1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: Marl Boyle and DC do have a history. I will 2 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: complicate a history with cultural representation in their books, you know, 3 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:12,040 Speaker 1: being Latino at the same time, being Chicano living in Texas. 4 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: I was longing for characters that understood me. 5 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:24,759 Speaker 2: From futuro media. It's Latin Usa. I'm Maria Ino Josa today. 6 00:00:24,800 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 2: Ecdor Rodriguez the creator of Elbso Hero, a comic book 7 00:00:28,680 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 2: superhero celebrating in ten years of fighting Mexican cartels, corrupt officials, 8 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 2: and advocating for the rights of migrants on the border. 9 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:42,519 Speaker 2: By day, ec Door Rodriguez is a school teacher in Dallas, Texas, 10 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 2: but by night, he's hard at work building up the 11 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 2: world of Elbeso Hero. Launched in twenty eleven, the comic 12 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 2: book draws from Ector's imagination and his own experiences growing 13 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:58,800 Speaker 2: up on the border. Historically, there's been very little diversity 14 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 2: in mainstream superhero comic books. The ones whose stories have 15 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 2: recently been magnified by the big screen are so few 16 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 2: that we can almost name them all here. In twenty eleven, 17 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 2: Miles Morales, an Afro Latino teen from Brooklyn, New York, 18 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:20,000 Speaker 2: was introduced by Marvel as an alternate version of Spider Man, 19 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,120 Speaker 2: and seven years later, Miles would be the star of 20 00:01:23,160 --> 00:01:27,399 Speaker 2: the Academy Award winning animated feature Spider Man into the 21 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 2: Spider Verse. Marvel Entertainment also brought Black Panther to the 22 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 2: big screen. The critically acclaimed film was nominated for six 23 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:48,480 Speaker 2: Oscars and won three. Mexican actress sal Mahayak, alongside other 24 00:01:48,600 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 2: non white actors, will have a role in The Eternals. 25 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 2: It's scheduled to be released in November. Still, these big 26 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 2: name superheroes haven't quenched the loud and growing demand for 27 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 2: representation in the comic book landscape. Meanwhile, several Latino and 28 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 2: Latina independent creators, from illustrators to writers and others, are 29 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:15,160 Speaker 2: trying to make up for that void. In this week's 30 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 2: How I Made It, Ecto Rodriguez talks about growing up 31 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 2: loving superheroes but not feeling represented by them, something he'd 32 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 2: eventually deal with by creating his own comic world centered 33 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 2: on the Border. Here's Hectro Rodriguez. 34 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: I am the creator of the graphic novel LATINX series 35 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 1: El Paso Hero. I was raised in the Border, so specifically, 36 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: I was raised in Egopass, Texas, which is about two 37 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:51,320 Speaker 1: hours away from San Antonio and the sister city of 38 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:56,640 Speaker 1: Piedras Negras Quaila north of Mexico. The border is a 39 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: whole different world. It's a bridge between cultures, languages, food. 40 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: Growing up, I had a huge appetite for Mexican entertainment media, 41 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:11,679 Speaker 1: and so I used to watch a lot of Lucre 42 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: Canteen Flass and my grandparents loved the Golden Age of 43 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: Mexican cinema, and so those characters are just greater than life. 44 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: And I had that influence my father. He was also 45 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: a huge geek himself, with being raised by watching you know, 46 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: the old schools Star Track and you know, reading Captain 47 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: America Southern Rock, and so I had these two worlds, 48 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 1: and I was just fascinated with these greater than life characters. 49 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: But you know, the American characters never really spoke to me, 50 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:08,760 Speaker 1: you know, like like I like to get around. You know, 51 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: when was the last time you saw Batman eat and banadas, 52 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:14,960 Speaker 1: you know, or Superman eat bandul say, you know, Spider 53 00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:18,359 Speaker 1: Man and Posole? No, of course not. It wasn't until 54 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,479 Speaker 1: by late ninety one ninety two we moved to Middle 55 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 1: of Texas College Station, which to me, was a huge 56 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: culture shock, going from a majority Latino classroom, bi lingual 57 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 1: classroom to a general ed monolingual classroom. But really cool 58 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:41,520 Speaker 1: thing about College Station that they actually had independent comic 59 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:44,280 Speaker 1: book stores, and so my dad would take me and 60 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: my siblings to pick up comic books. You know, I 61 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:53,920 Speaker 1: was looking for that hero that really spoke to my world. 