Tin Tan’s 104th Birthday

The exact origins of the Mexican-American term “Pachuco” are hard to pin down, but one of the most famous Pachucos in history would have to be Tin Tan. Today’s animated Doodle celebrates the actor, singer, and comedian who got his start in the nightclubs of Ciudad Juarez, just south of the Rio Grande, and went on to redefine a misunderstood youth culture.

Born in Mexico City on this day in 1915, Germán Genaro Cipriano Gómez Valdés de Castillo, also known as Tin Tan, helped to popularize the Mexican-American Pachuco. Known for their streetwise swagger and “zoot suits,” Tin Tan’s Pachuco characters were a variation on the “tramp” often portrayed by Mexican film actor Cantinflas. Often accompanied by Marcelo Chávez on guitar, Tin Tan appeared alongside the actress Famie Kaufman, also known as Vitola, though legend has it that he kissed more leading ladies than any actor in history.

His performance in films like the musical comedy Calabacitas Tiernas helped popularize the dialect known as caló, a mixture of Spanish and English spoken along the border. Besides appearing in more than 100 films, Tin Tan also recorded 11 records and voiced beloved Disney characters like Baloo in The Jungle Book and Cat O'Malley in The Aristocats.

Though he reportedly turned down The Beatles’ invitation to appear on the cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Tin Tan was honored by the Asociación de Actores de México. His legacy lives on in a statue on Génova Street in Mexico City’s Zona Rosa, standing as a symbol of pride in Mexico’s cultural heritage.

Feliz Cumpleaños, Tin Tan!

Doodler Up Close

Today’s Doodle was created by Doodler Gerben Steenks. Below, he shares some thoughts
on Tin Tan and the inspiration for his Doodle:

Q: Germán Genaro Cipriano Gómez Valdés de Castillo, better known as Tin Tan, was an actor, singer, and comedian. How do you decide what to show in the Doodle?
A: Someone so diverse, well-loved, and recognized requires research time—going through footage and songs and working along with our team in Mexico to depict the right characteristics that are essential to portray Tin Tan in one single Doodle.
 

Q: What was your creative vision for this Doodle?
A: After the initial research, it became very clear to me that I wanted to show his expressive and animated way of moving. Drawing the characteristic pachuco makes for really strong silhouettes in the design and helps to establish the poses and positions he is well known for. Not to forget details like his mustache and expressive eyebrows. It was a lot of fun watching him perform. You can see I played around in the early concept sketches looking for rhythm and liveliness in the drawings. Colorwise, we used warm grays to refer to a certain time period and used an old film projector to add some dramatic shadows.

Q: Do you have any technical tips and tricks to share with young aspiring artists?
A: Be curious and try out anything you find interesting, like Tin Tan!

Early concept sketches of the Doodle