Pinón, Telva and Pinín

Alfonso Iglesias López de Vivigo, best known simply as Alfonso, was born in Navia, Asturias. He was an artist, painter, humorist and writer, known as the creator of the Asturian characters Pinón, Telva and Pinín. 

Although he had a degree in science, he chose to pursue an artistic career. He published his early work in the newspapers Región, La Voz de Asturias and La Nueve España. For many years, he drew the adventures of his characters 'Pinón y Telva' and 'Pinín'. Since 1962, he also worked on juvenile programs on Spanish television.

In 1943,during the  Spanish post-war time, Alfonso Iglesias created for the Asturian newspaper "La Nueva España" an emblematic character: an Asturian peasant man wearing  the asturian typical wooden shoes and black beret and who mixed the Spanish language with the Asturian. This man, Pinón,was married to Telva, a peasant woman  also wearing the typical costume in the Asturian villages. They lived with  their nephew,"Pinín" who soon became the most popular character and awoke among the Asturian children their thirst for adventures as, Pinín's biggest wish was travelling through the world and so he did.

Pinín invented a strange kind of transport, half helicopter, half wooden shoe (madreña) called it  the "madreñogiro" and visited many countries in the world showing to people everywhere he was from Asturias.

In Asturias, the comics with the adventures of Pinin and family are still very popular. 

First thing you see when you arrive to the Asturias' airport is the Pinin's "madreñogiro".