Pelezinho (comics)

Pelezinho is a Brazilian comic book series created by Mauricio de Sousa based on soccer star Pelé in his childhood. The character was created in 1976 from conversations between Mauricio and Pelé to create a character to better promote the player who at the time had just become a phenomenon for the Brazil national team. The characters were suggested by Pelé himself, based on childhood memories. The comic was published from August 1977 to December 1986, totaling 66 issues released, and after that the character was no longer used for a long time, except in some special comics. On the other hand, in addition to him, several other football stars have also been created by Mauricio, as well as Pelezinho, as well as children's versions such as Dieguito (based on Diego Maradona), Ronaldo Fenômeno, Ronaldinho Gaúcho and Neymar. It was only in June 2012 that the character was used again with the republication of the old comics. In the 70's, after many difficult negotiations between Mauricio de Sousa and Pelé, finally there was an understanding. The idea of the creator of Monica and Friends was that the character being a child, contrary to Pelé's desire, who imagined an adult version. Mauricio de Sousa's arguments prevailed, which included the assertion that the continuity of the Pelé's brand would be guaranteed if it involved children. From then on, Mauricio received information based on Pelé's childhood experiences to create the other characters.