‘My Ladies! My Gentlemen!’

In a comic strip narrated in the first person, which unfolds over a two page spread, the artist recounts how he conquered the readers of the well known satirical newspaper from Rio de Janeiro. In his first piece for the publication, Rafael Bordalo, in a relaxed and jovial manner, describes his voyage to Brazil, his fears and the pleasant surprises that greet him as he arrives on a new continent. He comments on the amiability of locals, the elegance of the women, and the balls, concerts and horse races. As the main character in the story, the artist appears seventeen times in caricature, ingratiating himself with readers and promising to return the following week. Aside from the quality of the illustrations, what is noteworthy is the effort made to adapt the Portuguese text to a language that could be easily understood by Brazilian readers. During the nearly four years in which he published satirical cartoons in Brazil, Rafael Bordalo went on to become the owner of the newspaper and launched another two publications, Psitt!! and O Besouro.