Latinx Creators of Comics and Science Latinxfuturisms
Comics and Science Fiction are two genres that are heavily White dominated fields in where even the first small portrayals of Latinx characters were heavily rooted in stereotypes and huge misrepresentations. When I think about the realms of comics and sci-fi many fans of color are often ostracized from both their own communities for being "white-washed" despite the various amounts of fans and creators within the field and from the community itself due to its rampent racism. An example of this is the constant discrimination of cosplayers of colors with comments and accusations of "Black-washing" a character. And while that isn't a thing the representation of our communities is important to creation of deeper community. Latinx comics early on arose from activism showing a counter-narrative to that of mainstream media to spread awareness to the acts of second class citizen hood. The same can be said for the comics that circulate within Latin America and the shared and varied identities and experiences. Creating a trans national community, connection and message. However it is important to note that not all art within these spheres exists as a means of activism or trauma porn many of these comics are created for the simple means of entertainment with representation. Jaime Hernandez is a comic creator of Love and Rockets staring a rockera who has grown with him as he says and her everyday life, while touching very serious topics such as identity and sexuality. Latinofuturisms brings up the fact that we exists in already thought of dystopias, in struggling communities, and so these futurisms are often times stories existing within the decolonial imaginary. A future imagined and created by the stories of the past and ideas of what could have been and what could be these stories are heightened by the cultural perspectives of Latinx creators but they do not let it become the soul focus of the story.
