The Baldo comic strip, co-created by Hector Cantu and Carlos Castellanos, is recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month by featuring Latino guest artists for the strip’s five Sunday comics being published between September 15 and October 15.
“There are tons of creative, talented artists who never get a chance to be a part of the funny pages,” said Cantu. “With these guest artist slots,” adds Castellanos, “readers across America can get a chance to learn about talented artists doing great work.”
The Sunday guest cartoonists are:
Sept. 15 – David LeBatard [above], better known in the art world as Lebo, is recognized for a wide spectrum of mediums including murals, paintings and sculptures. Lebo is the innovator of Postmodern Cartoon Expressionism – a combination of cartoon imagery, richly saturated balances of color and unique linear composition brought together in a narrative style to inspire emotion and create layers of meaning.
David passed away on Aug. 1, 2023. To honor his memory, Hector and Carlos are reprinting the guest strip Lebo did in 2009 [link added].
Sept. 22 – Rafael Navarro [above] is a gun-for-hire artist in animation, illustration and comic books, earning him a Daytime Emmy. Noted works include “Guns A’ Blazin’,” co-created with writer Mike Wellman, and the Xeric Foundation Award-winning lucha-noir cult classic “Sonambulo.”
Sept. 29 – Gonzalo Alvarez [above] is an illustrator, writer and designer from Port Arthur, Texas. He created “Borders,” an internationally acclaimed video game inspired by his parents’ immigration, and “Nawalli” the Aztec card game. His debut Aztec fantasy graphic novel, “Poyoman”(Harper Alley), will be released in 2026.
Oct. 6 – Illustrator and fantasy artist Fian Arroyo [above] has been creating award-winning illustrations for clients, including Fortune-500 companies, for advertising, editorial, corporate and publishing markets for over 25 years. His work has appeared in award books for the New York Society of Illustrators, the Los Angeles Society of Illustrators, and fantasy award books “Spectrum” and “Infected By Art.” He is from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Oct. 13 – Crystal Gonzalez [above] is an indie comic creator and animator with an MFA from the California College of the Arts. Her works include the self-published graphic novel series “In The Dark,” and the YouTube cartoon series “Skitzo the 1920’s Killer Bear,” with over 13 million views. Her works have appeared at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Museum of Latin American Art.
The mini-profiles here come from Andrews McMeel Universal’s news page where photos are included.
The GoComics Team has also issued the news with different wording and includes links to guest artists’ sites.
