Pumas celebrates 50 years of its shield; the creator faces precarious conditions

Mexico City. The emblematic Pumas shield created by Manuel Birdie Andrade turned 50 this Saturday, while its 79-year-old creator lives in precarious economic and health conditions.

“With the eyes and nose of the puma, Manuel formed an abstract figure to represent the “U” of University, and by joining that ‘U’ with the line of the mouth, they give the appearance of a cup, the maximum representation of triumph , especially in sports competitions. He also represents the values ​​of academia, research and university culture,” the campus said in a statement.

The logo that Andrade created has reflected the philosophy of Pumas since 1974, when he gave a painting with this image to the then rector Guillermo Soberón Acevedo. However, for decades he did not receive royalties for this work, even though the club benefited from marketing it in various products ranging from t-shirts to various souvenirs.

“When Rodrigo Ares de Parga was there (as president of the Pumas Board of Trustees) the team gave him help of five thousand pesos per game, but when he left he stopped receiving that money. Now, the club looked for him recently but there was no agreement,” he told The Conference Luis Gachuz, friend of the creator of the Pumas logo and who helps him with the marketing of t-shirts, thermoses and paintings that carry the emblematic image of the felines.

Andrade, who lives alone, has faced health complications in recent years. This publishing house indicated on March 19 that he suffered from anemia. Gachuz indicated that the artist is now recovering from an oral infection due to a change in dental prosthesis. “Today we will celebrate him with a cake, it will be a surprise for him,” he said.