ABSTRACT
An immensely popular tradition in Mexico, comics date back at least to the José Guadalupe Posada era of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and have only grown in popularity since the 1940s. Unlike in the United States, where comic books featuring superheroes are targeted primarily to young males, Mexican historietas feature middle- and working-class protagonists, deal with the stories of their daily lives, and appeal to a much broader audience. Their popularity cuts across lines of region, age, gender, and class. As late as 1990, eight of the top ten periodicals in Mexico were comic books. Eduardo del Rio expressed interest in a range of issues and sought, through comics and simple text, to reach a broad audience. Eduardo del Rio, born in 1934, known by his pen name Rius, is one of the most popular cartoonists in Mexico.
