Fists of History
Artistic expression and cartoons of boxing as part of the essence and history of Mexican culture
Vito Alessio Robles y José Vasconcelos by Gabriel VargasMuseo del Estanquillo
Mexican humor
Mexicans have a very peculiar way of viewing the world. They are capable of perceiving death with color and beauty, or bad luck with flashes of humor. It is no surprise then that cartoons are part of our daily lives.
Marcel Cerdán by Rafael FreyreMuseo del Estanquillo
Humorous portraits
Cartoons have been everything: comments on political life, vestiges of humor from a century ago, and even tributes and repudiations to the figures of our history. Sports have not escaped satirical treatment by the agile pens of humor.
Luis Villanueva Páramo, Kid Azteca by CAMMuseo del Estanquillo
Legendary artists
The pens of several cartoonists, including the legendary Gabriel Vargas, produced portraits of one of the most beloved sports among Mexicans nationwide: boxing.
Luis Villanueva Páramo, Kid Azteca by No identificadoMuseo del Estanquillo
Everyday boxing
With exaggerated facial elements or funny situations, the chroniclers, each with their own aesthetic, portrayed boxing personalities and events, giving us a kaleidoscope of laughter and vestiges of what boxing means in the lives of Mexicans.
In the words of Carlos Monsiváis
"For most of the century, boxing was pure sport and pure psychology and pure sociology, the realm of poor young men with abilities, of kids overflowing with short-term courage and lacking long-term will."
Portada de Revista de Revistas (1931-10-18) by Ernesto García CabralMuseo del Estanquillo
Printed vestiges
Boxing is present in everyday life. Its relevance and interest in its occurrences are such that several covers of the 'Revista de Revistas, El Semanario Nacional' ('Magazine of Magazines, The National Weekly') were dedicated to the ring.
Words for the audience
And although, as Monsiváis would say: "Not everyone lived in the stream, but the stream was the favorite metaphor of those who saw, on the outskirts of the gyms, the atrophied beings who were hallucinatory promises."
¡Vencedor! (1925-03-15) by Ernesto García CabralMuseo del Estanquillo
Characters of humor
Heroes, villains, triumphs, failures, and countless other themes were witnessed by the fervent public and portrayed by talented artists on the covers of the weekly magazine that narrated the life of modern Mexico and the world of sports from the era of Don Porfirio in 1910 onwards.
El campeón victorioso (1921-01-02) by Ernesto García CabralMuseo del Estanquillo
Framed moments
The muscles, expressions, movements, and even humor of boxing reached the press and newspaper stands in cover illustrations. These were full of colors and contrasts typical of Mexico, showing us a perfect picture of Mexican boxing.
José Stalin by Rafael FreyreMuseo del Estanquillo
But the covers weren't everything
Harry Wills la pantera negra y Luis Ángel Firpo by Ernesto García CabralMuseo del Estanquillo
Drawings that marked eras
In a time before television broadcasts, the Semanario showed us with mischief, talent, and pencil the moments that took place in the boxing arenas of Mexico City.
No Title (1935) by Ernesto García CabralMuseo del Estanquillo
History written in ink
The magazine and the cartoons have been a fundamental part of Mexico's history, capturing in ink not only the history of boxing but also its key personalities.
El campeón victorioso (1921-01-02) by Ernesto García CabralMuseo del Estanquillo
Cartoons, covers, and boxing:
A retelling of the history of Mexican boxing written with humor and wit.
This story was made with support and collaboration from Museo del Estanquillo.
