Mauricio writes...
Story 40 - Big Pele, Young Pele or Li’l Pele
Mauricio writes...
Story 40 - Big Pele, Young Pele or Li’l Pele
The idea became more forceful each time I met world-famous Brazilian soccer player Pele, usually during flights or in airport terminals. The first time was after a trip from Italy, when we talked about creating a comic character based on him.
After that, here and there, we discussed how we thought the character should be. A grown-up super player? A young player showing talent on the field? A little boy still preparing to become the world champion? The doubts were mine, not Pele’s.
He imagined a character fashioned after himself at that moment, when he was still playing and was signed on with New York’s Cosmos team. I insisted that a child character would appeal more to an important sector of the public that would perpetuate his trademark image, with all of the possibilities for comical stories and positive, good-humored messages that children’s comics provide.
The project needed to be "lobbied" face to face, so I traveled to New York and continued my push for Li’l Pele at the offices of the king of soccer in Rockefeller Center. Alas, to no avail. Pele insisted that his character should be full grown.
At that point, I decided to appeal his decision. Right there in his office, I made sketches of little Pele in every sort of pose, all of them very cute. Then I suggested that since we couldn’t agree on which of the Pele characters should appear in the comics, he should show the drawings to his children, still very young at that time, and let them decide. I had the feeling that if it depended on their choice, Li’l Pele would win hands down. And I was right. The following day, I arrived at Pele’s office to find him waiting for me and a little disgruntled. He proceeded to confess that his youngsters had voted all out for the character I drew the night before.
From then on, there was a delightful time of new creations and studies that went from long talks with Pele as he told me about things that happened when he was little and helped me to elaborate supporting characters (all old friends of his) to unforgettable letters he sent me from places around the world, filled with memories of youthful mischief and suggestions for stories.
Without his reminiscences, how would we have known about his closest friend, Crackerjack? Or his first girlfriend, Keiko? Or Cosmo, the chickenhearted goalie? And Samira, with her exotic Arabian snacks; Bonga, a real charmer; or team mascot Rex, Pele’s faithful pup who dug holes for the goalposts?
They were the memories of a magical childhood, filled with love from grandparents, parents, uncles and aunts – all of them fans of little Edson long before he became world-famous Pele.
All of his input helped in creating the Li’l Pele comics that appeared in newspaper strips and on the pages of comic books. Stories that entertained thousands of readers for years and paid homage to the greatest soccer player of all time. To say nothing of the many new little fans that Li’l Pele attracted for Big Pele.
Mauricio and Pelé with editors from Abril Publishing House.
Mauricio de Sousa
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