In a trophy room filled with children, Ziraldo Alves Pinto, known as Ziraldo, launched his newest book this afternoon in Gávea: "The Most Beloved in Brazil in Comics". The 112-page work tells the story of Flamengo, showing how the club came about, the formation of its first football team, the origin of its rivalry with Fluminense, the stories of its great titles, and other moments in its history.
The book is the result of a partnership between Ziraldo, Editora Globo, and Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, through its Marketing department. Among the many stories in the book, Ziraldo recounts how he himself came into contact with the Rio de Janeiro team in Caratinga, a small town in the interior of Minas Gerais where he was born. "It was all through the radio. We would listen to Ary Barroso and imagine. Three or four days later, the newspapers would arrive with images of the game," the author told the official website team while mentally rehearsing the lineup that won Flamengo's first three-peat in 42/43/44.
According to Ziraldo, the book's great merit lies in how the story is told. "In a playful way, without being boring. By the end, everyone knows the history of Flamengo," he states. The cartoonist reveals that his next project related to the club is to produce a comic book solely about the history of the 1981 Intercontinental Cup victory. An idea, according to Ziraldo, suggested by Nunes, the "goalscorer of decisive matches."
Among the members and journalists present at the event was a class from the Embaixador Sergio Vieira Mello public school. "They were overjoyed. They already knew him from 'Menino Maluquinho', from the readings we do at school," said teacher Cátia Florêncio da Silva. "I liked it," said eight-year-old Miguel Sabino da Silva, holding a book while waiting for the chance to meet Ziraldo.
The trophy room had a play area where children could draw, amidst the antics of the mascots Uruba and Urubinha.
The book shows that the passion for the red and black colors is a family affair, passed down from father to son, from grandmother to granddaughter. Like in the story where a family doesn't mind missing precious minutes of a game to watch it with their sick grandfather. The stories, illustrated by Ziraldo, depict situations common to many Brazilians passionate about Flamengo, who celebrate every victory of the most beloved club in Brazil.
Author of bestsellers such as "O Menino Maluquinho" (The Crazy Little Boy), Ziraldo began producing his new book based on a suggestion from Flamengo's marketing department. The book will also have promotional events at the XIV Rio de Janeiro International Book Biennial, on September 19th and 20th, between 11 am and 14 pm, at the Editora Globo stand in Riocentro (Avenida Salvador Allende, nº 6.555 – Barra da Tijuca).
On September 29th, from 12 PM to 14 PM, the author will be at FlaShop (Rua da Quitanda, 87, downtown Rio de Janeiro).
Updated on September 17th