Friday, December 13, 2024

Cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz Becomes the First Latino to be Awarded Prestigious Herblock Prize

This week, the Latinx community celebrates Lalo Alcaraz, a Mexican- American political cartoonist, and the first Latino recipient of the $15,000 Herblock Prize. He has been recognized for his passion for illustrating problems affecting the Latinx community.

The Herb Block Foundation is named after Herb Block, who was known for his cartoon commentaries on domestic and foreign policy issues. The Herblock prize was created to encourage editorial cartooning as an instrument to protect the rights to freedom of speech and expression of the American people.

Alcaraz is a writer, producer, and culture consultant for film, television, and animation. He’s the mastermind behind the creation of the first national syndicated Latino political cartoon strip, “La Cucaracha.” He has worked with networks like Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network. Most recently, he served as a cultural consultant for the Oscar-winning animated film “Coco.”

Alcaraz’s ongoing projects include a satirical political and cultural weekly radio show.

The Herb Block Foundation stated, “No other political cartoonist working in the U.S. brings as much passion, dedication, and brilliance to the fight for fair immigration at the border and justice for the Latino community. Lalo Alcaraz’s courage and unapologetic focus on these and other civil rights issues makes him a deserving recipient of the 2022 Herblock Prize.”

NBC News