Barcelona fills with Mortadelo: free Ibáñez diorama route for his 90th anniversary

Barcelona pays tribute to Francisco Ibáñez with a free diorama trail. Five landmark spaces host iconic scenes from his characters. Workshops and talks complete the Día Ibáñez celebration. A unique opportunity to rediscover the city through comics.

This weekend, Barcelona invites people to walk its streets with a different perspective: that of Francisco Ibáñez. The city becomes the setting for a free trail celebrating the 90th anniversary of the creator of Mortadelo y Filemón, filling five key points on the urban map with humour and nostalgia.

Publisher Bruguera has set out miniature dioramas that capture Ibáñez’s mischievous and chaotic spirit. Made with high-definition 3D printing and hand-painted, these pieces take his most emblematic comic panels off the page and place them in the everyday life of Barcelona.

Visitors can discover Ibáñez’s self-portrait in his 1983 studio at the Biblioteca Gabriel García Márquez, immerse themselves in the universe of 13, Rue del Percebe at Fnac Rambla Catalunya, or laugh at a silent Rompetechos gag at the Escola Joso de dibuix. Penguin Random House’s headquarters (Edificio Colonial SFL) hosts a Mortadelo y Filemón scene in full action, while the Nausicaä and Norma bookshops present a travelling diorama dedicated to El Botones Sacarino.

The celebration is not limited to the diorama exhibition. On Sunday 15 March, the Biblioteca Gabriel García Márquez is organising a family workshop focused on Mortadelo y Filemón, designed to let children and adults experience the creative process behind comics. In addition, on Tuesday 17 March, coinciding with Día del Cómic, the author’s daughter, Nuria Ibáñez, will share memories and anecdotes in a talk with journalist Jordi Canyissà at Fnac Rambla at 19:00.

Día Ibáñez is thus becoming an essential date for people who love comics and want to rediscover Barcelona through the eyes of one of its great creators.

Francisco Ibáñez shaped generations with his humour and his ability to portray Spanish society through satire and tenderness. His characters, such as Mortadelo y Filemón, Rompetechos and El Botones Sacarino, are part of the collective imagination and have transcended the page to become cultural icons. Día Ibáñez, promoted by publisher Bruguera, seeks to keep that heritage alive and bring his legacy closer to new generations, using the city as a setting and meeting point for fans and the curious.

Today, Sunday 15 March, the Francisco Ibáñez diorama trail is active and free around Barcelona: Biblio Gabriel García Márquez (1983 studio self-portrait), Fnac Rambla Catalunya (13 Rue del Percebe), Escola Joso (Rompetechos), Penguin Random House Colonial SFL (Mortadelo/Filemón), Nausicaä/Norma (travelling Botones Sacarino). Family Mortadelo/Filemón workshop today at Biblioteca García Márquez (web registration), Nuria Ibáñez + Jordi Canyissà talk 17 March 19:00 at Fnac Rambla on Día del Cómic — new official Ibáñez typeface (Iván Castro). Metro L2/L5 Verdaguer/Sagrada Família, easy to combine the trail + a walk around Eixample, Omnipro 3D printing + hand painting.