Mampato Universe - 50 Years of Entertainment and Education

At a time when there was no internet, no social media, and TVs were still a bit of a luxury, the printed press was the main source of information and entertainment for many.

As an important segment of the market, children enjoyed a variety of publications geared specially towards them, ranging from comics magazines to illustrated encyclopaedias. But in between there was a rare breed of magazines that mixed entertainment with education, and whose success was so important, it still resonates today.

That is the case “Mampato” magazine.

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the National Library has organized a charming exhibition: “Mampato Universe”. A comprehensive exhibition that includes a new contribution by previous director Isabel Allende, and never before seen material loaned by the families of the magazine’s artists and founders.

Children's magazines had been published in the Chilean market since the 1910's, with the advent of “El Peneca” magazine, which marked several generations of readers and proved that a children’s magazine could be fun, educational and profitable. But the closing of the magazine in 1960 left a gap in the market that was not easy to fill.

In 1968, the painter and illustrator Eduardo Armstrong decided to take the challenge and publish a magazine for children that would combine fun and educational material, following the basic idea of “El Peneca” but geared towards a new generation of children.

Taking the name from an old supplement from the local newspaper “EL Mercurio”, and published by Editorial Lord Cochrane, the magazine “Mampato” was born.

However, the stakes posed by “El Peneca” were high and its memory in the collective consciousness was not easy to match. Therefore, Armstrong recruited only the best artists, writers and editors he could find, assembling a star team that would create a first-class publication for children.

The success of the magazine in a market hungry for such a product was immediate. Within months of its first issue, “Mampato” tripled its print run and became a weekly magazine.

“I want to reach out to all children in Chile, and hopefully 

to children all over the world. I want “Mampato” to be the 

key to open the doors of culture and knowledge for them. 

Above all, I want to give children the values that are being lost 

in today’s world: friendship, generosity, loyalty, moral rectitude 

and patriotism, love for all things in the world, specially for mankind.”
 

-Eduardo Armstrong

Original watercolors by Eduardo Armstrong

Widening the scope of its predecessors, “Mampato” included lavishly illustrated articles on science, nature, ecology, geography, history, travel, traditions, biographies, and more, along the regular sections of stories, comics, tales and handicrafts, and it often offered competitions and educational workshops for children to participate in.

The magazine was also home to some of the most memorable characters in the Chilean comics scene: Mampato and Ogú, which would later continue a run of their own, first in the comics magazine “Cucalón” and later in their own animated series and animated film.

In its brief ten years of life, “Mampato” had several directors. After the untimely death of Eduardo Armstrong in 1973, the now famous novelist Isabel Allende took the reins of the publication for a year. She was followed by Vittorio Di Girolamo, Renzo Pecchenino (Lukas), Isabel Wachholtz and Nicolás Velasco del Campo.

Each director stamped his/her own seal on the magazine, but kept its original identity without ever sacrificing the quality of its contents or its values.

Among the magazine’s illustrious collaborators were : Cecilia Eyzaguirre, Erna Borneck, Magdalena Faludi, Miguel Arteche, Jorge Galasso, Raúl Pizarro, Luis Ruíz-Tagle and Marta Carrasco.

Original art by Lincoln Fuentes

The exhibition offers a carefully selected collection of items which are sure to delight all audiences: the adults who remember having read the magazine, and children who never did, but who are just as charmed by its characters and material as children of generations before were.

Most of the informational material is displayed in large, colorful printed boards distributed in the main hall and hallway gallery.

Attractively designed and profusely illustrated with images taken directly from the magazine, the boards are informative and easy to read, allowing the public to create their own visit experience at their own pace.

The hallway gallery holds the largest collection of informative boards, 27 of them, each one displaying selected information about the magazine: its creators and artists, its characters, sections, comics, subjects covered, etc. neatly organised in alphabetical order.

But perhaps the most attractive material in the exhibition are the original artworks created for the magazine: 28 original pieces, among sketches, concepts, watercolors, inks and comics pages from the magazine’s most renown illustrators such as Oskar Vega, Juan Cano, Manuel Cárdenas, Mario Igor, Julio Berríos, Germán Gabler, Lincoln Fuentes, Themo Lobos and Eduardo Armstrong himself, among others.

A unique opportunity to rediscover the talent of great illustrators and their art, and also learn about the process of creating an illustrated magazine.

Original artworks by Julio Berríos and Jorge Pérez Castillo

In addition to the original artworks, the exhibition also includes three video screens presenting the magazine and an interview with the magazine original creators, as well as original photographs of the staff, internal documents from the redaction, a lunch box from the 1980's (a time when the magazine had already closed, but which shows the permanence of its characters) and other memorabilia.

Original artwork by Themo Lobos

There is also a special section reserved for children to sit and colour their favourite “Mampato” characters (coloring pencils are provided), with different events for children announced through social media and the library’s web page. 

The exhibition includes a free magazine, designed in the fashion of the original “Mampato”, with information that echoes and complements that of the exhibition.

The “Mampato Universe” exhibition is a great visit for all ages, whether they’re familiar with the magazine or are just being introduced to it.

It is also a fantastic reminder of a magazine that was created with a special mystique and true love for children, with contents, values and messages that now more than ever seem relevant to recall and pass over to the next generations.

An unmissable event for the entire family!

Event: “Mampato Universe” exhibition
Dates: November 23rd, 2018 - March 1st, 2019
Location: Biblioteca Nacional. Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins #651. (Subway: Santa Lucía.)
Hours: Monday - Friday: 9am - 7pm.
Cost: Free
More Info: http://www.bibliotecanacional.gob.cl/sitio/Contenido/Noticias/88605:La-Biblioteca-Nacional-te-invita-a-visitar-el-Universo-Mampato