Biblioteca Clarín de la Historieta (which translates to Clarín Comics Library) is a comic book series published by Diario Clarín in Buenos Aires, Argentina commencing in December 2003 thru till September 2004. The series contains a total of 20 editions, with different comic book characters featured in each edition showcasing a mix of Argentine and international comic classics including the Phantom, Mandrake the Magician, Popeye, Zorro, Dick Tracey, Flash Gordon, Superman, Batman and many more.
Diario Clarín, founded on the 28th of August 1945, by Roberto Noble, stands as the most widely circulated newspaper in Argentina and ranks among the top Spanish-language newspapers globally. Initially a tabloid format, it quickly rose to prominence, becoming Argentina’s highest-selling newspaper by 1965 and the leading Spanish-language one by 1985. Notably, Clarín pioneered the inclusion of a magazine with its Sunday edition starting in 1967, further expanding its reach and readership.
The newspaper’s historical alignment leaned towards developmentalism, advocating for industrial growth in Argentina, a stance it maintained until the 1980s. Over the years, Clarín has evolved, embracing technological advancements and diversifying its media presence under the umbrella of Grupo Clarín, established in 1999. Héctor Magnetto currently serves as the publisher, with Ricardo Kirschbaum as the editor-in-chief and Ricardo Roa as the managing editor.
Beyond its extensive news coverage, Diario Clarín has a notable history of publishing comic book content, appealing to a broad audience. One significant contribution was the daily comic strip ‘El Negro Blanco’, created by Carlos Trillo and Ernesto García Seijas, which ran from 1987 to 1994. This strip, featuring a journalist working at a fictionalized version of the Clarín newspaper, gained popularity for its blend of eroticism and comedy. Before ‘El Negro Blanco’, Clarín also published ‘El Loco Chávez’, another comic strip centered around a journalist.
In a more extensive foray into comic book publishing, Diario Clarín launched the ‘Biblioteca Clarín de la Historieta’ series. The series showcased a mix of Argentine and international comic classics, including renowned titles such as Mafalda by Quino, Corto Maltés by Hugo Pratt, El Eternauta by Héctor Germán Oesterheld and Francisco Solano López, and even international icons like the Phantom, Batman and Superman. A second similar series, Nueva Biblioteca Clarín de la Historieta, featuring 15 books, followed in 2006-2007, further demonstrating Clarín’s commitment to making diverse comic book narratives accessible to its readers.
Through these various publications, from daily strips integrated into the newspaper to comprehensive book collections, Diario Clarín has played a significant role in disseminating comic art and storytelling to a wide Argentine readership, highlighting both local talent and international classics within its broader publishing endeavors.
The 2oth and final edition in the series of Biblioteca Clarín de la Historieta was published in December 2003. It featured both the Phantom and Mandrake the Magician, with the Phantom published under his local title of El Fantasma, containing a softcover with 250 black and white pages measuring 15cm x 21cm with Spanish text. The front cover contains a collage of both the Phantom and Mandrake the Magician as illustration by Sy Barry and Phil Davis. The front and back cover can be seen below.
At the commencement of the comic book, 3 introductory articles are published spanning 12 pages titled ‘Lee Falk, Un Perpetuo Fantasma’ (which translates to Lee Falk, A Perpetual Ghost) written by Luis Chitarroni, ‘Un Poco De Historia’ (which translates to A Little Bit of History) written by Diego Accorsi and ‘Los Autores’ (which translates to The Authors).
Following these article, 11 comic strip stories are published, 7 feature the Phantom, whilst 4 feature Mandrake the Magician. All of the Phantom stories are written by Lee Falk, with a variety of artists featured including Ray Moore, Wilson McCoy and Sy Barry. A sample of internal pages can be seen below.
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