I was listening to Jim Cornette and his co-host Brian Last discuss comic books (language warning) and in particular, the career of Steve Geppi. One of the questions that they raised is when were U.S. comics first translated into languages other than English for distribution outside the U.S. Seconds of internet research suggest that the first were Famous Funnies in 1960. I have to question this because I know that U.S. comic strips and cartoons were known outside this country long before that. I've read that Doctor Tezuka's style was heavily influenced by Disney, for example. I've also read that Chic Young's Blondie was the most popular American comic strip in the immediate postwar period in Japan, exemplifying the benefits of democracy and the American consumer lifestyle that many Japanese aspired to. (Oh, and while we're on the subject, My Three Sons was one of the most popul,ar American TV programs in Japan when It was first shown over there.) Also, I have on DVD a wartime propaganda cartoon which retells the "Peach Boy" legend in terms of the attack on Pearl Harbor in which the Demon King is unmistakably Bluto from the Popeye cartoons, even down to the animators having pirated some of Bluto's voice acting.
Anyway, I was wondering if any of the Ascended Masters of Comics Knowledge that we have floating around here had any insights on this.
Replies
Translation of American comics into Brazilian Portuguese goes back at least to the 1930s.
There is a Brazilian site named "Guia dos Quadrinhos" that can give specific first appearances for many characters, even.
Phil Corrigan, Secret Agent X-9, was published in Brazil in June 1934.
http://www.guiadosquadrinhos.com/edicao/suplemento-juvenil-n-15/su2...
Lee Falk's "The Phantom" was already translated into Brazilian Portuguese back in 1936.
http://www.guiadosquadrinhos.com/edicao/gazetinha-a-n-169/a%2017910...
Superman's feature in "Action Comics #1" was published in 1938 - the same year as in the USA.
http://www.guiadosquadrinhos.com/edicao/gazetinha-a-n-445/a%2017910...
"Suplemento Juvenil #1" was published in 1934 and has a few American characters.
http://www.guiadosquadrinhos.com/edicao/suplemento-juvenil-n-1/su22...
Mickey's Brazilian translations go back to 1930.
http://www.guiadosquadrinhos.com/edicao/tico-tico-o-n-1277/ti173100...
And apparently "O Tico-Tico" once published an unauthorized version of Buster Brown.
https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Tico-Tico
https://plenarinho.leg.br/index.php/2018/01/o-tico-tico-primeira-re...
I am not _sure_ that this 1917 and later publications are authorized _or_ translations (there is a fair number of original stories of foreign characters here in Brazil), but the history of publishing the Katzenjammer Twins in Brazilian Portuguese goes back at least this far.
http://www.guiadosquadrinhos.com/edicao/polichinello-o-n-4/po007100...
Awesome! Thanks for the info, Luis! I appreicate your efforts.
My pleasure, Baron!