Pumby was a high-quality magazine capable of standing as a true alternative to the dominance of Disney.[2]

References

  1. ^ Porcel Torrens, Pedro (2002). Clásicos en Jauja: La historia del tebeo valenciano. Alicante: Edicions de Ponent. ISBN 84-89929-38-6, pp. 198–199 (“La revista Pumby fue editada por Editorial Valenciana entre 1955 y 1984, alcanzando los 1.204 números.”).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Ramírez (December 1975), pp. 47–49.
  3. ^ Porcel (1992), p. 161.
  4. ^ Delhom (1998), p. 91.
  5. ^ a b Cuadrado (2000), p. 1032.
  6. ^ Cuadrado (2000), pp. 71–72.
  7. ^ Cuadrado (2000), p. 24.
  8. ^ Porcel Torrens, Pedro (2002). Clásicos en Jauja: La historia del tebeo valenciano. Alicante: Edicions de Ponent. ISBN 84-89929-38-6, p. 200 (“A partir del número 334, el subtítulo de la revista comenzó a mencionar los distintos premios obtenidos, siendo el primero el Premio Nacional de Revista para Niños.”).
  9. ^ Dirección General de Prensa (1973). Catálogo de Publicaciones Infantiles y Juveniles. Madrid. Cited in Porcel (2002), p. 311.

Bibliography

  • Porcel, Andrés; Porcel, Pedro (1992). "Pumby y José Sanchís". Historia del tebeo valenciano. Valencia: Prensa Valenciana. pp. 161–180. ISBN 84-87502-23-7.
  • Cuadrado, Jesús (2000). Atlas español de la cultura popular: De la historieta y su uso 1873–2000. Madrid: Ediciones Sinsentido / Fundación Germán Sánchez Ruipérez. 2 vols. ISBN 84-89384-23-1.
  • Delhom, José María (1989). Catálogo del tebeo en España. 1865/1980. Barcelona: Círculo de Amigos del Cómic y el Coleccionismo.
  • Porcel Torrens, Pedro (2002). Clásicos en Jauja. La historia del tebeo valenciano. Alicante: Edicions de Ponent. ISBN 84-89929-38-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  • Ramírez, Juan Antonio (December 1975). La historieta cómica de postguerra. Madrid: Editorial Cuadernos para el Diálogo, Memoria y Comunicación series. Legal deposit M. 38.325 – 1975. ISBN 84–6010–9.