Rafael Barajas Durán, better known by his pen name El Fisgón ("The Rubbernecker" or "The Peeper"[1] in Spanish) is a Mexican cartoonist and illustrator who received the 1999 National Journalism Prize of Mexico for Editorial Cartooning.[2]
El Fisgón | |
|---|---|
 El Fisgón in 2009. | |
| Born | Rafael Barajas Durán 1 January 1956 |
| Nationality | Mexican |
| Alma mater | National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) |
| Awards | National Journalism Prize for Editorial Cartooning (Mexico, 1999). |
The son of a schoolteacher and a psychoanalyst, Barajas was born on 1 January 1956 in Mexico City and graduated from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in Architecture.[1][3] At the age of 20 he decided to become a cartoonist and eventually sent collaborations to the Sunday supplement of Unomásuno (1981–1984), designed covers for Nexos magazine (1984–1986) and received a Guggenheim Fellowship (2003) to study dissenting political cartoonists in Mexico who worked between 1872 and 1910.[3]
According to himself, Barajas is also a committed leftist activist who has led campaigns to support the Zapatista rebels in Chiapas and regularly promote student involvement in politics.[1] He has co-directed satirical magazines such as El Chahuistle (1994–1997) and El Chamuco y los hijos del Averno (1997–2000)[3] and, since 1984, he contributes regularly to La Jornada, a left-leaning newspaper published in the Mexican capital.[1]
Books edit
- Sobras escogidas ("Selected Leftovers", 1987).
- Me lleva el TLC ("I am being carried away by NAFTA", 1993).
- El sexenio me da risa ("The Six-Years Term Makes Me Laugh", 1994).[4]
- Cómo sobrevivir al neoliberalismo sin dejar de ser mexicano ("How to Survive Neoliberalism Without Failing To Be Mexican", 1996).
- Hacia un despiporre global de excelencia y calidad ("Towards a Global Mishmash of Excellence and Quality", 2002).
- La historia de un país en caricatura ("A Country's History in Cartoons", 2000).
- El país de El Ahuizote ("El Ahuizote’s Country", 2005).
- El país del Llorón de Icamole ("Crier of Icamole’s Country", 2007).
- Cómo triunfar en la globalización (published in English as "How to Succeed at Globalization: A Primer for Roadside Vendors", 2005).
- La bola de la Independencia ("The Mob of Independence", 2008).
- Cómo la hacen de Pemex (2008).
- Sólo me río cuando me duele ("I Only Cry When It Hurts", 2009).
- Dulce venganza ("Sweet Vendetta", 2009).
- La vendedora de nubes ("The Clouds Seller", 2009, with Elena Poniatowska).
References edit
- ^ a b c d Thompson, Ginger (18 May 2002). "His Mood Seems Mellow; His Cartoons Are Not". New York Times. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ^ "Historia de "Premio Nacional de Periodismo e Información" (1975–2001)" [History of the National Prize for Journalism and Information (1975–2001)] (in Spanish). Consejo Ciudadano del Premio Nacional de Periodismo, A.C. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
- ^ a b c "Rafael Barajas, El Fisgón" (in Spanish). Guadalajara International Book Fair. 2013. Archived from the original on 12 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ^ Standish, Peter; Bell, Steven M. (2004). Culture and Customs of Mexico. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 100. ISBN 9780313304125.
External links edit
Media related to El Fisgón at Wikimedia Commons
