For the hip-hop artist, see Blu (rapper)

Blu (rapper)

Johnson Barnes , better known by the stage name Blu, is an American rapper and producer from Los Angeles, California. He is best known for his debut album, Below the Heavens, which was produced entirely by Exile of Emanon....

Blu (Bidu) is a character in the Brazilian comic strip, Monica's Gang

Monica's Gang

Monica's Gang is a popular Brazilian comic book series. The series was created by Mauricio de Sousa, who signs his work as "Mauricio". Plots are centered on the adventures of a group of seven-year-old friends in the fictional neighborhood of "Limoeiro" in São Paulo...

, created in 1959. He was the first character created by Mauricio de Sousa

Mauricio de Sousa

Mauricio de Sousa is a Brazilian cartoonist who has created over 200 characters for his popular series of children's comic books....

, along with his owner Franklin (Franjinha). This blue dog appears in the logo of Mauricio de Sousa Produções, the company founded by Mauricio to release his works. Maurico says he based both Blu and Franklin on himself and Cuíca, the dog he had when he was a child. Blu doesn't have his own printed comics, but when he completed 40 years of existence, a special print was released for him, and titled "Bidu – Especial 40 Anos" (Blu – 40 Years Special).

Blu is the only character who appears in two different kinds of stories. In one, he is a normal dog, owned by Franklin, who fears taking baths (but is invariably forced to take them by Franklin), does anything in exchange for a bone, and plays around with the other dogs from the neighborhood. In the other type of stories, he is a director/actor of his own stories, is highly personified (walking by two feet behind the sets, and walking like a normal dog

Quadruped

Quadrupedalism is a form of land animal locomotion using four limbs or legs. An animal or machine that usually moves in a quadrupedal manner is known as a quadruped, meaning "four feet"...

 when acting.) and is famous for the strips in which he talks to objects, specially the rock called Mrs. Stone.

Related characters

• Franklin (Franjinha) – The brains of the gang, and the only character who is closely related both to Blu and to Monica and her friends, apart from Duke. Near his house, he has his own laboratory, where he spends hours, or even days concentrated on his chemical experiments, which usually end in failure. He's also an inventor, building up complex machines like time machines
  Time travel
  Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
  
  , teleporters
  Teleportation
  Teleportation is the fictional or imagined process by which matter is instantaneously transferred from one place to another.Teleportation may also refer to:*Quantum teleportation, a method of transmitting quantum data...
  
  , robot
  Robot
  A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
  
  s, and more. He is in love with Marina, the artist of the gang, even though she has no interest in him.
• Duke (Duque) – Blu's best friend, appears mostly on the stories in which Blu is a normal dog.
• Glu (Bugu) – Not exactly an enemy, but Blu's worst friend. He loves to give Blu a hard time, by begging him to take part of his strips. Blu never accepts, so Glu sees himself forced to perform his famous "imitations", even against Blu's wills. However, in the end he is always kicked off the strip (literally). He always says "Alô, mamãe!" (Hello, mommy!) when he enters the strip, and "Tchau, mamãe!" (Bye, mommy!), when he is kicked off. He has also appeared as Mister B (a reference to the magician Mr. M
  Val Valentino
  Val Valentino is an Italian American illusionist, and actor, who gained fame by starring in four magic specials exposing magic secrets on the Fox network, using the stage name the Masked Magician.-Biography:...
  
  ), a great magician who everybody thought to be Blu.
• Manfred (Manfredo) - Blu's main assistant, appears almost exclusively on the strips in which Blu is a director/actor. He is a secretary, producer, and arranger and is always carrying his clipboard.
• Mrs. Stone (Dona Pedra) – The most famous object that talks to Blu. A single grey stone, which cannot move. She mostly engages in philosophical conversations with Blu, or just talk about daily issues.
• Zé Esquecido – As his Portuguese name suggests, this character suffers from amnesia
  Amnesia
  Amnesia is a condition in which one's memory is lost. The causes of amnesia have traditionally been divided into categories. Memory appears to be stored in several parts of the limbic system of the brain, and any condition that interferes with the function of this system can cause amnesia...
  
  , affecting his Short-term memory. He also can't remember basic things like closing the eyes when sleeping.

External links

• Official Monica's Gang website
• Official Monica's Gang website