62 00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:59,840 Speaker 1: Marvel and DC do have a history, will complicate it 63 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,600 Speaker 1: history with cultural representation in their books, with a lot 64 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 1: of black exploitation eras, and you know a lot of 65 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:11,040 Speaker 1: typical sterotype characters within their books, you know, and they 66 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:15,599 Speaker 1: were just you know, basically like second class superheroes. The 67 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:19,599 Speaker 1: way I would fill the void of black reversentation, I 68 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: started creating my own comics, and I remember I started 69 00:05:27,080 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: penciling and drawing, and then in middle school I was 70 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:34,680 Speaker 1: selling my images, my prints. I was drawing first, I mean, 71 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:38,840 Speaker 1: you know, just the Marvel characters of Wolverine, Spider Man, venem. 72 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: Kids would buy them for a couple of dollars and 73 00:05:41,680 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: it would be, you know, just popular characters. And so 74 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 1: in a way, I was flexing my creative muscles, flexing 75 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: my graphic art. And then on the side, I would 76 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:55,039 Speaker 1: create these, uh, these small comic books, you know, and 77 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 1: usually I would I would have very simplistic story, but 78 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: in nothing serious because I was still learning a lot 79 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: from the art. One of the very first characters I 80 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 1: created had a mask that would change depending on the perspective, 81 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,160 Speaker 1: and it changed through wherever I was looking at it, 82 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: which now that I'm thinking about it, is, well, that's 83 00:06:19,279 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 1: actually pretty deep. And they just spoke to I guess 84 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 1: the challenges being a Chicano kid in a being a 85 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:33,720 Speaker 1: minority within my middle school world, and living through being 86 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: part of these different worlds, you know, being part of 87 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,919 Speaker 1: the general public, and then going back home to my family. 88 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,160 Speaker 1: A great thing about our communist that we have a 89 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 1: long history of storytellers. We have a lot of family 90 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: members our storytellers. We're natural storytellers ourselves. A Mecto the 91 00:06:57,640 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 1: third and he, you know, he really believed in the 92 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: American dream, and so he was born in Kuahila, in 93 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:13,560 Speaker 1: Gidas Negadas, and so growing up he would tell us 94 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: about you know, crossing in and out putout any issue. 95 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: And I do recall my grandfather telling me this rumor 96 00:07:21,640 --> 00:07:27,360 Speaker 1: of these ex military guys breaking away from the Mexican 97 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 1: and special Forces and creating their own criminal organization, you know, 98 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:35,360 Speaker 1: and so and they're setting up shop in the border world, 99 00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: and I felt that there needed to be a somebody, 100 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: a hero to confront them. And so there it was 101 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: the fuse to create a Pesto hero. It was two 102 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,800 Speaker 1: dozand and three I started writing a Pesto hero and 103 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: adding a lot of my cultural experiences, adding a lot 104 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:59,559 Speaker 1: of individual nuances, and putting a lot of heart into 105 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: some of these cultural moments. Just as simple as a 106 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: Bezl hero going to the border and not being able 107 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: to buy things because he forgot to change his paeszos 108 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:14,920 Speaker 1: through dollars, and seeing that the evaluation of the Bezl 109 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: being an issue. There's little things like that, you know. 110 00:08:18,320 --> 00:08:20,400 Speaker 1: I had that in the back burner. It wasn't until 111 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:24,480 Speaker 1: I actually became an educator here in Dallas where I 112 00:08:24,520 --> 00:08:30,400 Speaker 1: found out the great need and opportunity to have heroes 113 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 1: that represented us, superheroes that needed to be in the 114 00:08:34,840 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: front cover. And noticing in my school library there was 115 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 1: this was two and ten, my first year of teaching, 116 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 1: and so seeing a huge lack of representation, seeing that 117 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: all of my students were Latino, and noticing the demographics changing, 118 00:08:55,960 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: but the content definitely remained the same. Another way that 119 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 1: really was the catalyst for me to create a puzzle 120 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: hero was when one of my students father was deported, 121 