Mort & Phil

Mort & Phil (Mortadelo y Filemón in Spanish) is a Spanish comics series designed in 1958 by Francisco Ibáñez. It's one of the most popular comics in Spain.

Its first title was Mortadelo y Filemón: Agencia de Información. It was just the main characters. Every comics strip had from one to four pages. Throughout the years, the characters have evolved. At first, Mortadelo used to wear a bowler hat. He used to wear some disguises. He was known for his shapeshifter abilities. However Ibáñez went to leave the hat on therefore Mortadelo get disguise inmmediately. The other one, Filemón, called by Mortadelo as "Jefe" (Chief or Boss in English) had a beaked nose and use to smoke pipe as Sherlock Holmes used to do.

Their names are wordplay. For example: Mortadelo comes from Mortadela ("Mortadella di Bologna") and Filemón from Filete ("Steak").

In 1969, Ibáñez designed more characters. He also "founded" the TIA. The Técnicos de Investigación Aeroterráquea: "Aeroterrestrial Investigation Technicians") is an organisation that is a spoof on the CIA. With those changes, the comics books were much longer (44-48 pages by comic book).

These editions were more satirical in regard to Spanish and international themes such as politics and political corruption (El atasco de influencias), ETA's terrorism (Barcelona '92) where the terrorist group were named as "TETA"  ("TITS"), and "PEPA" in España '82, and the islamic one (Terroristas or El balón catastrófico) or economics (¡Llegó el Euro!) among others.

Background 
At first the characters were portrayed as a parody version of Arthur Conan Doyle's characters: Sherlock Holmes (Filemón) and Dr. Watson (Mortadelo).
 Later, others sources pointed to Novísimas aventuras de Sherlock Holmes by Enrique Jardiel Poncela or Laurel and Hardy.  The comics books are known for its slapstick comedy. It is not unusual to see the characters being injuried or hurt. They have caused several accidents. For example, falling from a fifth floor window and staying alive.

35th Anniversary 

Is often enough to see own Ibáñez breaking the fourth wall when he's designed by himself. In 1992 was the 35th Mort and Phils anniversary, so he made an special edition tittled El 35 aniversario. In it, Ibáñez explained how was his childhood and his career went when began to work in Ediciones Bruguera (nowadays: Ediciones B), Barcelona, Spain. He explained it with a burlesque point of view. He also told how Mortadelo and Filemón met each other.

That edition had a huge success among its fans. It was not until 2001, a few days after the September 11 terrorist attacks that the last page (and vignette) called the readers attention to the tragedy. It was noted also in television media, because in the vignette's background (a common gag made by Ibáñez in all his works) there was a plane that crashed into the World Trade Center, in New York, in the United States.

Since its official website stated "that scene was designed as it and it wasn't retouched". Regarding the attacks: "it was a tragical coincidence".

 Characters 

 Mort (Mortadelo): He's tall and bald. When he was young he had a long hair, but lost it after tested an experimental growning-hair made by Pr. Bacterio. However was bald already on the first stories. Since that "incident", Mortadelo became to have hard feelings about him, even got burn Bacterio's beard with a blowtorch as "prank" (i. e. vengenace). He's also known as "Master of Disguises" cause his ability for disguising for every situation.
 Phil (Filemón) As Mortadelo, he's bald too, but has two hairs. He's called "Chief" by Mortadelo. He's known by his temperamental way, specially when is victim by his subordinate's mistakes. Despite this, both are good friends.
 Superintendente Vicente or Super: He's their boss and TIA's supervisor and General Director's subordinate. He's dress always a blue jacket. He's an overweighted person with a huge moustache, those characteristics make him target of all pranks and mockeries from his employees, specially Mortadelo and Filemón, whom called him as a "walrus". As Filemón does, he has (inclusive much) a huge bad temperament. He just to appear in several surrealist gags when he tries to take his agents back when they runaway, for example: Antartica.
 Pr. Bacterio: He's the TIA's scientist. He's known by his huge black beard that arrive until his chest. He's negligent at his work due all his inventions fails or makes disasters. Bacterio is an other gag of the series due to Mortadelo and Filemon runaway to him or he is catch of they pranks or assaults. His name comes from "Bacteria"
 Mrs. Ofelia (Srta. Ofelia): She's Super's secretary. As her boss, she's overweighted too and self-conscious with her fit being her weight another joke into the comics. Besides Super, she tends to be more polite to Mortadelo and Filemon although get pissed when she's insulted by they. In fact, she's in love by Mortadelo dismay be an "unrequited heart", that's one of most reasons why she's feel jealous with Mrs. Irma.
 Mrs. Irma''' (Srta Irma): She was the second secretary. Her first appear was in 1987 in Terroristas as a supervisor in an anti-terrorist missión where Mortadelo and Filemon were members in order to arrest an islamic cell whom pretend help their member to scape after a failed attack against US Embassy. Irma is Ophelia's opposite: she is fit and atractive. These characteristics makes the male agents lost their minds for her, specially Mortadelo and Filemon. In response, Ofelia gets jealous sometimes. Regardless this, they have been good friends due she can able to hold off the agents. This character was based on the publisher's (of the German edition) secretary who died in 1990, therefore Irma was "retired" as her mourning, although she reappeared in the 2014 movie.

 Adaptations 
 Movies 

 TV Series 

 Further reading 
 DE LA CRUZ PÉREZ, Fernando Javier. Los cómics de Francisco Ibáñez. Ediciones de la Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha Cuenca, 2008. 
 FERNÁNDEZ SOTO, Miguel. El mundo de Mortadelo y Filemón. Medialive Content, 2008. 
 GUIRAL, Antoni. El gran libro de Mortadelo y Filemón: 50 aniversario. Ediciones B. 
  Interviews Amaníaco: By Vázquez

 References 

 Other websites

 La Página (NO) Oficial de Mortadelo y Filemón 
 LaTIA Cuartel General, Web dedicada a Mortadelo y Filemón y otros cómics 
 Mortadelo y Filemón '' de la serie "El humor en el cómic" para "La Ciberniz" 
 13 Rue Bruguera, página web dedicada a Mortadelo y Filemón y el cómic Español 
 Una de las últimas colecciones de lujo publicadas sobre Mortadelo y Filemón, con la autorización de Francisco Ibáñez 

Comics
Spanish culture
Television programs
Spanish movies