Understanding Maitena: The Invisible Art of Feminist (De)Construction in Mujeres alteradas

• In Event: Graphic Narratives, Music, and Democracy

Abstract

Maitena Burundarena remains wildly popular within Argentina and internationally; her satirical social commentaries frequently are compared to those produced by the legendary Quino. Critics praise her overt feminism and have dubbed the Argentine cartoonist an “advocate of Latin American women.” Maitena’s comics—Mujeres alteradas, Superadas and Curvas peligrosas—draw on the ordinary dramas and quotidian traumas of contemporary urban middle-class women. Topics under Maitena’s ironic scrutiny range from relationships between the sexes to the female body, from motherhood to diet plans, from the trials of maintaining domestic order to the tribulations of juggling a professional career. A central component of this gendered visual humor involves effective employment of stereotyped and iconic imagery with respect to typecast characters, fashion, beauty trends, interior décor and advances in technology.

Arguably, the tongue-in-cheek assessment of women’s “advancement” in society throughout the decades (1940s-1990s), a recurring format featured throughout Mujeres alteradas, remains Maitena’s signature comic. Reading her constructed evolutionary history of feminism (la historia) through the lens of comics (la historieta) criticism reveals how static images humorously represent snapshots of distinct eras.

Departing from Scott McCloud’s assertion that cartoon-style renderings of characters foster universalism and thus facilitate reader identification, this essay examines the feminist content of Maitena’s signature timelines with respect to narrative voicing, typecasting and layout. Tight framing and distinct manipulation of gutters allow strict control of temporal progression, creating a unique space for challenging women’s “advancements” in contemporary society. Ultimately, Maitena’s success challenges a male-dominated system of comics production.

Author

• Janis B Breckenridge, Whitman College