Decades ago, every Saturday on Cuban Television, Cecilio Avilés taught children how to draw. They were lessons in the then Morning Magazine. On a blank piece of paper, the cartoonist made a simple line; it could be, for example, a number 8. And from there, Cecilio created a simple drawing.
One day he showed how to draw one of his most emblematic characters: Coti. And the first stroke was a letter C. That was the starting point for the curved beak; then the eyes, the head, the plume feathers, the wings, the tail… On Monday several children brought their drawings of Coti, and some taught others the steps to draw her.
Cecilio Avilés was the father of the most popular black cartoon and animated hero in Cuba, a child like any child who lived unique adventures with his pet. He stimulated the imagination of entire generations, he had fun teaching. My drawings of Cecilín and Coti must be stored somewhere. I also learned to draw criminals from comics. And many years later, as an adult, I played with my nephews to draw a parrot from a letter C.
