Independent comic author Hector Rodriguez has released a digital comic to raise funds for Ukrainian children affected by the war. Readers can purchase comic books featuring El Peso Heroes at whatever price they choose, proceeds going to UNICEF.
Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has praised Mexico’s policy of non-intervention in recent days in response to Russian attacks on Ukraine. When Mexico’s president chose not to be associated with his country, the reaction prompted Chicano cartoonist and writer Hector Rodriguez to consider ways he could contribute and make a difference. Turning to the Mexican-American superhero he conceptualized in 2011 as “Hero El Peso,” the fifth-grade bilingual teacher set out to battle real-world threats, including including gangs, corrupt politicians and population trafficking.
As originally reported by NBC News, Rodriguez posted an 18-page comic online through Rio Bravo Comics to raise money for Ukrainian children. The comic tells the story of the Hero El Peso, authorized by the Red Cross to search for those missing in Ukraine during the disaster. After hesitating to leave his country, he went to Kiev and realized the dire state they were in. Hero El Bisso: Ukraine Available at Rio Bravo Comics, any amount readers are willing to donate to the cause.
While other creators have similar methods for donating to the people of Ukraine through comics, Rodriguez came up with this idea independently. He took the initiative to say, “This comic is in direct conflict with Mexico’s current war policy…I am very disappointed by Mexico’s total neutrality because it has always been for humanitarian reasons. So if Obrador doesn’t come forward, then El Peso Hero will do the right thing for the citizens of Ukraine.” He also talked about the original purpose of El Peso Hero, who first made headlines in 2015 when he appeared on the cover of a comic book to defeat President Donald Trump. The illustration is a political commentary in response to his remark that immigrants are criminals and rapists. “The hero El Peso is a symbol of how other countries should help the children and citizens of Ukraine. Readers will find him faced with two terrible choices. But as a superhero, he always invents the third option, which is the power of kindness, regardless of politics.”
Comic book readers familiar with the medium’s history may remember how creators frequently used superheroes in political commentary during the Golden Age. In Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster’s Superman comics, Iron Man often fights politicians who are harmful to society. Famously, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby played Captain America who defeated Adolf Hitler and fought the Nazis in World War II. Now, Hero comics author Héctor Rodríguez continues their story.
Source: NBC News