If you grew up anywhere in Latin America, you knew Chespirito. The Mexican comedian, who would have turned 91 today (Feb. 21) created the beloved characters of El Chapulín Colorado and El Chavo del Ocho, mainstays of afternoon television for children across the continent.
Chespirito (or “Little Shakespeare” — yes, without the "k") was the nickname given to Roberto Gómez Bolaños, an artist, writer, composer, director, producer, and of course, comedian. Chespirito’s character in El Chapulín Colorado would inspire Matt Groening to create the Spanish-speaking Bumblebee Man character for The Simpsons.
The creation of the Chespirito Doodle is a second of sorts for Gómez Bolaños. A few years back, Google created a Chavo del Ocho Doodle that could be seen only in Latin America; this time, Chespirito is getting a bigger star treatment, as his Doodle can also be seen in the United States.
Beyond the Doodle, Chespirito’s legacy lives on. Last year, TH3 Media Group announced it was teaming up with Grupo Chespirito to produce shows, films and content based on his characters, including a biopic.
Chespirito died in 2014.
