Mauricio de Sousa has created over 200 comic characters since the start of his career in 1959 and has brought the fun of reading and education to millions of children, teens, and adults as they grew up with Monica and her friends. Today he has the biggest comic/animation studio in the history of Latin America, publishing some 15 monthly titles, more than 100 books annually, producing live action stage shows for Brazil and abroad, and countless cartoons while licensing his creations as the face of more than 3,000 products appearing in over 80 countries. In 2007, UNICEF named his title character Monica as children's' ambassador for the world.