Writer at FOX's animated TV show BORDERTOWN, Lalo Alcaraz is perhaps the most prolific Chicano artist in the nation. Lalo has been busy for over two decades chronicling the political ascendancy of Latinos in America and vigorously pushing the boundaries of Chicano art in the Post Chicano Art Era.
He is the creator of the first nationally-syndicated, politically-themed Latino daily comic strip, “La Cucaracha,” seen in scores of newspapers including the Los Angeles Times (syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate, home of “Doonesbury” and “The Boondocks.”)
Lalo has produced editorial cartoons for the L.A. Weekly since 1992 and also creates editorial cartoons in English and Spanish for Universal.
His work has appeared in the New York Times, the Village Voice, the L.A. Times, Variety, Hispanic Magazine, Latina Magazine, Mexico’s La Jornada, Germany’s BUNTE and many other publications. Alcaraz and his work have been featured on CNN, the CBS Evening News, ABC, NBC, Univision, Telemundo, PBS, Al-Jazeera TV, NPR, Air America Radio and on Spain’s Radio Nacional de España. Mi Ciudad Magazine named him “Best Latino Cartoonist in Los Angeles,” and Lalo has also been featured by Rolling Stone Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, Associated Press, Editor & Publisher and profiled extensively in the Comics Journal.
Lalo’s books include “Migra Mouse: Political Cartoons On Immigration, (2004). Alcaraz also authored the first collection of his daily comic strips, “La Cucaracha.” (2004, Andrews-McMeel Publishing.) He also illustrated ”Latino USA: A Cartoon History,” (2000 by Basic Books) with author Ilan Stavans, and which is being currently updated for its historic 15th Anniversary paperback edition.
Lalo Alcaraz is the co-host of KPFK Radio’s wildly popular satirical talk show, “The Pocho Hour of Power,” heard Fridays at 4 p.m. in L.A. on 90.7 FM, and co-founded the seminal Chicano humor ‘zine, POCHO Magazine. Alcaraz also co-founded the political satire comedy group Chicano Secret Service.
Lalo Alcaraz has received five Southern California Journalism Awards from the Los Angeles Press Club (most recently this year) for Best Cartoon in Weekly Papers, and numerous other awards and honors, including “The Latino Spirit Award” from the California Legislature and the Office of the Lt. Governor, honors from the Los Angeles City Council, the California Chicano News Media Association, the UC Berkeley Chicano Latino Alumni Association, the United Farm Workers of America, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, the Center for the Study of Political Graphics, and The Rockefeller Foundation, among others.
Alcaraz is a 1987 graduate of San Diego State University, where he received his bachelor’s degree “With Distinction” in Art and Environmental Design. In 1991, Alcaraz earned his master’s degree in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley. Alcaraz was born in San Diego and grew up on the border. He is married to a hard-working public school teacher and they have three extremely artistic children.
Building on his success as an artist and writer, Lalo’s next project is a re-boot of the famed Pocho.com, his pioneering humor, satire and cerveza webzine/blog/news site.
