Editing Monica and Friends (section)

== Publication history ==
Maurício de Sousa, then-reporter for [[Folha da Manhã]], in 1959, decided to enter the field of comics hitherto disputed in the country.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://turmadamonica.com.br/|title=MSP - Mauricio de Sousa Produções|website=MSP - Mauricio de Sousa Produções|access-date=2021-11-06|archive-date=2013-07-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729042043/http://msp@turmadamonica.com.br/|url-status=live}}</ref> In the same year made his first characters [[Blu (comic strip character)|Blu]] and [[List of Monica's Gang characters#Minor characters|Franklin]], and decided that Blu would be the protagonist.<ref name="auto" /> Both were based on his own childhood, Franklin based on Maurício himself and Blu on his pet dog Cuíca.<ref name="auto" /> The main inspirations of ''Monica and Friends'' were through American comics like ''[[Peanuts]]'' and ''[[Little Lulu]]'', which have inspired some recurring themes like the boys' club. In the following year of 1960, the characters gained ground through the children's magazine ''Zaz Traz'' by publisher Editora Outubro, later getting their own comic titled ''Bidu'' by Editora Continental. However, the magazines were canceled that same year.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.planetagibi.net/2009/07/todos-os-gibis-da-turma-pre-historia.html |title=Todos os gibis da turma: pré-história |access-date=2014-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150927065940/http://www.planetagibi.net/2009/07/todos-os-gibis-da-turma-pre-historia.html |archive-date=2015-09-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

After that the characters returned to newspaper strips, the character [[Jimmy Five]] which had won great popularity in the previous magazines has become protagonist of their own strips of newspaper next to Blu and Franklin in 1961. Seeing potential in the character, Mauricio went on to create several supporting characters to appear in the Jimmy Five strips, like [[Smudge (Monica's Gang)|Smudge]] and Specs. But after so long Maurício received a complaint for the lack of feminine characters in his comics.<ref name="auto"/> So to avoid further controversy, in 1963 Monica was created, initially as a supporting character in the Jimmy Five strips (at first as the Specs' little sister) based on Mauricio's real daughter Mônica Sousa.<ref name="auto"/> Over time, the success and the charisma of the character made her be the protagonist of the series alongside Jimmy Five which became her [[sidekick]]. Also in 1963, Mauricio began to create new projects of comic strips with other characters without links with Monica and Jimmy Five, like ''Zezinho and Hiroshi'' (now called [[Chuck Billy 'n' Folks]]), ''[[The Cavern Clan]]'', ''[[Bug-a-Booo]]'', ''[[The Tribe (Monica's Gang)|The Tribe]]'' and ''Raposão'' (now called [[Lionel's Kingdom]]).

[[File:Monica's gang cover issue 1.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Cover of the first edition of Monica and Friends launched in 1970.]]
The characters only returned to be published in a monthly comic book from 1970, by publisher [[Editora Abril|Abril]], initially under the title of "Mônica e Sua Turma" (Monica and Her Gang), later being changed to "Mônica" and "Turma da Mônica" (Monica's Gang), the latter title used only for [[merchandising]]. With so many of the characters ever created by Mauricio in strips of newspaper also began to appear in the comics of Monica's Gang. At that time the area of comics was more competitive in Brazil, many Brazilian artists were trying to hold his own in the stalls along the publications of American comics like [[Donald Duck]], [[José Carioca]], [[Little Lulu]], and many others. Even with these new comics, Monica's Gang remained with their good sales on newsstands and with this soon came to the [[Jimmy Five]]'s solo comic book three years later. Sales were great and with that a contract with the footballer [[Pelé]] was made for the launch of a character based on him, the ''[[:pt:Turma do Pelezinho|Pelezinho]]'', which was a phenomenon among children at the time, marking time in the history of Brazilian comics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.universohq.com/quadrinhos/2007/Pelezinho.cfm|title=Pelezinho: a história de um craque dos gibis|work=Universo HQ|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070428114110/http://www.universohq.com/quadrinhos/2007/Pelezinho.cfm|archive-date=2007-04-28}}</ref> Pelezinho was one of the few black characters made by Maurício, and his design wasn't the most flattering to the black community, with a pale colored circle around the character's mouth to represent his lips, a concept made infamous by the [[black face]] depiction of African people. In late 2013, however, Pelezinho's design was updated to reflect more modern sensibilities.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-12-12 |title=MSP muda o visual do Pelezinho |url=https://universohq.com/noticias/msp-muda-o-visual-pelezinho/ |access-date=2022-07-14 |website=UNIVERSO HQ |language=pt-br |archive-date=2022-07-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714160218/https://universohq.com/noticias/msp-muda-o-visual-pelezinho/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The staff of cartoonists has grown, leading to the foundation of the [[Maurício de Sousa|Estúdios Maurício de Sousa]], that produce comics with the characters created by Mauricio de Sousa, and other marketing projects and [[cartoon]]s of the characters. The first attempts to make a [[Monica's Gang (TV series)|Monica and Friends cartoon]] occurred in the late 60s during a deal with [[:pt:Companhia Industrial de Conservas Alimentícias|Cica]] food company that produced some commercials for television,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.propagandashistoricas.com.br/2013/04/pure-de-tomate-cica-turma-da-monica.html|title=Purê de Tomate Cica (Turma da Mônica) - Anos 70|date=April 2013|publisher=Propagandas Históricas|access-date=2014-09-01|archive-date=2014-05-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527215133/http://www.propagandashistoricas.com.br/2013/04/pure-de-tomate-cica-turma-da-monica.html|url-status=live}}</ref> these being commercial who originated the character Thunder, who is currently a main character of the [[Lionel's Kingdom]] stories. The first film was only released in 1982, [[:pt:As Aventuras da Turma da Mônica|''As Aventuras da Turma da Mônica'']] which was produced in partnership with ''Black & White & Color'' and distributed by [[Embrafilme]].

Over the years, other characters gained their own comic books, like [[Smudge (Monica and Friends)|Smudge]] (1982), [[Chuck Billy 'n' Folks|Chuck Billy]] (1982) and [[Maggy (Monica's Gang)|Maggy]] (1989). Other media have strengthened over the years and Monica-branded merchandise were launched, with products like books, toys, discs, CD-ROM and video games. A Monica-themed amusement park was created in 1993 in São Paulo, titled "Parque da Mônica" (Monica Park).<ref name="guiaf">{{cite web|url=http://guia.folha.com.br/crianca/ult10047u694131.shtml|title=Parque da Mônica, sucesso dos anos 90, encerra atividades|date=2010-02-16|work=Guia da Folha Online|access-date=2010-02-16|archive-date=2010-02-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100219020758/http://guia.folha.com.br/crianca/ult10047u694131.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008 the franchise received a manga-style comic entitled [[Monica Teen]].<ref name="esp">{{cite web|url=http://www.estadao.com.br/arteelazer/not_art214656,0.htm|title=Personagens da Turma da Mônica 'crescem' e viram mangá|publisher=[[O Estado de S. Paulo]]|date=2008-07-30|access-date=2014-02-14|archive-date=2009-03-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309030340/http://www.estadao.com.br/arteelazer/not_art214656,0.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>