Hector Cantú
{{Use American English|date=September 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Short description|American writer}}
{{Infobox comics creator
| name =
| image = Hector Cantu.jpg
| caption = Cantú in 2008
| birth_name = Hector David Cantú
| birth_date = {{nowrap|{{birth date and age|1961|9|16}}}}
| birth_place = Weslaco, Texas, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| area = Writer
| alias =
| notable works = Baldo
| awards =
}}
Hector David Cantú (born September 16, 1961)Texas Births, 1926–1995, [http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/20902?first=Hector&c=search&last=Cant%FA&offset=20 Hector David Cantú, Birth Date: 1961-09-16] is an American writer, editor, and newspaper comic strip creator, best known for the Latino-American strip Baldo.
Biography
= Early life and career =
Cantú created his first cartoon at age 12 for a community newspaper in Crystal City, Texas, owned by his brother, inspired by Mad magazine cartoonists Sergio Aragonés and Antonio Prohías.[http://laprensatoledo.com/Stories/2008/102408/Baldo.htm Ashraf, Arooj, . "Baldo: Comic strip entertains and educates, combating racial stereotypes"], La Prensa (Ohio & Michigan), October 2008 He attended Skyline High School in Dallas, where he was editor of the school newspaper. He studied journalism at the University of Texas at Austin, where he was an assistant managing editor at The Daily Texan. He later worked as a reporter and editor at the San Antonio Light, the Dallas Times Herald, and The Dallas Morning News. He was managing editor of Hispanic Business magazine in Santa Barbara, California. He has written freelance for the Los Angeles Times Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, and D Magazine. Cantú is among the 21 Latino comic book and comic strip authors and artists featured in comic historian Frederick Luis Aldama's 2009 book Your Brain on Latino Comics.
= ''Baldo'' =
In 1998, Cantú and artist Carlos Castellanos[http://baldocomics.com/creators.php BaldoComics.com: "Los Creators"] teamed to create the comic strip Baldo, about a 15-year-old Latino-American teenager, Baldomero Bermudez, nickname Baldo, living with his 8-year-old sister Gracie; their father, Sergio; and their aunt, Tia Carmen. Universal Press Syndicate (now Andrews McMeel Syndication) contracted for the strip, and in April 2000 it launched in newspapers, which number nearly 200 as of late 2008. It ranked among Universal Press Syndicate's 5 most successful launches.
Cantú in 2007 said he and Castellanos were prompted to create Baldo
{{cquote|because we were reading comics and looking for characters to identify with and who were like us, and we weren't seeing that on the comics pages. We saw cats, dogs, mice, etc. But not Latinos. Part of what makes America great is that everyone can have a voice, and newspapers recognize that. ... Lots of Baldo stories come from our lives growing up. A lot of stories simply reflect what we see everyday around us and in the newspaper. Why is the main character a teen? Dunno. Maybe that represents an ideal age for us. I think we both recall being 15 as a total laugh riot ... and not in a good way!"[http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2007/August/20070823140629xjsnommiS0.3301508.html "Baldo Creators Hector Cantú and Carlos Castellanos Discuss Comics"], USINFO Webchat transcript, August 23, 2007}}
Two Baldo compilation books, The Lower You Ride, The Cooler You Are and Night Of The Bilingual Telemarketers, have been published by Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC.
The Spanish-language television network Univision optioned the strip for an animated television series.
= Later career =
As of 2007, Cantú is editor and publisher of The Intelligent Collector magazine at Heritage Auctions. He is co-editor of the book Collectible Movie Posters published by Whitman Publishing. He is founding chair of Texas Cartoonists, a regional chapter of the National Cartoonists Society.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.registerguard.com/rg/life/lifestyles/36569213-74/labor-of-laughter.html.csp?start=3 "Labor of Laughter,"] The (Eugene, OR) Register-Guard, March 31, 2018
- [https://www.npr.org/2018/01/21/579564595/for-comic-strip-authors-in-the-trump-era-no-art-should-live-in-a-vacuum "For Comic Strip Authors In The Trump Era, 'No Art Should Live In A Vacuum'"], National Public Radio, January 21, 2018
- [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/02/style/comics071202.htm Comics: Meet the Artist: "With Hector Cantu and Carlos Castellanos, Cartoonists — 'Baldo'"], WashingtonPost.com Webchat, July 12, 2002
- [http://www.amuniversal.com/ups/newsrelease/?view=126 "'Baldo' Creators Draw Attention to National Literacy Day"], Universal Press Syndicate press release, June 18, 2004
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090817230437/http://www.dailytexanonline.com/university/baldo-writer-addresses-his-work-at-texas-union-1.955197 Hooten, Jeffery D. "'Baldo' writer addresses his work at Texas Union"], The Daily Texan (University of Texas at Austin), September 12, 2007; updated January 9, 2009
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20081013213909/http://www.defendthehonor.org/documents/news_releases/Editor%26Publishser_9-24-07.htm Astor, Dave. "'Baldo' Strip Includes What 'The War' Series Mostly Omits"], Editor & Publisher, September 24, 2007, via DefendTheHonor.org
- [http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20080118/NEWS/892170465 Pounder, Lori. "Creating 'Baldo': Comic strip author Hector Cantú spoke at Summit Middle School Friday"], Summit Daily News (Summit County, Colorado), January 18, 2008
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