Bug-a-Booo

"Bug-a-Booo" is a set of fictional Brazilian characters featured at the Monica's Gang comic strips. The main location for their stories is a cemetery. All of the characters are monsters or other supernatural creatures, none of them being a human being. However, their stories are not intended to be scary, actually they are sometimes classified as “Terrir”, which is a Portmanteau of the Portuguese words “Terror” "(horror)" and “Rir” "(to laugh)". On some of their stories, they have to deal with the fact that vampires, ghosts, zombies and mummies are no longer appreciated as characters of horror films. People instead are opting for assassins, psychopaths, serial killers, etc.

Characters

* "Bug-a-Booo" "(Penadinho)" – Bug-a-Booo is the main character, a short, cute ghost. He is very calm, and enjoys resting near his grave. Like the stereotypical image of ghosts he is actually invisible but wears a white sheet so he can be seen.
* "Lady MacDeath" "(Dona Morte)" – Lady MacDeath is a Grim Reaper, the personification of Death who is responsible to go after all people whose "time has come", although unlike a typical Grim Reaper her body is not made of bones. She uses her sickle to kill people, by hitting them in the head, and then she takes their souls to the purgatory, for them to be judged and sent whether to hell or heaven (much in a bureaucratic way). She always carries a list with the name of the people she must kill on the day. Most of her stories feature a pursuit, sometimes punctuated with struggles faced every day by normal people.
* "Vic Vampire" "(Zé Vampir)" – Vic is a yellow-skinned vampire, therefore, he is able to turn himself into a bat, feeds on blood and fears crosses (even though he lives in a cemetery full of them), sunlight, garlic and holy water.
* "Moe the Mummy" "(Muminho)" – Moe is a mummy of Egyptian descendent. When the swabs which cover his bodies are taken out, Moe appears either invisible, as the swabs were covering nothing, either as a dry corpse.
* "Frank" – An obvious reference to Frankenstein, Frank is a green construct with a very weak brain, so that the virtue he least holds is intelligence. On the other hand, his heart fills the empty space left by his brain.
* "Wolfgang" "(Lobisomem)" – A charming werewolf. While being able to talk, think and walk by two feet, he must live side-to-side with his canidae instincts, like chasing cats, urinating on lamp posts and trees, and howling to the moon. He has not an "official" human from, and this form may change its personality dramatically from story to story. He has fangs, claws and yellow eyes. He can sometimes be poorly-educated when he devours bones in a hurry and gives a huge burp.
* "Skully" "(Cranicola)" – Skully is single skull, which rests all day on top of a stone. He cannot walk nor move (although in some stories he is seen jumping around), but on the other hand, he provides amazing conversations to whoever talks to him.
* "Zé Cremadinho" – Zé Cremadinho is nothing but the remains of someone who's been cremated. However, he is still able to talk, and jumps around as much as Skully sometimes does. In most of his appearances, he is confused with dust and is "attacked" by broomsticks and vacuum cleaners.
* "Zé Caveira" – Zé Caveira is a skeleton who walks around making fun with the rest of his friends.
* "Sally Soul" "(Alminha)" – Sally is Bug's girlfriend, although they are constantly seen having arguments with each other. Like Bug, she is actually an invisible ghost who wears a white sheet.
* "Espírito de Porco" - In Brazil, pranksters are sometimes called espíritos de porco ("espírito" meaning "spirit" and "porco" meaning "pig"). Justifying this, Espírito de Porco is a pig-nosed ghost who likes pulling irritating pranks on the other residents of the cemetery.

References

* [http://www.monica.com.br/ingles/personag/t-penad.htm Bug-a-Booo at Mônica’s Gang official website]

External links

* [http://www.monica.com.br/ingles/index.htm Mônica’s Gang official website] en icon
* [http://www.monica.com.br/index.htm Mônica’s Gang official website ] pt icon