Forget superhero origin stories – a new, vital chapter in American visual culture is being inked as we speak. Nhora Lucía Serrano, director of academic technology, teaching, and research services, has guest edited a special issue of INKS: The Journal of the Comics Studies Society, titled “Inked Latinidades.” The Fall 2025 issue is now live on Project Muse and, crucially, is available open access. This isn’t just an academic exercise; it’s a deliberate push to center Latinx/e voices in a medium often dominated by mainstream narratives.
- The issue features five peer-reviewed essays by Latinx/e scholars.
- A “From the Archives” section examines the historical legacies of Latinx/e comics.
- Serrano’s own essay focuses on the cultural significance of Gus Arriola’s Gordo.
What’s interesting here isn’t just the scholarship itself, but the timing. We’re seeing a broader cultural reckoning with representation, and comics – historically a powerful, yet often overlooked, storytelling medium – are now squarely in the spotlight. Serrano’s introduction, tracing a lineage from early Pan-American imagery to contemporary Latinx/e comics, highlights how these artists are actively dismantling problematic historical representations. This is about reclaiming the narrative, and doing so through a distinctly visual language.
The focus on Gordo is particularly astute. Serrano explores how Mexican cerámica influenced the strip’s visual style, arguing it’s a vital cultural artifact that transmitted Latinx/e identity to a mass audience in the mid-20th century. It’s a smart move to elevate a work like Gordo, which, while popular in its time, hasn’t received the same level of critical attention as other comics of the era. This issue is subtly, but effectively, rewriting the canon.
The open access component is also key. Making this scholarship freely available isn’t just about academic generosity; it’s about ensuring that these critical perspectives reach a wider audience, influencing future artists and scholars. Expect to see this issue cited frequently as the conversation around diversity and representation in comics continues to evolve. This isn’t just about looking back; it’s about building a more inclusive future for the medium.
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