Pituco: from the backyard to the year 3121
He was adopted in Marília in the middle of the pandemic and became a comic book hero. The story of the mixed-breed dog who inspired a character, a book and a city.
There are two Pitucos. One is an anthropomorphic dog who stands 90 centimeters tall, wears a yellow jumpsuit with black details and carries two laser pistols. The other was a real mixed-breed dog, adopted in April 2020, in Marília, in the middle of the pandemic. One was born from the other.
The real dog
Pituco arrived during a period of isolation and turned the routine at home into a life full of companionship. Charismatic and smart, he quickly became a symbol of affection and empathy. That daily life together lit the creative spark for Radius.
The hero of 3121
In the Radius universe, Pituco is part of a group of animals preserved in cryogenic arks that cross the centuries until the year 3121. They wake up already anthropomorphic and bipedal, the result of an evolutionary process that took place during hibernation.
In combat he is agile and ambidextrous, with a habit of spinning both pistols as part of his body language. Ironic and sarcastic, he uses humor to throw enemies off balance without losing control. And his loyalty is absolute: he never abandons an ally.
Within the resistance, he is the only one who calls Radius "Spark". In return, Radius calls him "Fleabag".
The symbol on his chest
Pituco passed away on July 8, 2024, after being hit by a car. The paw the character wears on his chest was created from a print of the real Pituco's paw, made on the day he passed. The symbol first appeared at the end of Radius Volume 3 and is now an official part of the character.
The legacy
His passing did not end the story. It expanded a movement for reading and animal protection that keeps growing:
- The book Quatro Patas, a história de Pituco weaves together memory, fiction and social impact.
- The comic Pituco Nº 1: Aurora Esmeralda marks his debut in a title of his own.
- The first public pet park in Marília, in the Parati neighborhood, was announced under the name Parque Pet Pituco.
- The song "Pituco" became the official theme of the dog hero.
The full timeline, from the adoption to the most recent actions, is on the page Who was Pituco. As its closing line says: superheroes never die.
