Google Doodle Pays Tribute to Beloved Mexican Comedian ‘Chespirito'

Roberto Gomez Bolaños' was best known for his television characters “El Chavo del Ocho” and “El Chapulin Colorado.”

A Google Doodle of Mexican comedian Robert Gomez Bolaños

Google Doodle is paying tribute to the iconic Mexican comedian Roberto Gomez Bolaños on what would have been his 91st birthday.

Known as “Chespirito,” which means "Little Shakespeare," Bolaños wrote and played the boy television character “El Chavo del Ocho” (The Boy From No. 8) that defined a generation for millions of Latin American children. His other famous character was the naive superhero “El Chapulin Colorado,” or “The Crimson Grasshopper.”

Born in Mexico City on Feb. 21, 1929, Bolaños had a degree in engineering, but was dedicated to writing from a young age.

Talented both on the screen and behind it, he found early success contributing to some of Mexico’s highest-rated television and radio programs before get his big break in 1970 with the creation of “Chespirito,” a sketch comedy show that included segments about “The Crimson Grasshopper.”

The goofy superhero donned a red bodysuit and hood with antennas that helped him detect danger miles away. He layered it with yellow shorts and boots. The character, whose superpowers included shrinking to the size of a pill and dodging enemies, constantly repeated his signature phrases, “You didn’t count on my cleverness” and “All the good people, follow me.”

In 1971, Bolaños debuted the character “El Chavo del Ocho," the quirky 8-year old orphan with freckles, striped shirt and frayed cap. Many Latin Americans, living under dictatorships during the height of the show, found his underdog triumphs heroic in the face of authority.

Both characters went on to earn their own shows.

For more than 40 years, Chespirito created hundreds of episodes of television shows, as well as movies and plays. Chespirito died in 2014 at age 85.

His legacy lives on in the series' reruns, which have been translated into more than 50 languages and are still shown on television networks globally, including Spanish language television in the United States. El Chavo's famous catchphrase "Fue sin querer queriendo," or "accidentally on purpose," is commonly quoted by Latin Americans.

"Gracias for all the laughs, Chespirito—your infectious smile brings joy to families around the world!" Google wrote in a blog post explaining Friday's doodle.

(FILE) Mexican comedian, writer and producer Roberto Gomez Bolaños, aka "Chespirito," poses during the launching of an animated television series on Oct. 10, 2006 in Mexico City. 'El Chavo del ocho', one of the most popular characters played by Gomez Bolanos, celebrates 40 years on June 21, 2011. (Photo: LUIS ACOSTA/AFP via Getty Images)
NBC/The Associated Press
Contact Us