Margarito C. Garza
Encyclopedia
Margarito C. Garza was an American judge and comic book enthusiast. He served as the 148th District Court
Judge of Corpus Christi
, Texas
. for 3 terms in the 1980s to the 1990s and served two terms as Judge of the Nueces County Court at Law from 1972-1976 .He also served as Assistant District Attorney in Corpus Christi in the late 1960s. Garza was the first Mexican American to be elected to a judgeship in Nueces County. He was also notable for creating the first Mexican-American comic book hero, Relampago
, in 1977 and was a pioneer in the nascent industry of comic retailers. Garza died in 1995 after a lifetime of public service to his community.
and DC Comics
telling them of his creation, but both companies showed little interest. He would later try to get a listing in a comic pricing guide, but the publishers said the character was "too obscure". The Judge decided to maintain the comic in a self-published print, becoming more of a personal project than a money-making venture.
Relampago made his first published appearance in Relampago! #1 in 1977. Only 1,000 copies of the original book were printed at the time and many of them destroyed soon after due to concerns of possible copyright infringement
, making it a rarity among collectors. Only two subsequent issues followed soon after. Several years later, the comic attracted the attention of Richard Dominguez
, a Dallas illustrator, who found an issue of the comic in a half-price book store.
Forming a close friendship, Garza and Dominguez planned a Relampago revival series. Their progress was hindered, however, due to Garza's long hours in court and hectic schedule. To prove himself to the Judge, Dominguez published his own comic book titled El Gato Negro
in 1993. Garza realized how serious Dominguez was and agreed to collaborate on a new Relampago series with a planned cross-over issue featuring their respective heroes. This collaboration never came to be however, as Judge Garza died in 1995 before a script could be written.
Texas judicial system
The structure of the Texas judicial system is laid out in Article 5 of the Texas Constitution, and is further defined under the Texas Government Code and, with regards to probate matters, under the Texas Probate Code....
Judge of Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, 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...
. for 3 terms in the 1980s to the 1990s and served two terms as Judge of the Nueces County Court at Law from 1972-1976 .He also served as Assistant District Attorney in Corpus Christi in the late 1960s. Garza was the first Mexican American to be elected to a judgeship in Nueces County. He was also notable for creating the first Mexican-American comic book hero, Relampago
Relampago
Relampago is a fictional character, a comic book superhero self-published by creator Judge Margarito C. Garza. The character made his first appearance in Relampago! #1 making him the first Mexican American superhero in the American comic book industry. The character's debut series only ran for...
, in 1977 and was a pioneer in the nascent industry of comic retailers. Garza died in 1995 after a lifetime of public service to his community.
Relampago
Garza created Relampago shortly after attending a local comic book convention. Tired of seeing the same crimes being tried in his court-room, he had created the superhero as a way to exercise his own fantasies of fighting crime. As he further developed the character and storyline, Judge Garza sent letters to MarvelMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
and DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
telling them of his creation, but both companies showed little interest. He would later try to get a listing in a comic pricing guide, but the publishers said the character was "too obscure". The Judge decided to maintain the comic in a self-published print, becoming more of a personal project than a money-making venture.
Relampago made his first published appearance in Relampago! #1 in 1977. Only 1,000 copies of the original book were printed at the time and many of them destroyed soon after due to concerns of possible copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
, making it a rarity among collectors. Only two subsequent issues followed soon after. Several years later, the comic attracted the attention of Richard Dominguez
Richard Dominguez
Richard Dominguez is an American comic book artist and freelance storyboard illustrator. Best known for creating the popular series El Gato Negro, Dominguez publishes his comics through his imprint and art studio, Azteca Productions...
, a Dallas illustrator, who found an issue of the comic in a half-price book store.
Forming a close friendship, Garza and Dominguez planned a Relampago revival series. Their progress was hindered, however, due to Garza's long hours in court and hectic schedule. To prove himself to the Judge, Dominguez published his own comic book titled El Gato Negro
El Gato Negro (comic book)
El Gato Negro was an independent comic book series featuring the eponymous character created by Richard Dominguez and published by Azteca Productions. The series began in October 1993 with critical acclaim, the first edition actually selling all 5,000 copies within two months, but was placed on a...
in 1993. Garza realized how serious Dominguez was and agreed to collaborate on a new Relampago series with a planned cross-over issue featuring their respective heroes. This collaboration never came to be however, as Judge Garza died in 1995 before a script could be written.