“Baldo” Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month With Guest Cartoonists
by GoComics TeamSince 1988, National Hispanic Heritage Month—which takes place from September 15 through October 15—has served as an observation of Hispanic and Latino American contributions to American history, culture, and heritage.
To mark this celebratory month, “Baldo”, co-created by Hector Cantu and Carlos Castellanos, is featuring Latino guest artists for the strip’s five Sunday comics published from September 15 until October 13.
“There are tons of creative, talented artists who never get a chance to be a part of the funny pages,” Cantu says.
Adds Castellanos, “With these guest artist slots, readers across America can get a chance to learn about talented artists doing great work.”
Here are the guest cartoonists to look forward to for the next month! Be sure to follow “Baldo” on GoComics so you don’t miss a beat.
September 15 - David Le Batard, or Lebo as he’s known in the art world, is recognized for a wide spectrum of mediums including murals, paintings, and sculptures. He created a unique art style called Postmodern Cartoon Expressionism, which blends cartoon elements with vibrant colors and distinct lines to craft stories that evoke emotions and invite deeper interpretation.
Lebo passed away on August 1, 2023, and to honor his memory, Cantu and Castellanos are reprinting a strip that he created for “Baldo” in 2009.
September 22 - Daytime Emmy winner for his work on animated children’s show “Tutenstein,” his work on Rafael Navarro is a multi-hyphenate artist that works in animation, illustration, and comic books. Some of his notable projects include “Guns A’ Blazin’,” a comic book he co-created with writer and The Comic Bug co-owner Mike Wellman, and the Xeric Foundation Award-winning lucha-noir (a genre that combines elements of lucha libre, or Mexican wrestling, with noir storytelling) cult classic “Sonambulo.”
September 29 - Gonzalo Alvarez is an illustrator, writer, and designer from Port Arthur, Texas. He is known for creating “Borders,” an internationally acclaimed video game inspired by his parents’ immigration to America, and “Nawalli,” an Aztec card game. Alvarez is also working on his debut Aztec fantasy graphic novel, “Poyoman,” which is set to come out in 2026.
October 6 - For more than 25 years, Puerto Rican illustrator and fantasy artist Fian Arroyo has been creating award-winning illustrations in the advertising, editorial, corporate, and publishing spaces. 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”.
October 13 - The talented Crystal Gonzalez 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”—which has more than 13 million views! Gonzalez’s art has been featured at the Charles M. Schulz Museum (shoutout to “Peanuts”) and the Museum of Latin American Art.
Here are some more Latinx and Hispanic creators to check out on GoComics:
- Lalo Lacaraz of “La Cucaracha”
- Alexis E. Fajardo of “Kid Beowulf”
- Pedro Martin of “Mexikid Stories”
- Andrés J. Colmenares of “Wawawiwa”