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Mort & Phil

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Mort & Phil (Mortadelo y Filemón in Spanish) is a Spanish comics series designed in 1958 by Francisco Ibáñez. It's one of the most popular comics in Spain.

Its first title was Mortadelo y Filemón: Agencia de Información. It was just the main characters. Every comics strip had from one to four pages. Throughout the years, the characters have evolved. At first, Mortadelo used to wear a bowler hat. He used to wear some disguises. He was known for his shapeshifter abilities. However Ibáñez went to leave the hat on therefore Mortadelo get disguise inmmediately.[1] The other one, Filemón, called by Mortadelo as "Jefe" (Chief or Boss in English) had a beaked nose and use to smoke pipe as Sherlock Holmes used to do.

Their names are wordplay. For example: Mortadelo comes from Mortadela ("Mortadella di Bologna") and Filemón from Filete ("Steak").[2][3]

In 1969, Ibáñez designed more characters. He also "founded" the TIA. The Técnicos de Investigación Aeroterráquea: "Aeroterrestrial Investigation Technicians") is an organisation that is a spoof on the CIA. With those changes, the comics books were much longer (44-48 pages by comic book).[4]

These editions were more satirical in regard to Spanish and international themes such as politics and political corruption (El atasco de influencias), ETA's terrorism (Barcelona '92) where the terrorist group were named as "TETA" ("TITS"), and "PEPA" in España '82, and the islamic one (Terroristas or El balón catastrófico) or economics (¡Llegó el Euro!) among others.[5]

Background

At first the characters were portrayed as a parody version of Arthur Conan Doyle's characters: Sherlock Holmes (Filemón) and Dr. Watson (Mortadelo).[6][7] Later, others sources pointed to Novísimas aventuras de Sherlock Holmes by Enrique Jardiel Poncela or Laurel and Hardy. The comics books are known for its slapstick comedy. It is not unusual to see the characters being injuried or hurt. They have caused several accidents. For example, falling from a fifth floor window and staying alive.[8]

35th Anniversary

Further information: September 11 attacks

Is often enough to see own Ibáñez breaking the fourth wall when he's designed by himself. In 1992 was the 35th Mort and Phil's anniversary, so he made an special edition tittled El 35 aniversario. In it, Ibáñez explained how was his childhood and his career went when began to work in Ediciones Bruguera (nowadays: Ediciones B), Barcelona, Spain. He explained it with a burlesque point of view. He also told how Mortadelo and Filemón met each other.

That edition had a huge success among its fans. It was not until 2001, a few days after the September 11 terrorist attacks that the last page (and vignette) called the readers attention to the tragedy. It was noted also in television media, because in the vignette's background (a common gag made by Ibáñez in all his works) there was a plane that crashed into the World Trade Center, in New York, in the United States.

Since its official website stated "that scene was designed as it and it wasn't retouched". Regarding the attacks: "it was a tragical coincidence".[9]

Characters

 
Mort and Phil's graffiti in A Coruña, Spain
  • Mort (Mortadelo): He's tall and bald. When he was young he had a long hair, but lost it after tested an experimental growning-hair made by Pr. Bacterio. However was bald already on the first stories. Since that "incident", Mortadelo became to have hard feelings about him, even got burn Bacterio's beard with a blowtorch as "prank" (i. e. vengenace). He's also known as "Master of Disguises" cause his ability for disguising for every situation.
  • Phil (Filemón) As Mortadelo, he's bald too, but has two hairs.[10] He's called "Chief" by Mortadelo. He's known by his temperamental way, specially when is victim by his subordinate's mistakes. Despite this, both are good friends.
  • Superintendente Vicente or Super: He's their boss and TIA's supervisor and General Director's subordinate. He's dress always a blue jacket. He's an overweighted person with a huge moustache, those characteristics make him target of all pranks and mockeries from his employees, specially Mortadelo and Filemón, whom called him as a "walrus". As Filemón does, he has (inclusive much) a huge bad temperament. He just to appear in several surrealist gags when he tries to take his agents back when they runaway, for example: Antartica.
  • Pr. Bacterio: He's the TIA's scientist. He's known by his huge black beard that arrive until his chest. He's negligent at his work due all his inventions fails or makes disasters. Bacterio is an other gag of the series due to Mortadelo and Filemon runaway to him or he is catch of they pranks or assaults. His name comes from "Bacteria"
  • Mrs. Irma (Srta Irma): She was the second secretary. Her first appear was in 1987 in Terroristas as a supervisor in an anti-terrorist missión where Mortadelo and Filemon were members in order to arrest an islamic cell whom pretend help their member to scape after a failed attack against US Embassy. Irma is Ophelia's opposite: she is fit and atractive. These characteristics makes the male agents lost their minds for her, specially Mortadelo and Filemon. In response, Ofelia gets jealous sometimes. Regardless this, they have been good friends due she can able to hold off the agents. This character was based on the publisher's (of the German edition) secretary who died in 1990,[11] therefore Irma was "retired" as her mourning, although she reappeared in the 2014 movie.[12]

