WHO IS ... GORDO!

Perfecto Salazar "Gordo" Lopez - the world's greatest bean farmer, tour guide and self-proclaimed "han'some dog." In fact, the pudgy protagonist proves preternaturally skilled at any job he undertakes, despite preferring romance and rest to a hard day's work...

Over the course of the strip, Gordo becomes famous throughout Mexico as a musician, radio personality, memoirist, luchador, torero, fisherman, the rightful owner of The Grand Canyon, and -- especially -- for his cooking!

Above: Gordo, Pelon and The Poet enter the bullfighting ring in their suits and arms.
(May 12, 1950)

Above: Gordo approaches Northern Arizona to claim ancestral land -- the Grand Canyon!
(February 7, 1953)

Above: A swirl of patois ensues as Gordo impresses a hotel's French chefs. (January 9, 1948)

Gordo grows more sophisticated as the strip goes on -- leaving behind the ethnic and class stereotypes which formed the foundation of the early years -- but his lifelong philosophy can be best summed up in these panels from June 3, 1945, as he teaches traditional dance to his niece Nena:

"I'm moch too YONG an' HAN'SOM a dog to die!" June 3, 1945