Baldo comic strip commemorates 19th Amendment and encourages voter registration

Kansas City, MO (August 26, 2020) — Andrews McMeel Syndication is pleased to share a collaborative effort between the creators of the comic strip Baldo, Hector Cantú and Carlos Castellanos, and the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project (SVREP) to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

 

The comic strip for August 26 features young Gracie Bermudez and Tia Carmen noting the role of prominent Latina suffragist Maria Guadalupe Evangelina in the campaign to secure the right to vote for all women. In addition, the strip encourages readers to visit the SVREP.org website for information and assistance regarding online voter registration ahead of the November 3, 2020, U.S. general election.

 

"Baldo is an important collaboration to reach hundreds of thousands of Latino voters to mobilize them this November 3rd," SVREP President Lydia Camarillo said in a release announcing the project. "We are thrilled and honored to have such a celebrated American comic strip help us mobilize the Latino vote."

 

Co-creator Hector Cantú added, "Baldo brings stories to life through the eyes of Baldo, Tia Carmen, Papi, and Graciela. These stories describe issues that are pertinent to Latino communities across America. Having Baldo remind us to register online to vote will help reach hundreds of thousands of young voters."

 

"In this script," noted co-creator Carlos Castellanos, "Hector and I wanted to remind people how powerful this week is in our history — 100 years where women were finally given by the 19th Amendment the right to vote. We know Tia Carmen is celebrating and Gracie can benefit from this historical breakthrough for women."

 

About SVREP: Since opening its doors in 1974, SVREP has registered 2.7 million Latinos to vote, trained 155,000 Latino leaders, and won 210 voting rights lawsuits. Many former SVREP graduates of the Latino Academy have served as elected officials, and as heads of nonprofits and businesses. For more information about the San Antonio-based SVREP, contact Lydia Camarillo at lcamarillo@svrep.org, media@svrep.org or at 210-922-0225.

 

About Baldo: Baldo was Andrews McMeel Syndication's first comic strip to feature Latino characters and themes. In 2000, writer Hector Cantú and artist Carlos Castellanos created a comic strip whose warmth and gentle humor appeal to all. Focusing on the exploits of teenager Baldo Bermudez, his sister, Gracie, father Sergio, and their loving aunt, Tia Carmen, Baldo provides a humorous look at the Latino experience, but it also lets readers remember what it was like to be young in America. Published in both English and Spanish, Baldo appears in approximately 200 outlets in over two dozen states.

 

About Andrews McMeel Syndication: Andrews McMeel Syndication (AMS), now in its 50th year, is the world's largest independent newspaper feature syndicate. AMS is a division of Andrews McMeel Universal, an integrated media company based in Kansas City, Missouri, and home of iconic comics such as Calvin and Hobbes, Doonesbury, Peanuts, The Far Side® and Garfield, and contemporary favorites Sarah's Scribbles, Breaking Cat News and Phoebe and Her Unicorn. Other divisions include a global publishing house (Andrews McMeel Publishing) and Andrews McMeel Entertainment, the film and television division. No matter the medium, our aim is to bring joy and inspiration to people's lives through the work of our talented creators (andrewsmcmeel.com).

Contact: Kathy Hilliard, khilliard@amuniversal.com