Adaptations

Movies

Title (year) Mort Phil Superintendente
Vicente		 Pr. Bacterio Ofelia Irma
El armario del tiempo (1971) Víctor Ramírez (voice) José Martínez Blanco (voice)
Mortadelo & Filemon: The Big Adventure (2003) Benito Pocino[13] Pepe Viyuela[14] Mariano Venancio Janfri Topera Berta Ojea
Mission: Save the Planet (2008) Edu Soto[15][16] Pepe Viyuela Mariano Venancio Janfri Topera Berta Ojea
Mortadelo & Filemon: Mission Implausible (2014)[17] Karra Elejalde (voice) Janfri Topera (voice) Mariano Venancio (voice) Enrique Villén (voice) Berta Ojea (voice) Athenea Mata (voice)

TV Series

Title (year) Mort Phil Superintendente
Vicente		 Pr. Bacterio Ofelia Irma
Mortadelo y Filemón: Agencia de Información (1966) Víctor Ramírez (voice)[18][19][20] José Martínez Blanco (voice)[18][19][21]
Mort & Phil (1994) Enric Cusí (voice)[22] Xavier Martín (voice)[23] Miguel Ángel Jenner (voice) Emilio Freixas (voice) Rosa Pastó (voice) Alicia Laorden (voice)

Further reading

  • DE LA CRUZ PÉREZ, Fernando Javier. Los cómics de Francisco Ibáñez. Ediciones de la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha Cuenca, 2008. ISBN 978-84-8427-600-5
  • FERNÁNDEZ SOTO, Miguel. El mundo de Mortadelo y Filemón. Medialive Content, 2008. ISBN 978-84-92506-29-3
  • GUIRAL, Antoni. El gran libro de Mortadelo y Filemón: 50 aniversario. Ediciones B. ISBN 978-84-666-3092-4
  • Interviews Amaníaco: By Vázquez

Mort & Phil Media

References

  1. ↑ (in Spanish) Testimonios - Declaraciones de autores y otros profesionales que han pasado por la Editorial Bruguera. 1993. http://seronoser.free.fr/bruguera/entrevistavazquezamaniaco.htm. Retrieved 7 December 2010 
  2. ↑ (in Spanish) 40 años de Mortadelo. 7 December 2010. http://www.elmundo.es/magazine/num141/textos/morta1.html 
  3. ↑ (in Spanish) Francisco Ibáñez. 22 June 2005. http://www.elmundo.es/encuentros/invitados/2005/06/1618. Retrieved 7 December 2010 
  4. ↑ (in Spanish) Mortadelo y Filemón. Un poquitín de historia. 24 May 2012. http://www.mortadeloyfilemon.com/personajes/historia.asp 
  5. ↑ Mortadelo y los políticos de tebeo,(in Spanish) El Mundo.es.
  6. ↑ sandalio.com Mortadelo y Filemón, personajes que más han triunfado (in Spanish)
  7. ↑ (in Spanish) El mundo de Mortadelo y Filemón. 7 December 2010. http://www.dolmeneditorial.com/el-mundo-de-mortadelo-y-filemon/ 
  8. ↑ (in Spanish) Lo que el “Viento” se dejó (1980). 24 May 2012. http://seronoser.free.fr/bruguera/loqueelvientosedejo.htm 
  9. ↑ (in Spanish) Ni Nostradamus ni ná. 7 December 2010. http://www.guai.com/gemelas/montadelotorres.htm 
  10. ↑ De la Cruz Pérez, Fernando Javier en Los cómics de Francisco Ibáñez, p. 90.
  11. ↑ 1985-1990 Etapa negra (in Spanish), La Página no Oficial de Mortadelo y Filemón - Hemeroteca.
  12. ↑ Hoy se estrena la película ‘Mortadelo y Filemón contra Jimmy el Cachondo’ (in Spanish), Combo Gamer.
  13. ↑ Un tipo con poco pelo, clavadito a Mortadelo. 22 October 2011. http://www.decine21.com/peliculas/La-gran-aventura-de-Mortadelo-y-Filemon-1637  (in Spanish)
  14. ↑ Entrevista a Pepe Viyuela. Corra, jefe, corra (in español). 14 March 2010. p. 1. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  15. ↑ "- EL MUNDO | Suplemento cronica 642 - La verdad oculta del verdadero mortadelo". www.elmundo.es. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  16. ↑ Crítica de Mortadelo y Filemón. Misión: salvar la Tierra. 23 December 2011. http://www.labutaca.net/films/54/mortadeloyfilemon21.htm  (in Spanish)
  17. ↑ ‘Mortadelo and Filemon: Mission Implausible’ (‘Mortadelo and Filemon contra Jimmy el Cachondo’): Film Review, The Hollywood Reporter.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Doblaje del Festival de Mortadelo y Filemón. 22 October 2011. http://www.eldoblaje.com/datos/FichaPelicula.asp?id=2246  (in Spanish)
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Doblaje del Segundo festival de Mortadelo y Filemón. 22 October 2011. http://www.eldoblaje.com/datos/FichaPelicula.asp?id=2247  (in Spanish)
  20. ↑ Doblaje de El armario del tiempo. 22 October 2011. http://www.eldoblaje.com/datos/FichaPelicula.asp?id=640  (in Spanish)
  21. ↑ Doblaje de El armario del tiempo. 22 October 2011. http://www.eldoblaje.com/datos/FichaPelicula.asp?id=640 
  22. ↑ Doblaje de Mortadelo y Filemón. 22 October 2011. http://www.eldoblaje.com/datos/FichaPelicula.asp?id=4304  (in Spanish)
  23. ↑ Doblaje de Mortadelo y Filemón. 22 October 2011. http://www.eldoblaje.com/datos/FichaPelicula.asp?id=4304 

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