15 Best Spanish Comics to Read Online
What do you think about when you hear the word “comic book”? Probably: Batman, Superman, Antman, Wonderwoman or some other superhero, right? These ones are very famous indeed, but they started gaining popularity nearly 100 years after the very first comic book appeared. The very first comic book is called “The Adventures of Obadiah Oldbuck” and is credited to the Swiss: Rudolph Töppfer. He published it all the way back in 1837. Technology has advanced a lot since 1837, now you can find comic books online, some of them, even in Spanish. Here, I provide 15 awesome Spanish comics (cómics o historietas) to read online:
1. Mafalda
Mafalda is one of the most popular Spanish comics in Latin America. It was created by Joaquín Salvador Lavado Tejón (better known as Quino) in Argentina in 1964.
This comic follows the adventures of Mafalda a little girl who is concerned about mankind and world peace. She likes to defy her elders and question them and their legacy. The little girl pictures herself as an interpreter when she grows up working for the UN helping build a better world and achieving world peace.
Check Quino’s website to read a bit about Mafalda!
¡No corrás con los zapatos nuevos que los desgastás! ¡No saltés sobre el sofá que lo destrozás! ¡No te arrastrés por el piso que despedazás la ropa! ¡Decime de qué te sirve ser niño, si no te dejan crecer! -¿Qué planes tenés esta primavera, Miguelito? -Vivir. -Tan chiquito y ya tan organizado.
Don’t run with your new shoes because you’ll wear them away! Don’t jump over the couch because you’ll destroy it. Don’t crawl through the floor because you’ll destroy your clothes. Tell me what good comes from being a kid if they don’t let you grow! -What plans do you have for the spring, Miguelito? -Living. -So young yet so organized.
2. Condorito
Condorito is one of the most famous Spanish comics. Condorito translates to “little condor” in English. This Spanish comic was created by René Ríos Boettiger (also known as Pepo). It was published for the first time in Chile on August 9th, 1949.
Unlike Mafalda, Condorito cannot be described that simply. The story changes from comic to comic But something common in them is that, in the end, someone always faints after being the victim of a funny, embarrassing, or silly situation. You’ll also find the words “exijo una explicación” (I demand an explanation) whenever things don’t go the way they were supposed to.
Check out Condorito’s site right here.
Read Mis Antepasados here.
¿Y a qué debo su presencia en esta casa? -Vengo a pedirle la mano a su hija. -¿Cuál de ellas? -La derecha que tiene una pulsera de oro fabulosa.
And to what do I owe your presence in this house? -I have come to ask your daughter’s hand. -Which one of them? -The right one has a fabulous golden bracelet.
As you can see, the man here is fainting.
3. Kalimán
Kalimán is, yet again, another very popular Spanish comic. This one was published weekly between 1963 and 1991. These Spanish comics were created by Modesto Vásquez González, but before being a comic it was a radio program. It was enjoyed first on September 16th, 1963 in Mexico.
Kalimán is the descendant of an Egyptian who descends directly from the Egyptian goddess, Kali He is a fair man who dedicates his body and soul to fight evil and is always joined by an Egyptian kid called Solin, who is the descendant of pharaohs, and whom Kaliman meets on his first adventure.
Check out some of Kalimán’s most popular comics.
¡Estoy ante Caronte, el barquero de los infiernos!
I am before Caronte, the sailor of hell.
4. El Eternauta
El Eternauta is a science fiction Spanish comic created by Hector Germán Oesterheld and the drawer Francisco Solano López. It was published from 1957 to 1959.
The main story takes place in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, and starts with it snowing over Buenos Aires. Soon enough, aliens invade Buenos Aires, and a resistance form. Juan Salvo, the main character, who is El Eternauta, narrates the events to Oesterheld. In 2020, Netflix announced that they would turn this comic into a series for the whole world.
Check out the first part of El Eternauta.
¿Será posible que quizá tengamos que vivir años en esta forma? Totalmente librados a nuestros propios medios, más aislados aún que Robinson en su isla?
Can it be possible that maybe we have to live for years in this way? Completely dependent on our own means, more isolated than Robinson on his island?
5. El Vecino
El Vecino (the neighbor) is a Spanish comic created by the Spaniards Santiago García and Pepo Pérez. back in 2004. But it has more continuations. The last one was published two years ago, in 2019, under the name of El Vecino Origen.
