The Funnies (Monica's Gang)
Encyclopedia
The Funnies is a set of fictional characters created in 1963 and appearing at the Monica's Gang
comic strips. Almost all strips feature only the main character, Bubbly, while his parents (who live both in the countryside) and his ex-girlfriend Rita appear very rarely. The two basic locations of the strips are the Universe
and Earth
, the latter appearing only when Rita and Bubbly's parents are featured, or in other words, very rarely.
Monica's Gang
Monica's Gang is a popular Brazilian comic book series. The series was created by Mauricio de Sousa, who signs his work as "Mauricio". Plots are centered on the adventures of a group of seven-year-old friends in the fictional neighborhood of "Limoeiro" in São Paulo...
comic strips. Almost all strips feature only the main character, Bubbly, while his parents (who live both in the countryside) and his ex-girlfriend Rita appear very rarely. The two basic locations of the strips are the Universe
Universe
The Universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists, including all matter and energy, the planets, stars, galaxies, and the contents of intergalactic space. Definitions and usage vary and similar terms include the cosmos, the world and nature...
and Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, the latter appearing only when Rita and Bubbly's parents are featured, or in other words, very rarely.
Characters
- Bubbly (Astronauta) – Bubbly is the main and virtually only character of The Funnies. He is an astronautAstronautAn astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
and works for the fictional BRASA (Brasileiros Astronautas – Brazilian Astronauts, a pun on the acronym of the National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationNASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
). His space ship and home is an orange metallic ball. Basically, he spends his time traveling through the Universe, visiting new planets and contacting extraterrestrials (or eventually fighting them). His missions usually involve fighting intergalactic criminals or collecting information about new planets. His English name was given after his round-like space suitSpace suitA space suit is a garment worn to keep an astronaut alive in the harsh environment of outer space. Space suits are often worn inside spacecraft as a safety precaution in case of loss of cabin pressure, and are necessary for extra-vehicular activity , work done outside spacecraft...
. - Computer – The board computer of Bubbly’s space ship. He is able to talk, and his monitor features a face when not displaying anything. The computer gives Bubbly information about any planet, zone, or galaxy ahead of the ship, and also makes him company by playing games (most frequently videogames or chess) or striking conversations in order to fend off Bubbly's lonely feelings.
- Rita (Ritinha) – Bubbly’s lover. She was his girlfriend once, but as Bubbly spent years in space without coming back, Rita left him and married another guy, which made Bubbly deeply depressed.