Netto, the fastest cartoonist in the Wild West.

River - Netto was one of the first friends I made in the world of cartooning.

We met in the 90s, when, still young, he sent a folder with dozens of cartoons to "Cartoon" - a small humor newspaper that I edited in Rio de Janeiro - each one better than the other.

Personally, we met years later on Abraão Island, at the 'Ilha Grande International Humor Salon', organized by the cartoonist Ferreth. From then on, there were hundreds of encounters and partings, and many beers, ales, and liters of cachaça. As an appreciator of good cachaça, Netto participated in tastings and events of the 'Confraria do Copo Furado' (Brotherhood of the Leaky Glass), a group founded in 1994 with the mission of promoting quality cachaça. He was passionate about a good pinga (Brazilian rum).

Born Roberto José da Rocha Neto in 1964 in São Luís, Maranhão, he came to Rio de Janeiro in 1970, at only 5 years old. Even in elementary school, he was already trying his hand at drawing. His talent was noticed by his teachers, who encouraged him to create drawings for the school mural and the internal newspaper, marking the beginning of his artistic journey.

In Rio de Janeiro, he earned a Bachelor's degree in Engraving and Fine Arts from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and became known as 'Netto, the fastest cartoonist in the Old West', being invited to events and to illustrate books and work with animation at Faro Filmes.

A resident of Niterói, in Rio de Janeiro, he soon met the cartoonist and editor Ota and became a fan and reader of the Brazilian version of Mad magazine, especially the cartoons without captions, which would become his trademark.

Influenced by cartoonists such as Don Martín, Al Jaffee, Antonio Prohías and, especially, Sergio Aragonés, Netto began to experiment with his own style and create cartoons on a variety of themes. In 1994, he won an award in the "Shipwrecked and Desert Island" contest, promoted by the newspaper 'Pasquim', in partnership with Malt 90 beer.

The award earned him several invitations to exhibitions throughout Brazil, such as 'Humorana' in Paraná. From then on, the cartoonist participated in various competitions, salons, and exhibitions, winning awards at the 'Piracicaba University Salon', 'Ribeirão Preto International Salon', 'Canindé/CE Humor Salon', 'Volta Redonda Humor Salon', and 'Rio de Janeiro Humor Salon'.

Abroad, he won awards at humor festivals in Cuba, Norway, Belgium, and Denmark. He held exhibitions in Portugal, Romania, and Ecuador, becoming an internationally renowned cartoonist.

Netto was a restless, curious cartoonist, attentively observing human behavior in its many facets. His cartoons, always sprinkled with intelligent, insightful humor—sometimes light, sometimes not so much—stirred the imagination of his readers.

An admirer of Brazilian cartoonists, including Canini, Luscar, Vilmar Rodrigues, Ramade, and many others, Netto works in the press, where he has published in the newspapers 'O País', 'Jornal Incrível', 'Cartoon', 'Folha de Londrina', 'Umuarama Ilustrado', and in the magazines 'Raça Brasil', 'Atual', 'Estilo', 'Ele & Ela', 'Playboy', 'Raça Brasil', 'Mad', 'Caras', and 'Bundas'.

Currently, the cartoonist collaborated with the newspapers 'O Folha de Minas', 'Tribuna do Sertão' (from Alagoas), 'Coluna do Ítalo' (from Umuarama-PR), 'Ecos da Notícia' (from Acre), 'O Gonçalense', and 'A Notícia' (from Macaé).

Skilled in the art of instant drawing, this cartoonist from Niterói is a regular participant in social and corporate events, performing live drawings, an activity he has been doing for quite some time.

Among his most notable works is the series of illustrations about cachaça entitled 'Cachaça Boa', which explores the cultural universe of this drink with humor and insight. In Vassouras (RJ), he participated in the 7th edition of the “Feira da Cachaça de Vassouras”, with the cartoon exhibition “Cachaça e Humor”.

The cartoonist, who had recently overcome cancer, died of cardiac arrest as a result of a skin infection.

His work can be seen online on the blog 'Cartoons, daydreams, crazy ideas, trips, madness and much more'.

https://cartunistanetto.blogspot.com/

Goodbye, my friend!