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:12,480 Speaker 1: and I felt that he needed to have a hero 122 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 1: to look up to within the vary same books he 123 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:19,440 Speaker 1: checks out in the library. I needed to be that 124 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:23,280 Speaker 1: father figure within the school for him. And this was 125 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 1: early twenty eleven, so you know, as he just speaks 126 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: to the long ways we have with immigration policy in 127 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: our country, regardless of who's in office. But I felt 128 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: that Ignosti rived puzzle hero was needed, you know. And 129 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: Bezi Hero is a nickname of Ignacio and a lot 130 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 1: of kids growing up, they grew up with different nicknames. 131 00:09:56,280 --> 00:09:59,199 Speaker 1: I grew up with nicknames myself. I was also Teto 132 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 1: Actorine too, and so, uh, Ignacio has you know, Nacho 133 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:13,240 Speaker 1: Nachitoo hero al toro pesado, which he is called in 134 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: in Mexico. So within el pesto Hero specifically, this is 135 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:21,080 Speaker 1: a name that was given to Ignacio by the Porto 136 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 1: Patrol in a way devaluing his heroics. He's not worth 137 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:29,080 Speaker 1: a devalued peso kind of it, put down right, and 138 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: so this moniker becomes a joke between them and it 139 00:10:32,960 --> 00:10:39,559 Speaker 1: just catches fire as a peso hero, larger than life heroism, 140 00:10:39,800 --> 00:10:42,520 Speaker 1: you know, he's and have you heard about a pesto hero, 141 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 1: you know, the I got a story to tell you 142 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:48,199 Speaker 1: about elpeso hero. This name becomes legend and he owns it. 143 00:10:54,920 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 1: Ignacio is from a complicated family in the vorder, and 144 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:08,680 Speaker 1: so he himself is lost and is taken in by 145 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:13,560 Speaker 1: a very humble family with a Grandeta, Dona Rosa and 146 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 1: her ranch hand don't Fetimine, And so these characters become 147 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: their his sarrogate grandparents, and so they take him as 148 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 1: their own, as their grandson. And that's where he learns 149 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 1: a lot of the values. Don Fetimine having a interesting 150 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:36,400 Speaker 1: job to not also a ranch hand, but being a 151 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:41,120 Speaker 1: coyote helping folks cross with his trustee Compass. And so 152 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: this is where we go into one of the stories 153 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: where in pas of your Borderland where Don Fetimine is 154 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:52,320 Speaker 1: gets a call and he is trying to find a 155 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: lost family in the border. So we talked about coyotas 156 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: you know, being very complex, very complicated it, you know, 157 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: and for him is about helping families cross safely. And 158 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:08,200 Speaker 1: so we add a lot of that challenging moral issues 159 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: with a puzzo hero, Ignacio getting a lot of his 160 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: humanity from Don't Fetamine too, and as well, we learned 161 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:20,680 Speaker 1: more about the embossed belt buckle that puzza hero has 162 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:25,600 Speaker 1: that has been passed down from generations going through Mexican history, 163 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: from the Mexican American War to the Mexican Revolution with Panchroviga. 164 00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 1: And so it's very important to add that element of 165 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:41,080 Speaker 1: historical representation because I believe it was very important to 166 00:12:41,120 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: be proud of where you come from, who you are, 167 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: and so on. The look for a puzz of hero 168 00:12:54,840 --> 00:13:02,679 Speaker 1: was inspired by my own family, Missaelos deals. It's very simple. 169 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:07,400 Speaker 1: It calls back to you know, Midi Choui and Pascons, 170 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:10,199 Speaker 1: you know, and midial Chui, you know, wearing his white shirts, 171 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:13,520 Speaker 1: blue jeans, but buckle. Very simple, and it's something that 172 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:16,240 Speaker 1: a lot of even a lot of my students connect. 173 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: You know, hey that you know that looks like my deal, 174 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: a humble hero. You know, I've gotten feedback where how 175 00:13:23,120 --> 00:13:27,559 Speaker 1: come El Paso hero speaks only Spanish in the books, 176 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 1: as well as why is that pessor hero white? Why 177 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:34,840 Speaker 1: does he look white, you know, to his colorism, to 178 00:13:34,880 --> 00:13:38,000 Speaker 1: the colorism and I'm in, which is something that I've 179 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:41,840 Speaker 1: I've never noted. All the artists and myself, we do 180 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:44,840 Speaker 1: El Pesso Hero regardless of what color, and so at 181 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: Pesto Hero has been in different cues of skin color. 