Comic Lane is the latest addition to the urban landscape of the city of Buenos Aires. The local council decided to celebrate iconic characters that have delighted many generations of Argentineans by placing colourful fiberglass sculptures in the neighbourhood of San Telmo, mainly along Defensa, Balcarce and Chile streets. The sculptures are strategically placed so that they lead visitors to the Museo del Humor (Argentinean Comic Strip Museum – Avenida de los Italianos 851) in Puerto Madero.
Some of the beloved characters are Isidoro Cañones, a likeable playboy and jetsetter of the 1970s and one of my favourites. Mafalda, an inquisitive and opinionated girl, sits on a bench on the corner of Chile and Defensa Streets. The younger generations, like my six year old nephew, are familiar with characters like Matías, a skateboarding loving boy, and Gaturro, a cat whose unrequited love for Agata is the source of endless adventures.
As well as sculptures, renowned artists have painted murals that represent other characters or their friends. For example, across the street from the sculpture of Larguirucho, who I remember watching on black and white TV back in the seventies and eighties, there is a mural depicting the rest of the gang.
These characters are an important part of our cultural identity, each one of them represents one or more of our national traits.
This short video (in Spanish) shows Larguirucho and his friends serenading a pretty neighbour.
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