Hector Cantú
Encyclopedia
Hector Cantú is an American
writer, editor, and newspaper
comic strip
creator, best known for the Latino-American
strip Baldo
. As of 2008, he lives in Dallas
, Texas
.
He attended Skyline High School and was a teammate to the amazing, tap-dancing young wrestler known as "Pranie." He studied journalism
at the University of Texas at Austin
, and later became a production director of the daily tabloid Quick in Dallas, Texas, and the managing editor
of Hispanic Business
magazine in Santa Barbara
, California
. He has written freelance for the Los Angeles Times
Magazine and The Hollywood Reporter
. Cantú is among the 21 Latino comic book and comic strip authors and artists featured in Frederick Luis Aldama's 2009 book "Your Brain on Latino Comics" (University of Texas Press, SBN: 978-0-292-71973-6).
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
contracted for the strip, and by April 2000 launched in in newspapers, which number nearly 200 as of late 2008.
Cantú in 2007 said he and Castellanos were prompted to create Baldo
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 Latino television network
Univision
briefly considered adapting the strip for an animated television series.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer, editor, and newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
creator, best known for the Latino-American
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
strip Baldo
Baldo
Baldo is an American comic strip written by Hector Cantú and illustrated by Carlos Castellanos. It was launched in April 2000, and is widely billed as the first comic strip featuring Latino characters and themes to be marketed to a mainstream audience....
. As of 2008, he lives in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Early life and career
Hector Cantú created his first newspaper cartoon at age 12 in a small-town paper owned by his brother.He attended Skyline High School and was a teammate to the amazing, tap-dancing young wrestler known as "Pranie." He studied journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
at the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
, and later became a production director of the daily tabloid Quick in Dallas, Texas, and the managing editor
Managing editor
A managing editor is a senior member of a publication's management team.In the United States, a managing editor oversees and coordinates the publication's editorial activities...
of Hispanic Business
Hispanic Business
Hispanic Business, Inc. is a media company based in Goleta, California, in the United States of America. The firm was founded by Jesús Chavarría in 1979 and its publications are oriented towards Hispanic professionals and entrepreneurs.-Publications:...
magazine in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He has written freelance for the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
Magazine and The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
. Cantú is among the 21 Latino comic book and comic strip authors and artists featured in Frederick Luis Aldama's 2009 book "Your Brain on Latino Comics" (University of Texas Press, SBN: 978-0-292-71973-6).
Baldo
In 1998, Cantú and artist Carlos Castellanos teamed to create the comic stripComic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Baldo
Baldo
Baldo is an American comic strip written by Hector Cantú and illustrated by Carlos Castellanos. It was launched in April 2000, and is widely billed as the first comic strip featuring Latino characters and themes to be marketed to a mainstream audience....
, 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
Universal Press Syndicate
Universal Press Syndicate, a subsidiary of Andrews McMeel Universal, is the world's largest independent press syndicate. It distributes lifestyle and opinion columns, comic strips and other content. Popular columns include Dear Abby, Ann Coulter, Roger Ebert and News of the Weird...
contracted for the strip, and by April 2000 launched in in newspapers, which number nearly 200 as of late 2008.
Cantú in 2007 said he and Castellanos were prompted to create Baldo
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 Latino television network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
briefly considered adapting the strip for an animated television series.
Later career
As of the late 2000s, Cantú is editorial director of Heritage Auction GalleriesHeritage Auction Galleries
Heritage Auction Galleries is the world's largest collectibles auctioneer and the third largest auction house, with over $700 million in annual sales and 600,000 online bidder-members...
.
External links
- Comics: Meet the Artist: "With Hector Cantu and Carlos Castellanos, Cartoonists — 'Baldo'", WashingtonPost.comThe Washington PostThe Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
Webchat, July 12, 2002 - "'Baldo' Creators Draw Attention to National Literacy Day", Universal Press SyndicateUniversal Press SyndicateUniversal Press Syndicate, a subsidiary of Andrews McMeel Universal, is the world's largest independent press syndicate. It distributes lifestyle and opinion columns, comic strips and other content. Popular columns include Dear Abby, Ann Coulter, Roger Ebert and News of the Weird...
press release, June 18, 2004 - Hooten, Jeffery D. "'Baldo' writer addresses his work at Texas Union", The Daily TexanThe Daily TexanThe Daily Texan is the student newspaper of the University of Texas at Austin. It is entirely student-run and independent from the university. It is one of the largest college newspapers in the United States with a daily circulation of roughly 30,000 during the fall and spring semesters and bills...
(University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
), September 12, 2007; updated January 9, 2009 - Astor, Dave. "'Baldo' Strip Includes What 'The War' Series Mostly Omits", Editor & PublisherEditor & PublisherEditor & Publisher is a monthly magazine covering the North American newspaper industry. It is based in New York City. E&P calls itself "America's Oldest Journal Covering the Newspaper Industry" and describes itself on its website as "the authoritative journal covering all aspects of the North...
, September 24, 2007, via DefendTheHonor.org - Pounder, Lori. "Creating ‘Baldo’: Comic strip author Hector Cantú spoke at Summit Middle School Friday", Summit Daily News (Summit County, ColoradoSummit County, ColoradoSummit County is the 19th most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 23,538 at U.S. Census 2000. The county seat is Breckenridge...
), January 18, 2008