182 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 1: You know. It an perso hero speaking only Spanish is 183 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:58,320 Speaker 1: something that as long as I'm the writer, that's not 184 00:13:58,360 --> 00:14:01,320 Speaker 1: going to change, you know. And it's something that I 185 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: feel that it's very important to be proud of your 186 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:11,439 Speaker 1: your native language, and it's important for that language diversity. 187 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:14,960 Speaker 1: I love that they really want to make the hero 188 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,120 Speaker 1: of their own, which is perfect. It's amazing. I love 189 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:21,360 Speaker 1: the sense of ownership with the character. It's great, you know, 190 00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 1: even you know, with you know, being asked to a 191 00:14:24,800 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 1: puzzle here represent more native roots, you know, some of 192 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:32,920 Speaker 1: the anti colonial some aspects as well, you know, where 193 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: puzzle here needs to send up more for Chicano rights 194 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:39,440 Speaker 1: or you know, even the word Latins being used, the 195 00:14:39,520 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 1: controversy with the word being and so these dialogues are 196 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:47,760 Speaker 1: really great, you know, and are important important to have, 197 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 1: and for myself, I listen and I acknowledge and I 198 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:59,320 Speaker 1: share my thoughts of that. This character that was created 199 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 1: was create through my lens, you know, and I definitely 200 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:07,760 Speaker 1: invite anybody to create their own up Peaz of Hero story, 201 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: to create their own version of Pedes of Hero. The 202 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 1: content is heavy, you know, it's it's the reflection of 203 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:25,040 Speaker 1: the border. And one of the most challenging parts was 204 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: the story and border land where we're talking about unaccompanied 205 00:15:30,480 --> 00:15:36,480 Speaker 1: minors and detention facilities and for me myself, having being 206 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 1: with my students and you know, going to the border, 207 00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 1: having those tough conversations with people that have lived through it, 208 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 1: and that's what makes it genuine. That's what makes that 209 00:15:49,320 --> 00:15:52,400 Speaker 1: pest of Hero genuine, is those those border stories are 210 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: coming from the heart, coming from genuine experiences, not just 211 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: you know, Google maps or Google researching. All these stories 212 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 1: come from the heart. The stories of a puzzle hero 213 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:08,040 Speaker 1: are multi layered. 214 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 3: You know. 215 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 1: I grew up watching noveles with Malita and my and 216 00:16:12,520 --> 00:16:16,040 Speaker 1: my mom until this day, you know, watch novels and 217 00:16:16,080 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 1: Telemundo and Canalasteca, and so that's the core of the story. 218 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:27,240 Speaker 1: It's a novella to my new readers, It's a Mexican 219 00:16:27,320 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 1: soap opera of a boy trying to figure out who 220 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 1: he is and where he's going to go. So if 221 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:36,120 Speaker 1: you like Gnada Lobos. 222 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 4: Pries Sily Lemondo. 223 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 1: We're breaking bad. If you like watching Logan and Cicario 224 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 1: read a puzza hero. The only pushback that we ever 225 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 1: gotten was when we did the alternative cover for Puzzy 226 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:03,200 Speaker 1: Voter Stories where this was summer twenty fifteen in candidate 227 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:07,639 Speaker 1: Trump announce his first evential tendency, and you know, we 228 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:11,680 Speaker 1: felt that we needed to speak against that negative speech. 229 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 1: We needed to stand up as a community, and myself, 230 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:21,680 Speaker 1: as a writer artist, I needed to use my resources, 231 00:17:21,720 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 1: my tool to stand up. And so I spoke to 232 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: my artist Gemma, and I'm like, hey, Gemma, you know 233 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:32,520 Speaker 1: I need you to make this cover and we're going 234 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:36,320 Speaker 1: to make you knowmage to Jack Kirby, Jack Kirby's Captain America, 235 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 1: punching out of Hitler, you know, fighting against that racism, 236 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 1: that negativity, that extreme ideology, and not knowing the amount 237 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:52,360 Speaker 1: of authoritarian tendencies that we were fighting against. A lot 238 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:58,359 Speaker 1: of the alternative news blogs picked it up and really 239 00:17:58,480 --> 00:18:02,840 Speaker 1: ran with it. At the same time, we had had 240 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:07,800 Speaker 1: some emails from one of Jack Kirby's friends saying, how 241 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:10,960 Speaker 1: how you know Jack would have loved it? You know, 242 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:17,199 Speaker 1: and and Jack was a huge soldier against fascism, and 243 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:24,240 Speaker 1: so we felt it was very uplifting email. I developed 244 