Te Quiero, Mafaldaaa!!! :D

Okay, I've just found my old article about Mafalda. Hahaha. I wrote this article to apply for somewhat job I neve really expect. And to be honest, this article is one of the crappiest articles I've ever made. Damn. I could have done it better when I was still a college student. xD

Anyway, since I love Mafalda very much, I still want to post this. I hope people will be interested in reading Mafalda after reading this crap. xD

Bienvenidos, Mafalda!

Step aside, Disney princesses and Sailor Moon. Give it up for Mafalda, a witty little girl who is ready to become a new heroine for Indonesian children. The comic strip written by Quino in the 1960’s is now available in Bahasa Indonesia, published by KPG (Kepustakaan Populer Gramedia). This Argentinean comic will give children a different point of view about the world, but still, in a childlike way.

Mafalda Who?

Mafalda is depicted as a 5-year-old girl, living in 1960’s, where the world was dominated by the cold-war issues. Mafalda is really concerned about the condition of the world. Everyday, she listens to the radio and watches TV. She keeps up to date about what’s going on in the world. Unlike other girls in her age, she’s interested in the conflict between United States and Soviet Union, how communism affected the world, hunger and poverty in third world countries, what nuclear would give to the world, and The Beatles songs. However, it doesn’t mean Mafalda would see those things as an adult sees it. She, after all, is still a child. She thinks that the reason why countries in the world fight each other is not because of political differences. Instead, she considers it as the impact of different time areas. Thus, when people in America are sleeping, other people in China are staying awake. By not sharing the same activity, it is difficult for them to understand each other. Mafalda’s ideas represent that sometimes children could see the world in a simpler yet more meaningful way, compared to adults.

Mafalda’s concern for the world is also shown by her future dreams. She would like to be an interpreter for U.N. delegation and accommodate the problems between countries. It’s a very wonderful dream for a very young girl. She also treats her “globe” as her best friend by giving it a thermometer and a cream when she thought the globe was ill and talking to the globe once in a while. Despite of her concern about the catastrophic world, she’s still a child who hates soup and doesn’t like to go back to school after a long holiday. She is still a kid, after all, just like other children in the world.

Mafalda’s Friends

Mafalda is not the only spotlight of the story. She also has some great friends. Susanita, fellow Beatlemania, always dreams to be a dedicated mother and housewife. Manolito, a son of a shop owner, always wants to be a successful businessman. Felipe, a dreamer, always wants to be the Lone Ranger, his favourite hero character. Miguelito, a son of Italian immigrant, always seems to be the most innocent one among all of his friends. Each of the children has his/her own dreams and attitude. They are the representation of today’s children who have different dreams and goals, but still could get along each other.

Why Mafalda?

Why introduce Mafalda to our children? That’s the question. Aren’t children supposed to only watch happiness and things that are not too complicated? Well, we all hope so. But in fact, Indonesian children today are also facing what Mafalda and her friends dealt with in 1960’s. It is no wonder that they have to see unpleasant news on TV and feel that the world is in critical condition. But unlike Mafalda, most children are not “aware” of this condition. Mafalda doesn’t only offer children cute pictures and funny jokes; the comic also encourages young children to care about the social situation around. The comic could also be an input for parents and adults to be aware of the future of their children; what they will be years later if the world can’t survive in dealing with the difficulties it is facing (globalization, climate change, natural disasters, conflicts between countries, etc). Basically, this comic is meant to make all of us realize that we have to do something to save the earth from unexpected unfortunate events in the future. And Mafalda and other children in the world don’t like this kind of situation. You wouldn’t want to see children today grow up by fighting each other, neglecting their environment, and losing their “human” sense toward each other. Children are also parts of the world. They are also parts of the future. They need to be saved. (Rima)