¡Wepa! Puerto Ricans in the World of Comics

Summary

Podcast Summary: ¡Wepa! Puerto Ricans in the World of Comics

Podcast: All Of It (WNYC)
Host: Alison Stewart
Air Date: October 3, 2025
Guests: Paloma Celis Carbajal (Curator, NYPL), Charles Carter (Curator, NYPL), Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez (Graphic Novelist)

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Episode Overview

This episode of "All Of It" centers on the unveiling of ¡Wepa! Puerto Ricans in the World of Comics, a groundbreaking exhibition at the New York Public Library. The show highlights the rich, multifaceted contributions of Puerto Rican creators to the comic book industry—spanning superhero sagas, independent zines, bilingual storytelling, and deep explorations of culture and identity. Through lively conversation with the exhibit's curators and prominent graphic novelist Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez, listeners are given an inside look at the significance, content, and creative context behind this unique collection.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Origins and Importance of the Collection

[00:32–02:50]

• The exhibit is built on the private collection of Manuel Martinez Nazario, a Brooklyn-born librarian and comic enthusiast.
• Nazario’s archive features over 1,500 comics, trade paperbacks, hardcovers, and zines: “They are by Puerto Rican creators, about Puerto Rico, or feature Puerto Rican characters.” (Alison Stewart, 00:23)
• The New York Public Library (NYPL) acquired the collection after careful review. Paloma Celis Carbajal describes the process:

  "He’s also a librarian, so he had it perfectly organized... He already had an inventory... and once I saw the breadth of it, I said yes, let's do all we can to bring this over." (Paloma, 01:49)

Why This Exhibit Matters

[02:50–03:39]

• The curators aimed to showcase the creative breadth of Puerto Rican comic artists and to inform the public of NYPL’s unique collections.
• Charles Carter emphasized research value:

  “These comic books are incredible resources for research about Puerto Rico.” (Charles, 03:30)

• The collection is also about representation—“showing to the world the wide-ranging talents of Puerto Rican comics creators.” (Charles, 02:54)

Superheroes and Milestone Characters

[03:39–05:07]

• White Tiger: Recognized as the first Latino superhero at Marvel Comics, created by George Perez in 1975.

  "White Tiger is the first Latino superhero published by Marvel Comics. He was co-created in 1975 by George Perez...one of the great superstars of superhero comics." (Charles, 03:51)

• NYPL made a special acquisition to feature the original White Tiger issue in the exhibit.

Origin Stories with Urban Flair

• Paloma points out that White Tiger’s origin—finding a talisman in a New York alley—roots the character in relatable urban experience:

  “It was very telling... the way that it was thought about the origin story. Something that someone who lives in a big city would feel close to.” (Paloma, 05:33)

Physical Experience of the Exhibition

[06:04–07:37]

• Visitors are greeted by a vibrant title wall with art by Rosa Colón Guerra and Carla Rodriguez of Soda Pop Comics, the first women-run comics company in Puerto Rico.

  “Their raison d'être was get more women to create comics... And they did.” (Charles, 06:19)

• The exhibition immerses visitors in comic visuals with bright lighting and imagery from the collection itself, aiming to replicate the feeling of stepping inside a comic book.

Representation, Diversity, and Bilingualism

[08:02–09:01; 15:56–16:54]

• The exhibit illustrates the diverse Puerto Rican experience—on the island and within the diaspora.
• Comics showcase characters with mixed ancestry, dialects, and backgrounds, reflecting social realities and imaginative possibilities.

  "Puerto Ricans are, of course, not a monolith...a wide variance of Puerto Rican experience in life, both on the island and throughout the diaspora in New York City." (Charles, 08:17)

• Bilingual storytelling is common, mirroring the cultural and linguistic blend of Puerto Rican communities:

  “Many of the characters speak with mixed Spanish, English, or they switch... The linguistic context is that bilingualism that exists especially in urban spaces... but also shared by the diaspora.” (Paloma, 16:02)

Featured Creations & Creators

[09:09–11:22; 11:40–13:51]

Koki

• Koki, created by Ivan Plaza, is a superhero whose origin is tied to the island’s native tree frogs, the coquíes.
• The story stands out for its infusion of science, ancestry, and connection with Puerto Rican land and identity.

La Borinqueña

• Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez joins via Zoom to discuss his critically acclaimed Afro Puerto Rican superheroine:

  "La Borinqueña is the first Afro Puerto Rican woman to have her own solo comic book series...her powers are tethered to the ancient spirits of the Tainos, the original indigenous people of Puerto Rico." (Edgardo, 11:50)

• La Borinqueña’s impact stretches beyond art to philanthropy:

  "We've awarded over $250,000 in grants to nonprofits throughout Puerto Rico...part of our work isn’t just around the art and storytelling, but also philanthropy." (Edgardo, 12:41)

Super Defenders and Unique Comic Types

[14:06–15:56]

• Early 90s indie comic Super Defenders featured Boricua—a Puerto Rican superhero with Captain America vibes.
• Notable for being fully bilingual: every speech bubble appears in both English and Spanish.

