First-Ever Free Latino Comic Con Convention to Open in Texas

The first-ever free Texas Latino Comic Con convention dedicated to the Latino community is set to open in Texas on July 29. The convention will highlight Latino artists, writers, and creators in the comic book community.

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Hector Rodriguez, one of the organizers of the convention and the creator of the social justice Latino superhero, El Peso Hero, had been touring the comic convention circuit for several years when he realized there wasn't any event specifically designed for the Latino community in Texas, a predominantly Latino city.

The realization prompted him to open a space for the “black and brown folks showcasing their "(talent),” he told RedDirt Report.

Eliamaria Crawford, the convention's founder, saw a similar problem with the lack of diversity in comic conventions.

“Lots of cons are very Caucasian-centered and you don’t see a lot of ethnicity and diversity, but there’s a big market of Latinos coming out and making it here, making the scene as strong as possible, especially here in the South where Latino culture is very dominant, more than people really even know,” she told RedDirtReport.

To help make the convention more diverse, the convention organizers sought the help of the organizers of the events like The Latino Comics Expo and Sõl-Con.

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By offering free entrance, the organizers also help to reach a broader public.

“(Comic conventions normally take) a lot of money,” the Chicano creator and educator told Remezcla.

“It’s between US$22 and US$44 per ticket. And if you have multiple kids, that’s a week’s groceries. So one of the great things about Texas Latino Comic Con is it’s free, and it’s in Central Dallas. It’s in a place where it’s accessible, and we don’t discriminate on the basis of income, socioeconomic status, because a lot of these conventions cost a lot of money and they tend to discriminate on who’s able to afford to go in," Rodriguez said.

With the U.S. Senate recently passing a bill outlawing sanctuary cities, initiatives like the Texas Latino Comic Con convention are especially important, he added.

"Now, more than ever, with some of the struggles our community is facing — especially in Texas with SB4 and the attack on sanctuary cities — for me, it seems like a big opportunity for us to have a showcase for our community, for our comic book artists," he told Remezcla.

The event will be held in collaboration with the Dallas' Latino Cultural Center, and bagging sponsors like Rio Bravo Comics (which Rodríguez began), Funimation, Elia in a Box Studios, Dusk Publishing, and Sentai Filmworks, helped organizers keep the event free for all.