From Cocinas to Lucha Libre Ringsides: A Latinx Comics Anthology

Frederick Luis Aldama

Book cover for From Cocinas to Lucha Libre Ringsides: A Latinx Comics Anthology
Book cover for From Cocinas to Lucha Libre Ringsides: A Latinx Comics Anthology

From Cocinas to Lucha Libre Ringsides: A Latinx Comics Anthology

From Cocinas to Lucha Libre Ringsides: A Latinx Comics Anthology

Frederick Luis Aldama

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Description

In this comics anthology full of humor and heart, writers and artists from across the US pay tribute to the ways food and sports endure as touchstones in the Latin American diaspora. In the vein of Frederick Luis Aldama's bestselling anthology Tales from la Vida, creators offer slice-of-life comics in an array of styles to capture common threads that bind this dizzyingly diverse community. From a simple quesadilla eaten hot on the way to school, to a Puerto Rican grandmother's offering of guineitos en escabeche, to a homesick Chicano punk's reverse-engineered tamales, food is a gift from elders to children, a marker of continuity and togetherness amid a dominant culture that may dismiss its flavors. Sports, too, provide a path to friendship and connection across national and language barriers, anchoring fans and participants in a sense of identity and place, whether through the perseverance of the Mayan game pok ta' pok, the unifying surge of lucha libre or soccer fandom, or a father and daughter's shared love of horse racing. Together, the creators collected in From Cocinas to Lucha Libre Ringsides share a mosaic of stories that vividly portray Latinx identity and life today.

Contributors:
Aleasha Acevedo, José Alaniz, Frederick Luis Aldama, Julio Anta, Charlene Bowles, David Bowles, Adrian Carrillo, José Cabrera, Valerie Martinez Cabrera, Mauricio Alberto Cordero, Jaime Crespo, Celeste Cruz, Ernesto Cuevas Jr., Chris Escobar, Rolando Esquivel, Tim Fielder, Dustin Garcia, Eric J. García, Jorge Garza, Oscar Garza, Lucas Gattoni, Blas Goncalves-Borrego, Estella González, Carina Guevara, Aaron Guzman, Javier Hernandez, Sam Jimenez, Eric Kittelberger, Alberto Ledesma, Pablo Leon, Darren López, Patrick Lugo, Jarred A. Luján, Eliamaría Madrid, Miguel Martinez, Paloma Martínez-Cruz, Carlos Meyer, Marisol Meyer Driovínto, Paul Meyer, Rosie Murillo, Rafael Navarro, Daniel Parada, Stephanie Nina Pitsirilos, Jazmin Puente, Raúl the Third, Anna Maria Richardson, Hector Rodriguez III, Theresa Rojas, Rafael Rosado, Andrea Rosales, Justin Rueff, Irma Ruiz, Angela M. Sánchez, Serenity Serseción, Javier Solórzano, Josh Trujillo, Cayetano Valenzuela, Diana "Dianita" Vargas Sampieri, Andrés Vera Martínez

About the Author

Frederick Luis Aldama, a.k.a. Professor Latinx, is an award-winning author and editor of dozens of fiction books, comics, animation shorts, and scholarly books, including the comics anthology Tales from la Vida and the picture books The Adventures of Chupacabra Charlie and Con Papá / With Papá. The series editor for Latinographix, he is the founder and director of the Latinx Pop Lab and holds the Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin. Angela M. Sánchez is a writer, cartoonist, magician, staff writer for Disney TVA, and author of the series Scruffy and the Egg, which addresses single parenthood and homelessness.

Critical Reviews

"With vibrant perspectives, depth, and tons of heart, From Cocinas to Lucha Libre Ringsides has something for everyone." --Ngozi Ukazu, New York Times-bestselling creator of Check, Please!

"Like my fave breakfast-of-champs dish, menudo, these graphic vignettes of food and sports warm the soul with their mix of savory, earthy, and zesty adventures. Each one packs an unforgettable kick, celebrating the rich diversity of our shared heritage and community." --Matt García, farmer, historian, and author of Eli and the Octopus

"A menudo--or is it a mofongo? or a combo plate? or a sancocho? or matambre?--of humor, pathos, fabulous illustrations, and everything us Latines love in our cuentos." --Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times columnist and author of Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America

"Sports, food, and locura--I love them all. Sitting on my porch basking in the Dodgers' World Series glory, I remember how, each offseason, my friend Fred Willard and I would grab a sportsbook to make spring games come faster. Now, with Fred Aldama, we have that book. It's a game-changer. Dig in. Enjoy. ¡Vámonos! " --Peter Murrieta, award-winning author, producer, showrunner, and deputy director of the Sidney Poitier New American Film School

"Santo cielo, luchadores! This high-flying, knock-out Latinographix collection on food and sports goes straight to the heart of lucha cultura. It'll leave you in awe, like a ringside fan, and wanting muchos más. " --Kevin Kleinrock, writer, publisher, prod

"Holy pozole! This powerhouse team of Latinx creatives dishes out vibrant, word-drawn biographical stories that celebrate our splendorous cultural heritage--from our mesa de cocinas to fútbol fields, baseball diamonds, wrestling rings, and beyond." --Meliss

"Best thing since tacos." --José R. Ralat, taco editor for Texas Monthly

"Comic stories about Latino food and sports? I'd like a dozen, por favor! This comics anthology has made me hungry for both autobiographical comics and all the delicious Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Latin American food depicted in its stunning visual buffet. Consuming page after page of amazing artwork and intimate food and sports tales will stir your soul and nourish your panza. From childhood food memories and first bites to gripping tales of lucha libre, fútbol, and fandom, these stories come together like a graphic pozole of flavor explosions. Another serving, please!" --Lalo Alcaraz, nationally syndicated cartoonist, graphic novelist, and screenwriter

Publishing Information

Publisher: Mad Creek Books
Pub date: 2025-08-13
Length: 224 pages

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