These Spanish comics are about two neighbors who are friends. One of them is new in the city but when he moves into his new place. He is very shy and applied, and spends a long time studying. He soon finds out that his loud neighbor is actually a superhero under the name Titán (Titan) and fights all kinds of crime and evil.
Read El Vecino.
Me gusta Lola. Voy a comer a casa de mis padres los sábados. Vivo en la puerta de al lado. Soy periodista en el cosmos. Y lo de Titan…
I like Lola. I go to eat at my parents’ house on Saturdays. I live next door. I am a journalist at El Cosmos. And Titan’s…
6. Croqueta y Empanadilla
Croqueta y Empanadilla (croquete and little empanada) is yet another Spanish comic created by the Spaniard Ana Oncina in 2020.
This is another comic whose story isn’t linear but rather organized in small, unrelated comics. It is a romantic Spanish comic that narrates how croqueta y empanadilla live together in their apartment. It talks about chores, parties, strolls, trips, and pets.
Read Croqueta y Empanadilla.
¿Hacemos pastas para la cena? -¿Querés hacer unos fideos con boloñesa? -Dale. -Yo hago la salsa, vos poné los fideos. -Dale.
Do we make pasta for dinner? -Do you want to make noodles with bolognese? -Yes. I make the sauce and you put (make) the noodles. -Alright.
7. El Incal
El Incal is a Spanish comic published between 1980 and 1988 by the Chilean writer, Alejandro Jodorowsky and the French drawer Moebius.
Now, this is a very original comic. It talks about the detective John Difool who has the help of a strange bird, Deepo, who is smarter than Difool. They join forces with more people to find El Incal. Difool finds his inner value and allies first, afterward he’ll visit the center of the planet, and finally, he’ll seduce an alien queen to avoid an intergalactic war.
Read El Incal.
La captura y la exterminación por parte del necrorrobot normalizador de los últimos rebeldes de la célebre banda de los seis…el ministerio…la aventura…el superrestablecimiento de la justicia como una unidad que va a…¡mirad! ¡se le ha movido la mano!
The capture and extermination from the normalizer necro-robot from the last rebels from the great band of the six…the minister…the adventure—the super-establishment of justice like a unit that is going to…look! his (her) hand has moved!
8. Café Budapest
Café Budapest is a 2008 Spanish comic created by the Spaniard Alfonso Zapico.
This graphic novel talks about Yechezkel Damjanich, a young Jewish violin player who lives with his mother in Budapest in 1947, just after World War II. One day he receives a letter from his uncle Yosef, whom he hadn’t heard about in 12 years. He flees Budapest with his mother and arrives in Palestine in Café Budapest, a place where Arabs, Jews, and Westerns coexist peacefully, and Yechezkel gets to play his violin, but problems arrive.
Get a preview of Café Budapest.
Dios mío, ¿tú crees que se habrá convertido al islam, hijo? -Madre yo…no lo sé. ¡No lo creo! -Iremos a pie, el café está aquí al lado. -Eeerh, ¿por qué hablabas con ese árabe tio Yosef? -¿Con Ismail? Es mi tendero. No es necesario ser musulmán para comprar en la tienda de Ismail, ¿sabés? -Ah, eso está bien, ¿verdad, madre?
My God, you don’t think that he has turned to Islam, right son? -Mother I…don’t know. I don’t think so! -We’ll go to the cafe on foot, it’s nearby. -Ummm why were you talking with that Arab uncle Yosef? -With Ismail? He is my shopkeeper. It’s not necessary to be a Muslim to shop at Ismail’s shop, did you know that? -Oh, that’s alright, isn’t it, mother?
9. La Familia Ulises
La Familia Ulises is a Spanish comic that was first published back in 1945. It was created by another Spaniard: Joaquín Bugias who wrote the scripts on his own until 1952, afterwards, until his death in 1963 he used some help from his partner Carlos Bech.
This Spanish comic talks about a typical Barcelona family formed by two parents, three children, a dog, and a grandma. Don Ulises Higueruelo is the main protagonist, Doña Sinforosa, his wife, Lolin the oldest daughter, Merceditas and Policarpito the kids and Doña Filomena is Doña Sinforosa’s mother. La Familia Ulises is great because it has great dialogues and visual and innocent humor.
Read TBO magazine (where you can find La Familia Ulises).
Esperemos un poco papá, quizá nos den una “segunda oportunidad” y nos quede el coche nuevo.
Let’s wait for a little (while) dad, maybe they’ll give us a “second chance” and the car remains new (fixes itself).
