Monica and Friends | |
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Cover of the first issue of Monica's Gang in English by Panini | |
Publication information | |
Publisher |
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Schedule | Monthly |
Format | |
Genre | Children Comedy Parody Adventure Fantasy Science-fiction |
Publication date | 1959–present (as comic strip) 1970–present (as comic book) |
Main character(s) | Monica (Mônica)
Jimmy Five (Cebolinha) Smudge (Cascão) Maggy (Magali)
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Creative team | |
Created by | Mauricio de Sousa |
Monica and Friends (Portuguese: Turma da Mônica), previously published as Monica's Gang in Anglophone territories, and as Frizz and Friends in London,[1] is a Brazilian comic book series and media franchise created by Mauricio de Sousa.
The series originated in a newspaper comic strip, in which the protagonists were Blu (Bidu) and Franklin (Franjinha), launched by the newspaper Folha da Manhã in 1959.[2] As the series continued, the central characters became Jimmy Five (Cebolinha) and Monica (Mônica), both of whom began to appear in eponymous series in addition to the renamed Monica’s Gang (Turma da Mônica). The English title of the series was later changed to Monica and Friends. The characters and comics were subsequently adapted into, among other media, an animated television series; as well as films, most of which are anthologies.[3]
The stories revolve around the adventures of Monica and her friends in the fictional Lemon Tree Street (Rua do Limoeiro), inspired by the neighborhood of Cambuí in Campinas and the city of Mogi das Cruzes, where de Sousa spent his childhood.[4] The Monica and Friends umbrella title also encompasses Chuck Billy 'n' Folks, Tina's Pals, Lionel's Kingdom and Bug-a-Booo, among other series.
Monica and Friends was previously published by Abril and Globo and has been published by Panini Comics since 2007. In 2008, a spin-off series, Monica Teen, was created in a manga style and features the characters as teenagers.
Monica is considered the most well-known comic book character in Brazil. In 2015 alone, the characters were used on three million products for over 150 companies.[5] Nowadays the comics are sold in 40 countries in 14 languages.[6]