  "The coolest thing about this comic book is that it is fully bilingual. Each speech bubble is sort of split in two..." (Charles, 15:22)

• The exhibition itself is “the first fully bilingual exhibition at the 42nd Street Library.” (Charles, 15:57)

Other Themes: Resilience and Everyday Life

• Storylines often highlight resilience and resourcefulness. Example:

  "There's a comic book called Ta Sita...an anthropomorphic coffee cup. The very first panel...the owner says, 'Hey, there’s no electricity, so I can’t warm up the coffee.' And the coffee cup says, ‘Give me a minute.’ The next panel is the coffee cup taking the sun and warming up with the sun." (Paloma, 17:12)

• Hardship (like frequent blackouts) and perseverance are recurring subtexts—the resilience of Puerto Ricans both on the island and in the diaspora.

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Memorable Quotes

• “As soon as I got that email, I was like, oh my God. Of course.”
  — Paloma on acquiring Manuel’s collection ([01:49])

• “White Tiger is the first Latino superhero published by Marvel Comics.”
  — Charles ([03:51])

• “Puerto Ricans are, of course, not a monolith... There is such a wide variance of Puerto Rican experience in life.”
  — Charles ([08:17])

• “La Borinqueña is an Afro Puerto Rican superhero. The first Afro Puerto Rican woman to have her own solo series in comic book storytelling.”
  — Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez ([11:50])

• “Librarians were always and continue to be a haven for me.”
  — Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez ([12:45])

• "It’s finding those solutions in the face of hardship."
  — Paloma on the theme of resilience in comics ([17:28])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:32] – Introduction to Manuel Martinez Nazario’s collection and exhibit
• [03:51] – White Tiger: First Latino superhero
• [06:11] – Exhibition layout and Soda Pop Comics
• [08:17] – Diversity and representation in Puerto Rican comics
• [09:11] – Story of Koki and exhibition’s context
• [11:40] – Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez discusses La Borinqueña
• [14:22] – Super Defenders and bilingual comics
• [16:02] – Bilingualism and themes of resilience
• [17:12] – Everyday resilience: Ta Sita comic example

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Episode Tone & Highlights

• The conversation is lively, warm, and deeply rooted in both fandom and cultural scholarship.
• Guests share personal anecdotes and community ties, weaving together literary scholarship, comics fandom, and social activism.
• The pride in Puerto Rican creativity and resilience is palpable throughout.

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Conclusion

This episode offers a vibrant, thoughtful look at how comics serve as both mirrors and makers of Puerto Rican identity—from superhero origin stories to indie anthologies and bilingual word balloons. The ¡Wepa! exhibition at NYPL becomes both a celebration and a resource—a place for fun, pride, and serious scholarship alike.

If you’re curious about cultural representation in comics, or want to see the intersection of art, language, and resiliency, this conversation is not to be missed.

Transcript

[A]

This is all of it on wnyc. I'm Alison Stewart. A new exhibit at the New York Public Library is built on one man's collection and vast knowledge of Puerto Ricans in the comic book industry. It's called Puerto Ricans in the World of Comics. Dating back to 1950, Brooklyn born comic enthusiast Manuel Martinez Nazario. His collection contains more than 1500 comic books, trade paperbacks, hardcovers and zines. They are by Puerto Rican creators about Puerto Rico or feature Puerto Rican characters. For example, a framed copy of the first edition of writer Ivan Plaza's Coqui, which is about a hero who survives an accident when he is saved by a koki tree frog. Then there's the work of Angelo Torres, who works grace the pages of mad magazine from 1969 through 2010. Huepa, Puerto Ricans in the World of Comics opens tomorrow, Saturday, October 4, at the Joaquim. How do you pronounce it? Joaquin Gallery Wachenheim Gallery Wachenheim Gallery inside the New York Public Library's Stephen A. Schwartzman Building. Joining us are its curators. Paloma Sales Carajal serves as the curator for Latin American, Iberian and Latino collections for the New York Public Library. Paloma, welcome.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

And Charles Carter, New York Public Library curator who co curated this exhibition. Charles, welcome as well.

[C]

Thanks so much.

[A]

All right, Paloma, how did the New York Public Library come to collab Manuel Martinez Nazaro's collection?

[B]

Well, it started in 2022 and thanks, Alison, for inviting us. Of course.

[A]

Libraries, you're welcome.

