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| La Codorniz | |
|---|---|
| Title | La Codorniz |
| Frequency | Weekly |
| Founder | Miguel Mihura |
| Founded | 1941 |
| Finaldate | 1978 |
| Country | Spain |
| Language | Spanish |
| Headquarters | Madrid |
La Codorniz was a Spanish weekly satirical magazine founded in Madrid in 1941 that became a key platform for satire during the Francoist period, influencing generations of cartoonists, playwrights, and journalists. It blended visual caricature, short fiction, and sharp columns to critique public figures, cultural trends, and social mores while navigating censorship, libel suits, and changing media landscapes. Over its nearly four-decade run the magazine intersected with figures from Spanish literature, theater, cinema, and politics, generating debates in forums such as the Ateneo de Madrid and Congress of Deputies.
Launched by playwright Miguel Mihura in 1941 amid the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and under the regime of Francisco Franco, the magazine arose alongside other periodicals like Hermano Lobo and La Codorniz's contemporaries in Madrid. Early contributors included veterans of the prewar scene such as Ramón Gómez de la Serna and illustrators who had worked with publications like Nuevo Mundo and La Vanguardia. The 1940s issues reflected tensions between the cultural legacies of the Generation of '27, the institutional constraints of the Falange Española Tradicionalista y de las JONS, and the censorship apparatus of the Francoist Spain state. Through the 1950s and 1960s, the magazine adapted to the economic changes associated with the Stabilization Plan (Spain, 1959) and the gradual liberalization preceding the Spanish transition to democracy, surviving editorial turnovers and legal pressures. The 1970s brought renewed political ferment tied to events such as the Beaches of Aragon protests and the death of Francisco Franco in 1975, after which La Codorniz confronted a transformed media environment until its closure in 1978.
The magazine's editorial line combined irreverent humor with intellectual satire, drawing from Spain's literary and theatrical traditions exemplified by names like Federico García Lorca and Miguel de Cervantes while engaging contemporary journalists linked to outlets such as ABC (newspaper) and El País. Principal editors and contributors included Miguel Mihura, cartoonists associated with Madrileño, satirists connected to the Ateneo de Madrid circles, and writers who later worked in film with studios like Chamartín Studios and producers such as Cesáreo González. Notable collaborators encompassed dramatists and poets who also appeared at venues like the Teatro Español and contributed to networks related to Radio Nacional de España and television producers tied to Televisión Española. International contacts and influences ranged from caricaturists who read Punch (magazine) and The New Yorker to European satirists from France and Italy.
Each issue typically featured cartoons, single-panel gags, serialized comic strips, short essays, theater reviews, and fictional sketches that referenced personalities from institutions such as the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the Museo del Prado, and the Real Academia Española. Visual contributors who worked in the tradition of Goya and Francisco de Goya-inspired satire shared pages with columnists who had ties to publications like Revista de Occidente and the Colegio de España. The format mirrored that of contemporary weeklies such as Stern and L'Express with a Spanish tilt, employing artists who later collaborated with film directors like Luis García Berlanga and writers whose careers intersected with the Premio Nadal and the Premio Planeta literary awards.
La Codorniz influenced public debate around cultural policy, censorship, and the role of satire in society, intersecting with events and institutions such as the Ateneo de Madrid, the Cortes Españolas, and the activities of opposition groups including members of PSOE circles and liberal intellectuals tied to the Real Academia Española. Its cartoons and sketches provoked reactions from officials associated with the Ministerio de Información y Turismo and prompted commentary in outlets like El País and ABC (newspaper), shaping discourse around figures such as Luis Carrero Blanco and cultural icons like Pablo Picasso. The magazine's interactions with theater producers at the Teatro María Guerrero and cinema auteurs at festivals like the San Sebastián International Film Festival amplified its cultural reach.
Operating under the censorship regime of Francoist Spain and subject to legal frameworks administered by ministries including the Ministerio de Cultura and the Ministerio de Gobernación, La Codorniz faced seizures, fines, and occasional shutdowns. It contended with cases involving libel laws applied in tribunals such as the Audiencia Nacional and with press regulations shaped by decrees from the Ley de Prensa e Imprenta (1966). Notable incidents involved conflicts with censors linked to the Dirección General de Seguridad and disputes that reached public platforms like the Ateneo de Madrid and legal advocates associated with the Ilustre Colegio de Abogados de Madrid.
The magazine's legacy persists in the lineage of Spanish satire, influencing later publications like El Jueves, Mongolia (magazine), and satirical television programs that aired on Televisión Española and commercial networks. Its alumni include cartoonists, playwrights, and journalists who later won honors such as the Premio Nacional de Periodismo and awards in competitions like the Festival de Málaga. Academics at institutions including the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona have examined La Codorniz in studies alongside research into the Generation of '36 and Spain's cultural memory debated in forums such as the Ateneo de Madrid.
Collections of La Codorniz issues and related manuscripts are held in repositories like the Biblioteca Nacional de España, the archives of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and private collections linked to families of contributors who donated materials to museums such as the Museo Reina Sofía. Anthologies and reprints have been published by Spanish presses with interests aligned to the Revista de Occidente and academic publishers associated with the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Research materials appear in special collections at institutions including the Archivo Histórico Nacional and library networks connected to the Universidad de Salamanca.
Category:Magazines published in Spain Category:Satirical magazines Category:Defunct magazines of Spain