Rafael Barajas Durán, better known by his
pen name
A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name.
A pen na ...
("The Rubbernecker" or "The Peeper"
in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
) is a
Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
cartoonist
A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...
and illustrator who received the 1999 National Journalism Prize of Mexico for Editorial Cartooning.
The son of a schoolteacher and a psychoanalyst, Barajas was born on 1 January 1956 in
Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital and largest city of Mexico, and the most populous city in North America. One of the world's alpha cities, it is located in the Valley o ...
and graduated from the
National Autonomous University of Mexico
The National Autonomous University of Mexico ( es, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM) is a public research university in Mexico. It is consistently ranked as one of the best universities in Latin America, where it's also the bigges ...
(UNAM) in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in Architecture.
At the age of 20 he decided to become a cartoonist and eventually sent collaborations to the Sunday supplement of ''
Unomásuno
''Unomásuno'' (English: ''One Plus One'') is a Mexican daily tabloid newspaper circulated in Mexico City. Formed in 1977 by former employees of Mexico City's daily newspaper ''Excélsior'', it became one of the leading leftist newspapers in M ...
'' (1981–1984), designed covers for ''
Nexos
''Nexos'' is a cultural and political magazine in based in Mexico City, Mexico.
History and profile
''Nexos'' was founded in 1978. The founders were a group of Intellectuals headed by Héctor Aguilar Camín. The magazine modeled on the ''New Yo ...
'' magazine (1984–1986) and received a
Guggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the ar ...
(2003) to study dissenting political cartoonists in Mexico who worked between 1872 and 1910.
According to himself, Barajas is also a committed
leftist
Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...
activist who has led campaigns to support the
Zapatista rebels in
Chiapas
Chiapas (; Tzotzil language, Tzotzil and Tzeltal language, Tzeltal: ''Chyapas'' ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Chiapas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas), is one of the states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, ...
and regularly promote student involvement in politics.
He has co-directed satirical magazines such as (1994–1997) and (1997–2000)
and, since 1984, he contributes regularly to , a left-leaning newspaper published in the Mexican capital.
Books
* ("Selected Leftovers", 1987).
* ("I am being carried away by NAFTA", 1993).
* ("The Six-Years Term Makes Me Laugh", 1994).
* ("How to Survive Neoliberalism Without Failing To Be Mexican", 1996).
* ("Towards a Global Mishmash of Excellence and Quality", 2002).
* ("A Country's History in Cartoons", 2000).
* ("''
El Ahuizote''’s Country", 2005).
* ("
Crier of Icamole’s Country", 2007).
* (published in English as "How to Succeed at Globalization: A Primer for Roadside Vendors", 2005).
* ("The Mob of Independence", 2008).
* (2008).
* ("I Only Cry When It Hurts", 2009).
* ("Sweet Vendetta", 2009).
* ("The Clouds Seller", 2009, with
Elena Poniatowska
Hélène Elizabeth Louise Amélie Paula Dolores Poniatowska Amor (born May 19, 1932), known professionally as Elena Poniatowska () is a French-born Mexican journalist and author, specializing in works on social and political issues focused on th ...
).
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fisgon, El
Living people
Mexican cartoonists
National Autonomous University of Mexico alumni
1956 births
People from Mexico City