Macanudo: The Way of the Penguin

Macanudo USA

by Liniers

Children reading to cats, penguins imagining the impossibility of alien life not including them, imaginary friends romping in the forest, horror-movie characters looking for friends, cartoons experiencing the awkwardness of zoom calls, witches frustrated over a Netflix lag on their crystal balls… Liniers mixes his repertory cast of fantasy and child characters with one-offs to express whatever happens to be on his mind that day. While the touches of real life are always intermixed among his whimsical world, the spirit of imagination and love of nature only becomes more heightened in many of these strips which run from early 2020 into 2021.Handsome, landscape-format hardcovers with debossed covers showcase Liniers’ beautiful, full-color cartooning in the way it deserves. The influence of Krazy Kat and Mutts extends beyond the tone, charm, and humanity of the content to formal playfulness, and these books are the best way to appreciate the full range of the work.

Genres: Comics, Comic Strips, Humor

176 pages, Hardcover

Published December 1, 2024

About the author

Nombre con el que firma el historietista Ricardo Liniers Siri.

Ricardo Liniers lives in Buenos Aires with his wife and two daughters, who inspired this story. For more than ten years, he has published a hugely popular daily strip, Macanudo, in the Argentine newspaper La Nación. He also tours the world drawing onstage with musician Kevin Johansen. His work has been published in nine countries from Brazil to the Czech Republic and in the United States.

Reviews

[Patricia Q]

Most were cute and funny, and some i just didn't get or like, but overall, I'm glad I checked it out.

[Norman Cook]

These comics are full of whimsical, playful scenes that are sure to bring a smile, especially useful in these trying times. Liniers emphasizes books, nature, and imagination as remedies for modern angst. His dreamlike scenes evoke memories of other great cartoonists such as Winsor McCay (who is directly honored in a couple of strips), George Herriman, Bill Watterson, and Patrick McDonnell. The strips in this volume are from early 2020 into 2021, encompassing the Covid lockdown, a time of increased stress on many, but Liniers finds the humor in the situation to good effect. Liniers' artwork is simple yet results in profound insights into the imagination.

[Michel Albert]

Fantagraphics's second collection of Liniers's Macanudo - The Way of the Penguin - is as wonderful as the first, and I might even love it more, I don't know. All the recurring characters are back, but the penguins get special attention, so the collection's title is apt. In addition to the strips that may end in a punchline, or may just illustrate a quote, a design idea, or a love of nature or reading, Liniers experiments with longer stories (where they published as strips over the course of several days?), and also has a few new "series" to offer - dead authors writing books in 2020, and annoying superheroes. I don't know if reading it in October gave me this impression where the first collection didn't, but Liniers's work has perfect Halloween vibes, as it's filled with witches and monsters, but not the scary kind. Absolutely charming.

[Greg L Goldstein]

Some delightful strips in this third American volume --- maybe a few less than in the first two.
As I’ve noted previously, gags don't always land (which applies to all humor comics, actually) but Liniers’ watercolors are always a joy to behold.

[Michael Daines]

(4.5)

After having discovered “Macanudo” earlier this year, I was definitely on-board when I saw a new volume come out. “The Way of the Penguin” continues the adventures of the characters well established by the artist, with brief tales of youth, tenderness, and discovery. There isn’t really a sequential nature to these strips, so you can pick up any volume you wish to get started.

[Aimee]

I always love these on day I feel blah. They always make me smile, laugh and pick me up! Super cute as always!!!!

[Ryk Stanton]

I really enjoyed this, took many screenshots to look back on and share.

[Greg Nussbaum]

Not nearly as good as the other two, but there’s still a few good ones in here.

[Berta Muñoz]

“A veces camino en el bosque para encontrarme a mí mismo. Y en el peor de los casos encontrás el bosque”