[B]

We're so happy to be here in 2022. Manuel reached out to us and asked, would you be interested in this collection? And as soon as I got that email, I was like, oh my God. Of course he described it. He's also a librarian, so he had it perfectly organized. He already had an inventory. Oh my goodness. And once I saw the breadth of it, I said, yes, potentially, let's talk. And throughout several virtual meetings we talked, he showed me the comic. Something that immediately comes to mind when something like this is offered is the condition. Right? What's the condition of these comic books? What period does it cover? What was the objective behind putting it together? So all those things we talked about about four times and I was impressed and said, yes, let's do all we can to bring this over.

[A]

Charles, why did you think this needs to be seen?

[C]

Well, a couple reasons. One, Manuel is very invested in showing to the world the wide ranging talents of Puerto Rican comics creators. That's sort of one of his passion projects. So that's definitely something that we are trying to accomplish. But also, I think it's a good chance for us to show the different kinds of collections that are at the New York public library that might be surprising to some people. This is a collection, you know, at the research libraries, we have collections that you, you. It's not a library where you can check things out. It's a library where you come to do research. And these comic books are incredible resources for research about puerto rico. And so that's one of the things that we're very interested in showing people.

[D]

One of the big milestones reflected in the show is the white tiger. The first puerto rican superhero published by Marvel. Appeared around 1975. First of all, who is the white tiger?

[C]

So the white tiger, you need to know. I mean, we're both. We both like comic books, But I think I'm the only one that could qualify as like a bonafide comic book nerd here. So I'll nerd out a little bit. White tiger is the first latino superhero published by marvel comics. He was co created in 1975 by George Perez. Anybody who knows anything about comics knows that George perez was one of the great superstars of superhero comics, especially in the 80s and 90s. So one of the very first things that george perez did in his fledgling career at marvel comics was create this puerto rican superhero who still exists in a version today. Of course, not exactly the same today. The version is female. But we at the New york public library did not have this first appearance of white tiger. But when we were thinking about putting together an exhibition based on Manuel's collection, Thinking about puerto ricans in comics, we knew we had to have that issue. So we made a very special acquisition. And so now, forevermore, that issue is part of the new york public library's collections. And so after the exhibition, researchers can come and consult the original issue, which is.

[B]

It's very important in these. In the lore, let's say the comic book lore, the origin stories of some of these superheroes. In the case of white tiger, I can't find it. More New york than anything he finds. The origin story is he finds the talisman that gives him the power. In an alley on the street. Jeff. Right.

[D]

Walking down the street, there's an alley. Look, it's a talisman.

[B]

Let me check it out. So for me, it was very telling also the way that it was thought about the origin story. A very like something that someone that lives in a city, in a big city would feel close to. Right? It's not something mystical, magical or anything. You find a talisman and then you get this impressive power superpower.

[D]

Tell me a little bit about the physical layout of the exhibition. When you first come in, what will you see? What will you learn?

[C]

Well, the very first thing you see is a giant title wall that features the artwork of Rosa Colon Guerra, who is an independent illustrator based out of San Juan. And she and her collaborator Carla Rodriguez, back in 2007, they founded Soda Pop Comics, which is Puerto Rico's first women run comics company. And they made it a point, their sort of raison d' etre was get more women to create comics. So, you know, back then, early 2000s, Rosa would go to these comics fairs in San Juan and they'd say, you know, why are you even here? Comics are for boys, you know, girls. Girls don't make comics. Girls don't read comics. Well, they wanted to change that and they did quite a bit to change it. And one of the things, one of the objects on display in the exhibition is an anthology that they published in 2014 of 26 super exciting Puerto Rican women comics creators.

[B]

And physically the exhibition we wanted. We hope that we've achieved our objective. And it's to. When you walk in that you feel like you're walking into a comic. It's bright.

[A]

Is it lighting that way?

[B]

The images you're surrounded by images that we have taken from the comics that are on display too. So you have the comics and you have also images from those comics.

[A]

A new exhibit at the New York Public Library shows the tremendous impact of.

[D]

Puerto Ricans on the comics industry.

[A]

WEPA opens tomorrow, October 4th.

[D]

I feel like that every time I say it.

[A]

Co curators Paloma Silas Carval. Carbajal.

[B]

Carvajal, correct.

[A]

Paloma, Silas Carbajal and Charles Carter are here to discuss and preview the exhibition. A lot of the works are about Puerto Rico. They feature Puerto Rican characters. Charles, how is the island? How are the people represented in the comics?

[C]

So one of the points of the exhibition is to show, you know, Puerto Ricans are of course not a monolith. There are. There's such a wide variance of Puerto Rican experience in life.

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Both on the island and throughout the diaspora in New York City. And so one of the points of the show is to just show the diversity of the people, of the experiences of. And I think that the comics are a really accessible way for people to see this through the artwork, through the stories, through the imaginative sort of speculative fiction type stuff, and even the everyday slice of life, reality based comics too.

