Chronicler of the day-to-dayness

National
Always was inventing personages and words
Chronicler of the day-to-dayness
By: Carlos Damian August 1, 2010
Su obra es un clásico de la modernidad
México. – Gabriel Vargas (GV) the creator of the tales saga “La Familia Burrón”, expired this Tuesday to 7:31 of the tomorrow by natural causes to 95 years old. For more than 70 years narrated the jocular disagreements and reencounters of a family of fifth courtyard that they were at the same time a chronicle intimate and daily of a Mexico popular, that an extraordinary linguistic summary and a social critique.

The humanist Alfonso Reyes expressed in his moment that Gabriel Vargas was just one Mexican story writer that was deserving to occupy a site in the Academy of the language: "He has registered as nobody the drafts of the popular speech, and not only that, but as of there it has invented phrases that they have been returned of the public dominance". Nevertheless the recognition that many were yielding to him, "was a simple man; that was making it in a day, tomorrow no longer did like to him. Many times he was commenting: "why they make me homage, if I nothing else work, and already."

From child was distinguished by his intelligence and powers to draw. A sample of this, noted Guadalupe Lopez Zavala, it was when being in sixth year of primary school participated in the contest of the Day of the Traffic. "Gabriel Vargas accomplished a work about the Metropolitan Cathedral; he’s not made it as were ordering it the bases, but in a complete paper sheet that mediates a meter of high by 80 centimeters of broad, by two and middle of long, accomplished in Chinese ink. The talent and the drawing of GV, then 13-year-old, let so impress to its teachers that carried it to be interviewed with the Public Education executive, Alfonso Pruneda, who offered to him a scholarship to study in France.

A generous man. To the enthusiastic adolescent " they transacted to him the passport, bought to him adequate clothes; he sought information about Paris, but already next the date of the departure, he abandoned the project so as not to be separated from his mother, and on the other hand, said to Pruneda, that give to him a recommendation to enter to work to the newspaper Excelsior as drawing". He in 1931 entered that newspaper as illustrative, with a salary of three pesos. To 17 years made it chief of the drawing department, "by efficiency, not by “escalate” as becoming accustomed in the cooperative".

That would be the beginning of his creativity. His first tale would be la vida de Cristo, "though lasted little, because were times that was prisoner by the law to make drawings or religious nature propaganda". Would Caballero Rojo, Frank Piernas Muertas, la vida de Pancho Villa, Sherlock Holmes, Virola y Pitola. Vargas in 1938, created Los Superlocos, the central personage of the tale was sir Jilemón Jilemón Metralla y Bomba. A current and common type of middle class that became deputy and that would be lived it frightening the person with the repetition annoys of his last name. That story had such successes that were arrived to print 500 thousand weekly copies.

During much time Don Gabriel Vargas was devoted to know the morning and nocturnal life of Mexico City to live its histories with real personages. "To deposit me of how was the movement. We needed to permeate me indeed with the environment". ". His dowager Guadalupe Appendini recalls: "Gabriel portrayed our form of speaking and of be. Aside from to work much, in the nights he was gone with a group of friends to tents, coffees, theatres, saloons, and cabarets. Were lending to him then a patrol. On one occasion there was a Mrs. that it was not dancing, sad, and Gabriel Vargas to her what was happening to her; she answered to him: “is being dying me a son". Where? In my house, and yes was certain. Gabriel carried it to the hospital and paid all. He was a very generous man.

La infinidad de vecindades en la ciudad de México, sus habitantes, su trajín diario, su cotidianeidad, dieron a Don Gabriel Vargas el material suficiente para su obra cumbre: La Familia Burrón, que comenzó a publicarse con el título de El Señor Burrón o vida de perro. “A Doña Borola la saqué de una familia que conocí cuando era niño. Tenía como siete años y jugaba con su hijo. En esa casa el señor era un abogado chaparrito, bueno y noble, manejado por su esposa, de fuerte carácter, que era más alta que su marido, era altiva y orgullosa”. Descanse en paz.

The infinity of “vecindades” in Mexico City, its inhabitants, his bustle about daily, his day-to-dayness, gave to Don Gabriel Vargas the sufficient material for his work summit: The Familia Burrón, that it began to be published with the title of El Señor Burrón or dog life. "To Doña Borola we got it from a family that we knew when child was. Had as seven years and was playing with their son. In that house the sir was an attorney “chaparro” man, good gay and noble, handled by his wife, of strong character, that was highest that her husband, was haughty and proud". Rest in peace. (La Jornada, cultura, p. 3a, May 26, 2010).