00:18:25,359 --> 00:18:29,040 Speaker 1: Real Bravo Comics, which is my small press, we'll see, 245 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: and I felt that if I really wanted to tell 246 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:34,280 Speaker 1: the story that needed to be told and needed to 247 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,600 Speaker 1: be told you seeing my small press, me and myself 248 00:18:37,680 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: having hundred percent creative control within the writing. And so 249 00:18:41,920 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 1: I've never had any yearning to look for somebody more 250 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:50,359 Speaker 1: established to pick up a puzzle hero because I really 251 00:18:50,359 --> 00:18:53,399 Speaker 1: wanted to make sure the story was told in a 252 00:18:53,480 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 1: very genuine way. We have the backing of our fans 253 00:18:57,119 --> 00:19:00,720 Speaker 1: to continue telling of puzzle hero stories. I really don't 254 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:05,520 Speaker 1: gain any financial gains per se. You know, It's more 255 00:19:05,920 --> 00:19:08,639 Speaker 1: whatever goes in goes out into a pest of hero. 256 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:14,440 Speaker 1: I've been blessed and lucky that whatever I've gotten from 257 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:17,040 Speaker 1: the posta hero, I'm able to return it back to 258 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:23,040 Speaker 1: the readers as more Pesto hero stories. You know, the 259 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:26,880 Speaker 1: future can hold so many surprises, so many twists and turns, 260 00:19:27,520 --> 00:19:30,600 Speaker 1: and you just have to be open for whatever comes, 261 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:34,639 Speaker 1: you know, I'm still an educator, so I'm not leaving 262 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:37,679 Speaker 1: that profession anytime soon. You know, there's a lot of 263 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:40,760 Speaker 1: students that need me, and they need a puzz of hero. 264 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:46,000 Speaker 1: Our history and our culture is so rich, and we 265 00:19:46,080 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 1: need so many storytellers to share our personal lives and 266 00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 1: our stories, you know, and so I just feel this 267 00:19:55,240 --> 00:20:01,439 Speaker 1: great honor and duty to continue ten more years to 268 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:05,119 Speaker 1: share and tell these stories of Ignacio Riveta, tell the 269 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 1: stories of Elpeza Hero. 270 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:15,000 Speaker 2: That was Hector Rodriguez, the creator of Elpeso Hero. This July, 271 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 2: he's celebrating ten years of telling Elpeso Hero's stories and 272 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 2: his journeys along the border. This episode was produced by 273 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:34,480 Speaker 2: Renaldo Leanos Junior, edited by Andrea Lopez Crusado, and mixed 274 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:38,560 Speaker 2: by Gabriel Abayez and Liasha Damren. The Latino USA team 275 00:20:38,600 --> 00:20:43,120 Speaker 2: includes Marta Martinez, Mike Sargent, Julia Ta Martinelli, Victoria Estrada, 276 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:47,120 Speaker 2: Gini montalbo Alejandra Salasad and Juli Rocha, with help from 277 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:52,160 Speaker 2: Raoul Berets. Our supervising senior engineer is Stephanielpoe. Our assistant 278 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:55,920 Speaker 2: senior engineers Julia Caruso. Our digital editor is Louis Luna. 279 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:59,680 Speaker 2: Our New York Women's Foundation Ignite fellow is Mari es Kinka. 280 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:03,199 Speaker 2: Our intern is Oscarvellon. Our theme music was composed by 281 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:05,639 Speaker 2: Seger Rubinos. If you like the music you heard on 282 00:21:05,680 --> 00:21:08,719 Speaker 2: this episode, stop by Lettinousa dot org and check out 283 00:21:08,720 --> 00:21:12,200 Speaker 2: our weekly Spotify playlist. I'm your host and executive producer 284 00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:15,440 Speaker 2: Maria io Josa. Join us again on our next episode, 285 00:21:15,440 --> 00:21:18,080 Speaker 2: and in the meantime look for us on your social 286 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:20,719 Speaker 2: media and alos waco ii E. 287 00:21:23,760 --> 00:21:27,959 Speaker 3: Latino USA is made possible in part by the Annie 288 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 3: Casey Foundation. Creates a brighter future for the nation's children 289 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:37,480 Speaker 3: by strengthening families, building greater economic opportunity, and transforming communities. 290 00:21:38,359 --> 00:21:44,639 Speaker 3: The Heising Simons Foundation unlocking knowledge, opportunity and possibilities. More 291 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 3: at hsfoundation dot org and funding for Latino USA is 292 00:21:50,359 --> 00:21:53,359 Speaker 3: Coverage of a culture of health is made possible in 293 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:56,120 Speaker 3: part by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 294 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:03,560 Speaker 2: Perfect I think it sounded good, Speak now or forever 295 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:04,359 Speaker 2: holds your please? 296 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:08,280 Speaker 1: Now, Everything's good, Kentucky. 297 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:12,400 Speaker 2: I'm MARIEO Hoosa Next time on Leatin New USA. Immigration 298 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:17,520 Speaker 2: policies under President Biden six months into his administration, what's 299 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 2: changed and what hasn't. 300 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:23,280 Speaker 4: From the beginning, public health experts and even the CDC's 301 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:26,800 Speaker 4: own internal experts have said that there was no real 302 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:29,600 Speaker 4: public health justification for the policy. 303 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:37,120 Speaker 2: That's next time on Latin New USA.