The comics magazine Cabrochico and the cultural debates for the construction of the “Chilean way to socialism” (1971-1972)

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze the role played by culture in the socialist government of Unidad Popular (UP) in Chile (1970-1973), highlighting some initiatives proposed by Allende’s government, which involved children’s universe, in a real struggle for their hearts and minds – and the nationalization of the Zig-Zag publishing house, from then on called Quimantú, moves in this direction. From there, a publishing revolution started with the publication of many books and advertising materials, with high runs and very low cost. It also stimulates the release of comic books connected with the ideas of the UP – among them, Cabrochico, the subject of this article. Cabrochico’s attempt to demystify the contents that were previously presented for children, which also connected with the conclusions drawn by Ariel Dorfman and Armand Mattelart in Para Leer al Pato Donald (1971), however, was not so well received by Chileans: complaints and editorial changes began and, fi nally, the closing end of the magazine in December 1972. We seek to analyze here some of the comics published by Cabrochico, with emphasis on its adaptations of popular fairy tales, whose plots were modified in order to show the bourgeois contradictions which would be present in them as well as introduce their readers to some brand new values, closer to the socialist ideals. We try to emphasize here some of the limits and possibilities present in the Cabrochico project and raise some issues to be developed in subsequent reflections.

Key words: comics (Unidad Popular), Quimantú, Cabrochico.