10. Mampato
Mampato is a Spanish comic created by the Chilean architect Eduardo Armstrong and the drawer Oskar and published by Themo Lobos back in 1968.
These Spanish comics talk about Mampato, a kid who, after saving an alien who fell on Earth and helped him save his planet, obtained a belt that allows him to travel through space and time. He becomes friends with Ogú, a prehistoric man, and Rena, a mutant who lives in the 40th century and has telepathic powers.
¡Ho…hola! Mi nombre es Mampato y este es mi amigo Ogú…¿Acaso ustedes son duendes? -¡No! ¡Somos pitufos!
He…hello! My name is Mampato and this is my friend Ogú…Are you leprechauns? -No! We’re smurfs!
11. Selva Misteriosa
Selva Misteriosa (Mysterious Jungle) started its publication back in 1971. It was created by the Peruvian Javier Florez del Águila.
This presented the adventures of Javico in tales where you could find witchcraft, treasures, and legendary beings. All of it in the Amazon jungle. After 759 comics published, this Spanish comic reached its end in 1974.
Por fin llegaste “lindos ojos”. -Sí, “Lindos ojos” el temido renegado bizco, por fin había llegado.
You have finally arrived “lindos ojos” (pretty eyes). -Yes, “Lindos ojos” the feared and renegade cross-eyed person had finally arrived.
12. Hechos, dichos, ocurrencias y andanzas de Bardín el superrealista
Long name, isn’t this one? Hechos, dichos, ocurrencias y andanzas de Bardín el superrealista was published back in 2006 by the Spaniard Francesc Capdevila.
This Spanish comic talks about Bardín, a regular Joe who isn’t amazed by anything in particular. It’s a bit philosophical because Bardín gets transported to a super real world where he can have conversations with gods or their representations.
Hola, Bardín, llegas tarde. -¿Q- quién eres tú?. -Soy el perro andaluz. ¿Andaluz? -Pues no se te nota el acento! – Hum! Ya me imaginaba que mi nombre no te iba a decir nada.
Hello, Bardín, you’re late. -Wh- who are you? I’m the dog from Andalucía. Andalucia? You can’t tell by your accent. -Hum, I thought my name wouldn’t tell you anything.
13. Copetín
Copetín is a Spanish comic created by the Colombian Ernesto Franco. Published from 1962 to 1994 in the Colombian newspaper El Tiempo.
The Colombian got inspired by a kid who asked for money and food close to his wife’s restaurant. The comic talks about the poverty and lack of equality present in Bogotá at the time. Since it was part of a newspaper, it is likely that it didn’t follow a story, but that it was published weekly with a different premise.
Read some of El Copetíns comics.
Caray, Pesadilla, ¿quién te puso así? Fue en un rejtaurante (restaurante) por jer (ser) uno confiao (confiado). ¡No tenía ni un jentavo (centavo) y pedí una dojena (docena) de ojtraj (ostras). Si no tenías dinero cómo se te ocurrió pedir las ostras? -Puej (pues) creí que en doje (doce) ojtraj (ostras) era impojible (imposible) que no fuera a jalir (salir) una perlita.
Oh, Pesadilla (nightmare) who got you like that? -It was in a restaurant because I was careless. I didn’t have a penny and I ordered a dozen oysters. -If you didn’t have money why did you order the oysters? Well, I thought that in twelve oysters it was impossible not to get a pearl.
14. Macanudo
Macanudo is a series of Spanish comics that have been published since 2002 in the Argentine newspaper La Nación, under Ricardo Siri.
This comic has been referred to as an “updated Mafalda”. It has a fresh, smart, and innocent humor. The comic talks about different day-to-day topics related to what’s happening in the world.
Read Macanudo.
Uy…estoy apoyado sobre el botón de “zoom in”. Zoom out.
Oops…I’m touching the zoom in button. Zoom out.
15. En Clave de Fo
En Clave de Fo is the only Guatemalan comic on this list. They are Spanish comics created by Alfredo Morales (also known as Fo). They have been published in the Guatemalan newspaper Prensa Libre, since 1986.
En Clave de Fo is a comic that changes day by day. It is usually very short but it’s a great and enjoyable satire to the Guatemalan government and the funniest problem that they have each day. It uses a lot of visual humor and few words.
Check these awesome comics.
Amazonas. En Norteamérica…En Sudamérica…
Amazon. In North America…in South America…
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