Costa del Sol News
The Torremolinos City Council is set to immortalize the work of Spain's most important comic book artist, Francisco Ibáñez, by installing several sculptures of his main characters, including one of the author himself, in the Batería Park. Mortadelo and Filemón, Pepe Gotera and Otilio, Rompetechos, the Botones Sacarino, and their creator, Francisco Ibáñez, will become part of the landscape of Batería Park starting next August.
By that date, the delivery of the eight three-dimensional sculptures, ranging from one to two and a half meters in height and made of polyester resin and fiberglass, is scheduled. They will be installed throughout the iconic park in the center of Torremolinos.
The sculptures will depict the main characters of the Barcelona-based artist with nods to the city that will host them. Thus, there will be two sculptures of Ibáñez's star character: the affable Mortadelo, capable of disguising himself in a thousand different ways to carry out his adventures, even if it means driving Filemón crazy.
On one hand, a sculpture of Mortadelo alone will be installed, but in another part of the park, a sculpture of Mortadelo with the quintessential dish of the Costa del Sol's cuisine: the espeto, will be set up.
Chasing him will be another frantic agent from the TIA (Aero-Terrestrial Investigation Technicians), with clear reminiscences of the American CIA: Filemón.
The tribute to the prolific work of Francisco Ibáñez, who drew a smile on the faces of several generations of Spaniards for more than 65 years until his death in 2023, is completed by other sculptures, such as the legendary duo formed by Pepe Gotera and Otilio, home repair blunderers, a faithful portrait of the national botch-up at all levels, with jobs that always end in disaster.
Another of Ibáñez's most beloved characters, due to his age and 'height of vision,' is Rompetechos, short in stature and with a prominent head, whose lack of vision tends to completely confuse everything, creating comedic situations that usually do not end well.
And for the younger ones, Sacarino, the bellhop of the evening newspaper El Aullido Vespertino, who always shirks his duties, getting into trouble, without facing the consequences, could not be missing.
The saga is concluded with a sculpture of the comic book creator himself at his drawing table, whose characters will live forever in the memory of thousands of Spaniards.
Moldes-Kori's S.L., which has formalized the contract for an amount of 88,231 euros, after winning the tender to which four other companies submitted bids, must have the approval of the holders of the intellectual property rights of the original works and characters of Francisco Ibáñez Talavera when making the sculptures, which will not be installed without their consent to safeguard his legacy after so many years of work.
