Henfil (1944-1988) was born in the city of Ribeirão das Neves, Minas Gerais, on February 5, 1944. Henfil and his two brothers, sociologist Betinho and musician Chico Mário, inherited hemophilia from their mother – a disorder that prevents blood clotting, making the patient susceptible to bleeding.
Henfil studied Sociology at the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the Federal University of Minas Gerais but did not complete the course. He worked as a messenger at an advertising agency. He specialized in illustration and comic book production.
He began his career as an illustrator in 1964 when he was invited by editor and writer Robert Dummond to work on the magazine Alterosa in Belo Horizonte. The following year, his caricatures of politicians were published in the newspaper Diário de Minas. In 1967, he created sports cartoons for the Jornal de Sports in Rio de Janeiro. He worked for the magazines Realidade, Visão, Placar, and O Cruzeiro.
In 1969, he began collaborating with Jornal do Brasil and with Pasquim, a newspaper that confronted the Brazilian military regime. In 1970, at the height of the military dictatorship, he created the magazine “Fradim,” where he showcased his characters known for their critical and satirical humor.
Henfil also worked in television, writing scripts for the program TV Mulher, a huge success among female audiences from the late 70s to the early 80s.
As a writer, he published several books, including “Hiroshima, Meu Humor” (1966), “Diretas Já!” (1984), “Henfil na China” (1980), “Fradim de Libertação” (1984), and “Como se Faz Humor Político” (1984). In 1981, he won the Vladimir Herzog Award for his body of work through the magazine Isto É.
Henfil (Henrique de Souza Filho) passed away in Rio de Janeiro on January 4, 1988, due to the AIDS virus, contracted through a blood transfusion.
Source: www.ebiografia.com, by Dilva Frazão