Email This StoryHispanic group to honor comic strip's creator
March 21, 2007
By STAR DE LA CRUZ
Reporter
Hector Cantu, co-creator of the "Baldo" comic strip, will speak at the Hispanic Heritage Banquet at 7 p.m. today on the fifth floor of the Cashion Academic Center. The event is held by the Hispanic Student Association.
"The banquet is set to celebrate our Hispanic heritage and to promote Hispanic culture across campus," said Molly Pruneda, a Houston junior and banquet co-chairwoman.
The theme is "Embracing Success to Empower Others," and Cantu will talk about Hispanics succeeding in the United States.
Pruneda said the purpose of the banquet is to honor Cantu's successful career and to encourage community members to work hard on their dreams, work together and help others be successful in life.
Cantu is an alumnus of the University of Texas, where he earned a journalism degree.
He was the managing editor for seven years at the Hispanic Business Magazine in Santa Barbara, Calif., and also wrote a column for the Knight Ridder News Service.
"I had been a reporter, an editor and had traveled, but I wanted to do more," Cantu said. "I wanted to find my dream job."
Cantu said he was a big fan of comics growing up and always enjoyed the field of journalism, so he had to find something that combined both of his passions.
He met Carlos Castellanos, an artist he hired to work for Hispanic Business Magazine, and together they created "Baldo."
"It was a risk, but why not try it?" Cantu said. "You're never going to get to do what you really want unless you give it a try."
"Baldo" is a 15-year-old Hispanic boy growing up in a big city, living with his dad, sister and great aunt, and just trying to fit in and be cool. The comic strip is featured in more than 400 newspapers in the United States, including the Waco Tribune-Herald.
"I wanted to write something I was familiar with, and both Carlos and I could remember being 15 and trying to be cool," Cantu said. "There's nothing else like it and the response has been great."
Cantu has also written two books, The Lower You Ride, The Cooler You Are and Night of the Bilingual Telemarketers. Both are compilations of his comic strip.
"I think you have to be crazy to try something new, and that might be one of the only ways you will find out what you really want to do," he said.
Taryn Ozuna, multicultural activities coordinator, said the banquet will also recognize Hispanic Student Association officers and advisers.
Tickets for the banquet are $15 for students and $10 for Hispanic Student Association members.
Cantu said he will talk about his obstacles and how he achieved his dream job.
"For me it's been doing what I want to do and I encourage students to do what they want to do and not feel like they have to do something because of someone else," Cantu said.
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