Pumby #1
Pumby #1 (April 1955) marks the launch of what became the most important children's comics magazine in Spanish publishing history, giving the anthropomorphic cat Pumby — 'el gatito feliz' — his own dedicated home just months after his debut in Jaimito #260 in 1954. The first issue simultaneously introduced the full supporting cast that would define the magazine's identity for nearly three decades: Pumby himself, Becerrín, Caperucita Encarnada, Don Jirafito, El Lobo, Pulgarín, Renato, and Sapete all appeared from the outset, establishing a rare ensemble-launch format for a Spanish children's title. With pages printed in color at a time when the dominant rival publisher Bruguera was still working in black-and-red bitone, the debut issue staked out an aesthetic ambition that would eventually help the series surpass every competitor in the domestic children's market. The run it inaugurated went on to earn Spain's National Children's Magazine Award three times (1963, 1965, and 1975), cementing its place as a cultural touchstone for multiple generations of young Spanish readers.
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
José Sanchis Grau (Valencia, 1932–2011) created Pumby in 1954 for Editorial Valenciana's weekly Jaimito, where the character's single-page debut — a story titled 'Un Perrero con Mucha Vista' in issue #260 — proved popular enough that the publisher launched a dedicated magazine just a few months later on 23 April 1955. Editorial Valenciana designed the new title explicitly to attract the younger siblings of Jaimito's established readership, assembling a team of house artists — including Palop, Karpa, Edgar, Liceras, Frejo, and Nin — who contributed recurring series alongside Sanchis's own work; the cover of the debut issue was drawn by Jesús Liceras López. A later legal dispute saw the Spanish Supreme Court formally recognize Sanchis as the rights-holder of the Pumby character after third parties had registered the name and image without his authorization, underscoring how commercially significant the property had become.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance (in own titled magazine) of Pumby, the anthropomorphic cat created by José Sanchis Grau, who had debuted in Jaimito #260 in 1954.
- Simultaneous first appearances in the magazine of supporting and co-feature characters: Becerrín (by Palop), Caperucita Encarnada (by Edgar), Don Jirafito (by Sanchis), El Lobo (appearing opposite Caperucita Encarnada), Pulgarín (by Karpa), Renato and Sapete (by Liceras).
- Published by Editorial Valenciana, Valencia, Spain; cover of issue #1 drawn by Jesús Liceras López; launched April 1955 with the subtitle 'Publicación Infantil' ('Children's Publication').
- Debut format: biweekly, 26 × 18 cm, 19 pages with half the interior pages in full color — an early commitment to full-color printing that set it apart from major rivals of the era.
- The magazine was designed as a younger-sibling companion to Jaimito, sharing much of the same artistic roster: Palop, Karpa, Edgar, Liceras, Frejo, Nin, and others all contributed from the earliest issues.
- The run launched by this issue reached 1,204 numbered issues plus 44 special extra editions before closing in November 1984, and won Spain's National Children's Magazine Award in 1963, 1965, and 1975.
- Success of the main title spun off Super Pumby in December 1959, in which Pumby acquired superhero powers — one of the earliest native Spanish superhero comics concepts.
- Pumby later received an animated adaptation broadcast by the Valencian regional television network; Sanchis's authorship of the character was ultimately upheld by the Spanish Supreme Court after a rights dispute involving unauthorized trademark registrations.