Show Me Your Papers: The Political Cartoons of Lalo Alcaraz
Tuesday, September 26, 7 – 8:30 p.m.
Proscenium Theatre

In this talk, political cartoonist and film and TV writer, Lalo Alcaraz, will explore his history as an editorial cartoonist and creator of La Cucaracha, the first politically oriented and Latino-themed syndicated daily comic strip. La Cucaracha is read in American newspapers nationwide. Along with other work by Alcaraz, the strip is syndicated by Andrews McMeel Syndication, home of Doonesbury and Pearls Before Swine. Alcaraz produced editorial cartoons from 1992 to 2010 for The LA Weekly and now creates cartoons in English and Spanish for Universal. He also worked on the Fox animated sitcom Bordertown and, more recently, as a consultant on the Disney film, Coco. “I grew up not seeing any characters portrayed in film, TV or comics that looked like me,” Alcaraz told the Monteray Herald. “That’s why today I try to make characters for film, TV or comics,” he continued. “I only work on Hollywood projects that will portray brown people in a positive, smart or realistic way.”

In La Cucaracha, Alcaraz chronicles the history of the modern Latino political movement in the U.S., starting with the rise of anti-immigrant laws like Proposition 187 in California through Arizona S.B. 1070 and today’s S.B. 4 in Texas. Not to mention the current occupant of the White House. Laughs abound!

Lalo Alcaraz is an award winning visual and media artist and writer based in Los Angeles who chronicles the ascendancy of Latinos in the United States. Alcaraz’s graphic novel and cartoon books include: A Most Imperfect Union; Latino USA: A Cartoon History, 15th Anniversary Edition; Migra Mouse: Political Cartoons On Immigration; and La Cucaracha. Alcaraz was a writer and producer on the animated FOX TV show Bordertown and he is a consultant on the upcoming Day of the Dead-themed animated Pixar movie COCO. Alcaraz is the co-host of the satirical talk show, “The Pocho Hour of Power,” heard on L.A.’s KPFK 90.7 FM.

Admission is free.

Plan your visit
UMBC is located about 10 minutes south of the Inner Harbor along I-95. For this event, free visitor parking is available in Lot 8, directly adjacent to the Performing Arts and Humanities Building, where the Proscenium Theatre is located on the first floor — please click here for additional information.