September 15, 2003

Campus hosts political cartoonist
with a Latino perspective

Irreverent political cartoonist, satirist and writer Lalo Alcaraz, creator of the nationally syndicated Latino comic strip La Cucaracha, brings his biting social and political commentary to California State University, Sacramento in a free presentation at noon, Monday, Sept. 22 in the University Union’s Hinde Auditorium.

Political cartoonist, satirist and writer Lalo Alcaraz

La Cucaracha is featured daily in more than 50 major newspapers including the Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News and San Francisco Chronicle. The strip’s central characters, Mexican-Americans Eddie, his girlfriend Vero, out-spoken friend Cuco Rocha and Eddie’s little brother, Neto, present a Latino perspective on the nation’s social political landscape in often controversial ways. Alcaraz’ work has been compared to Garry Trudeau’s Doonesbury, and a joking Alcaraz referred to La Cucaracha as “Doonesbarrio” in an article featuring him in last April’s Rolling Stone magazine.

Alcaraz began his cartooning career at San Diego State University, penning political cartoons for its Daily Aztec newspaper. A slightly edgier version of La Cucaracha has appeared in alternative weekly newspapers like the L.A.Weekly since 1992. His strip moved into wider syndication in November 2002.

Alcaraz appears as part of National Hispanic Heritage Month activities at CSUS.

For more information contact the CSUS Multi-Cultural Center at (916) 278-6101 or www.csus.edu/mcult. Media assistance available at (916) 278-6156.

####