Exalting Latin Stories: Julio Anta’s Mission to Inspire and Represent the Latino Community

The images on the pages help tell the stories created by Cuban-Colombian American writer Julio Anta. With his works he seeks to exalt the stories of the Latin community.

“Try to inspire the readers who are reading the books. If they are Latino, I want them to see themselves in the books. And if they are not Latino, I want them to understand us and understand where we come from and our history,” Anta explained.

Anta writes original graphic novels, as well as for well-known comic book franchises. Her most recent work is called Frontera and it is about a 17-year-old boy named Mateo.

“That he is trying to return to the United States (and) during his trip he finds a ghost who was also a migrant 50 years ago, but who died in this same deserted place and who now helps Mateo return home,” Anta added.

In the room where we talked there are figurines of Hispanic characters.

Anta wants more Latino representation not only on the pages but also in the story production industry.

“The same day my first book, ‘Home’, came out, I received messages on social media from readers who were seeing the books telling me that it was the first time they had seen themselves in graphic novels or in books in general. Of course, it made me happy, but it was also something that should not be the first time that in 2021 a Latino sees himself in a graphic novel.”

The stories begin in black and white on a screen. Anta then collaborates with Latin artists like Jacobi Salcedo, who take the worlds she has created in her mind and draw them for readers to see.

“It is always important that those who are drawing them understand the characters. Jacobi is Mexican-American and I don’t have to tell him the color of his skin or hair, he already knows it and draws it that way,” Anta said.

His latest work will be a non-fiction graphic novel called ‘Si, Se Podemos’ about Latinos who have had a huge impact on the United States.

“We talk about scientists, astronauts, political activists who are Latino. “I want readers to see that and be inspired when they read these books.”

The book will be released on October 10 and Anta says she is working on others that will be published in the coming years, stories that the Hispanic community can identify with.

2023-09-29 21:03:06
#Julio #Anta #author #graphic #novels #comics #Latin #characters