Somos Arte just announced the third printing of La Borinqueña #2 will feature a variant cover illustrated by Carlos Pacheco — with colors by Emilio Lopez — that will be an homage to his iconic Superman #654 (2006) cover.
Continue reading “Carlos Pacheco Homages Superman in ‘La Borinqueña’ Variant Cover”
In 2016, Eisner Award-winning graphic novelist and philanthropist Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez created La Borinqueña to drive conversations around the social, economic, and environmental crises affecting Puerto Rico. As a direct response to Hurricane Maria, he created our La Borinqueña Grants Program which has awarded $165,000 in grants to non-profit organizations across Puerto Rico.
Continue reading “‘La Borinqueña’ Tackles Climate Change”
Eisner Award-winning graphic novelist and philanthropist Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez has released La Borinqueña #3, the long-awaited third issue in the creator-owned independently published graphic novel series. La Borinqueña #3 completes the first major story arc for Miranda-Rodriguez’s series with a new story with plot twists, revelations, and the introduction of the new superhero team The Nitainos.
Continue reading “‘La Borinqueña’ Returns with Issue #3 and New Heroes”
I once heard the great political philosopher and activist Angela Davis argue that Americans are so obsessed with race as an identifying feature that when we meet racially ambiguous people, we are anxious until we know on which side of the color line they fall. Upon hearing this, I was relieved by the articulation of something I had suspected was at the heart of my experience. It was like experiencing great art, that rush of adrenaline that comes with recognizing what we’ve known all along presented as fantastically new.
Continue reading “The ‘Heights’ of Anxiety and the Color Line: Racial Ambiguity in a Culture of Absolutes”
It seems like only yesterday when national treasure and lyricist genius Lin-Manuel Miranda graced the Richard Rodgers Theatre as Usnavi in the Broadway production of In the Heights. Now, 13 years later, the Tony Award-winning musical is finally premiering on the big screen next month.
Continue reading “‘In the Heights’ Captures the Beauty of Washington Heights and the Community Behind It”
Ten years ago, Lin-Manuel Miranda burst upon the scene with the Tony Award-winning musical In The Heights. That same year, Jon M. Chu directed his first feature film, Step Up 2 The Streets. A decade later, both have hit the Lotto with Hamilton and Crazy Rich Asians, vaunting them to A-List pop cultural icon status.
And in 2020, the two will team up to bring Heights to the silver screen! Alabanza!
Continue reading “Atención: You Can Audition to be ‘In The Heights’”
At long last, the second issue of Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez’s La Borinqueña is finally available. Coming on the heels of the release of Ricanstruction: Reminiscing & Rebuilding Puerto Rico, a benefit anthology that I had the pleasure to be a part of1, Miranda-Rodriguez returns to continue the ongoing saga of Marisol Rios De La Luz and her super alter-ego.
This week on Hard NOC Life, we have the honor to be joined by star of stage and screen, Javier Muñoz.
Continue reading “From Stage to Screen: Javier Muñoz is Non-Stop”
On Hard NOC Life, we continue Ricanstruction week on The Nerds of Color as Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez joins the show to talk about the origins of the anthology.
Continue reading “Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez on Why We Need ‘Ricanstruction’”
After Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez unveiled the Puerto Rico benefit anthology Ricanstruction at the New York Times, we also revealed art from one of the stories written by Hamilton star Javier Muñoz. Today, I’ll be exclusively sharing art from another Ricanstruction short story. This time, it’s my own story — illustrated by artist Glenn Urieta — called “A Yellow Sky.”
Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE: Another ‘Ricanstruction’ Preview”
Earlier today, the New York Times revealed a secret project I’ve been sitting on for the last several months. I had the pleasure to serve as an Assistant Editor on Ricanstruction: Reminiscing & Rebuilding Puerto Rico, an anthology produced by La Borinqueña creator Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez. On the sixth month anniversary of Hurricane Maria, it was announced that the publication of Ricanstruction will benefit ongoing recovery efforts in Puerto Rico.
On the heels of the announcement of the book, I can reveal exclusively here on the NOC an excerpt from the story “Song of El Coquí” written by Hamilton star Javier Muñoz with art by Sabrina Cintron!
Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE: Preview Javier Muñoz’s Story from ‘Ricanstruction’”
Out in comic shops this week is Puerto Rico Strong, a new anthology from Lion Forge Comics created to aid in the recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. On Hard NOC Life, we speak to one of the book’s co-editors, and fellow NOC, Desiree Rodrguez.
When my oldest daughter was 3, we would sit together in her bean bag chair, turn off the lights, and watch the Justice League animated series. Here she learned about superheros and when she started becoming interested in comics, I wanted to make sure she read something that represented and looked like her so I handed her a copy of Araña. That was five years ago, and now she is 12 and is immersed in finding representation in what she reads.
It’s small stories like this that amplify the importance of diversity in literature and, in this case, comics. It is for that reason that the launching of Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez’s La Borinqueña comes at a much needed time.
Continue reading “La Borinqueña and La La: Heroes Worth Waiting For”
