Monica's gang gets new characters and more adventures

Issue # 45 of the Monica Gang magazine officially introduces the new Monica Gang character: Milena. The news hits the newsstands by Panini publisher - with versions in Portuguese, Spanish and English - and happens precisely on the 60th anniversary of the first publication of Mauricio de Sousa in the newspaper Folha da Manhã, in 1959.

The news had already been told to the public firsthand by the end of 2017, when the new character was presented live to participants of the Donas da Rua Race, an event that reinforced women's empowerment in Sao Paulo. Since then, she was attending events with the Brazil class, but now Milena and her family finally make it to the comics.

Highlighted on the cover of the January edition, the new neighbors of Rua do Limeiro will get along very well with the neighborhood residents and certainly participate in many adventures together. The script is by Rafael Calça, who was successful with the partnership with designer Jefferson Costa on the graphic MSP “Jeremiah - Pele”.

The family is made up of five members: mother Silvia, who is a veterinarian; Renato's father, publicist; and the couple's three sons, Solange, Milena and Fabinho. The oldest girl is Solange, or Sol, is 17 and is the lead singer of a garage band. Milena, the middle sister, is 7 years old, is full of personality, loves soccer, playing the piano and will get along well with Monica, Magali and Marina. The youngest of the family is Fabinho, or Binho for the intimate. With only 5 years and a lot of creativity and energy, he and Dudu, Magali's cousin, will form a pair at least explosive through the neighborhood.

According to the designer Mauricio de Sousa, father of Monica's Gang, the family took a long time to get out of the paper. “We have studied raising a black family for many years. But it is not easy to launch new characters, as they depend on a family montage study, each with its own visual characteristics and, above all, personality, ”he explains and adds:“ Welcome to Rua do Limoeiro, Milena and its family!".

Milena was not introduced during the Street Donas Race by chance. The project is led by Executive Director Mônica Sousa and has the support of UN Women to increase female representation.

It is crucial that black girls and boys can recognize each other in comics, cartoons and shows. Our characters can contribute to this.

"It is crucial that girls and black boys can recognize each other in comics, cartoons and shows. Our characters can contribute to this, " says Mônica Sousa, who thanks the contribution and support of many people in this trajectory: thank French executive, communicator and former consul Alexandra Loras, journalist, entrepreneur and content creator Monique Evelle, youtuber Nátaly Neri, from Afros and Afins, ”says the executive.