[D]

When I grew up, I can remember my dad would put it back and forth and he would always tell me about the Koki frogs. And I found out there's a superhero named Koki.

[A]

Somebody please tell me more.

[C]

Yes.

[B]

So Koki is a superhero. The main character is a young man who studies sciences and has an accident in the forest of El Yunque and is saved by Coquis who give him his power. But it's more nuanced than that. Of course, he's in El Yunque because he's studying biology. So he has a connection and interest. But also his own ancestry. Right. Is tied to the land. And that connection with the land is what makes it fascinating. I mean, the images are impressive, but the story is also that. That relationship with your own land through the eyes of a young man that's also starting his professional life and also learning how to become now a superhero. Of course. One thing that I wanted to add in terms of the way that we've put together the exhibition, besides the comic books, we wanted to bring the context in which these comics were created. So that's why for us, it was very important for Charlie and for me to bring the artists own voices and faces. We went to Puerto Rico to the Feria de Comics, the Septima Feria de Comics over there organized by Manuel Martinez Nazario, and interviewed many of them, about 20, I think. Not all of them made it to the exhibition, of course, because we have a time crunch. But eventually we will hopefully have them all online as an archive, part of an oral history archive, we hope. But anyway, that was very important for us to provide the context. If not, yes, comics, you can read the comics. But if you know more or you hear the artist explain the reasons why they create comics or why that specific comic, they wrote that specific comic, then that gives you more information and you can understand it at a deeper. Get a deeper meaning of what you're reading.

[D]

That is the perfect segue into someone we have on the line. Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez is a graphic novelist most notably recognized as the writer and the creator of the critically acclaimed and bestselling superheroes La Borquena. His work is featured in the show. He joins us via Zoom. Are you there?

[E]

Yes, I am, Alison. Thank you for having me.

[D]

Thank you for joining us. Tell us about your character, La Borquinha. Am I saying it right?

[E]

Yeah. La Borinquena is an Afro Puerto Rican superhero. The first Afro Puerto Rican woman to have her own solo scene series and comic book storytelling. We've been publishing her now for nine years. Next year will be our 10th anniversary. A superhero whose powers are tethered to the ancient spirits of the Tainos, the original indigenous people of the Caribbean islands, but especially Puerto Rico. And our book, the first issue, which was published in 2016 as part of the Smithsonian permanent collection, is part of this incredible exhibition that has been curated by Paloma and Charles for all to enjoy. And actually, I just came from Puerto Rico. I was there for the 8th annual Feria de Comics, and we closed out our art exhibition, which actually features original artwork from our very first graphic novel, as well as the last published illustrated cover by George Bettis, who actually donated his last piece to us before officially retiring. And having an opportunity to be a part of this exhibition is truly special for me. As a Puerto Rican who grew up in New York City, libraries were always and continue to be a haven for me. I'm actually touring the city, speaking at libraries, including this weekend, Queens Library, giving children and families workshops on how to make a comic book, how to create their own superheroes. And part of our work isn't just around the art and storytelling of comics, but it's also philanthropy. We've awarded over $250,000 in grants to nonprofits throughout the Puerto Rico because we dedicate a portion of our sales, especially from our team up book with DC Comics Reconstruction, who. The original cover is actually owned by George Lucas, because he decided to include it in the new medium, the Narrative Museum for Art and Storytelling that will be opening in California next year. So we're very honored to be a part of this exhibition and very humbled that our work is going to be a part of this collection that will be celebrated and studied for generations to come.

[D]

Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez. Thank you so much for joining us.

[F]

Charles.

[D]

What are reoccurring character types that show up in these comic books about Puerto Rico that really seem unique to you?

[C]

Well, I think character types, that's a difficult question, but I think something that we see, we could definitely talk about the way that superheroes are represented. Maybe that's true.

[B]

Yeah, That's. Yes.

[C]

So we've talked about Coqui. There's of course, La Borinquena represented that Edgardo created. And then there is one of my favorite pieces is from the early 90s. It's called Super Defenders.

[D]

Super Defenders.

[C]

Super Defenders. Okay, so this was a super do it Yourself very. Has a very DIY sort of production value, let's say. So it's black and white inside. And the creator, Jose Sanchez, we tried to get in touch with him didn't. We weren't able to. But look, this comic was from the early 90s. It's been a while. But so the stories, they're obviously very inspired by X Men. But one of the main characters is Boricua. So there is Boricua.

[B]

Oh, Boricua. Yeah.

[D]

He's a nerd.

[A]

He's the comic nerd.

[C]

So he's kind of like a Captain America, but, you know, representing. He is considered like. Well, at least on the COVID he's touted as the first Puerto Rican, you know, superhero who represents the Puerto Rican people. But the coolest thing about this comic book is that it is fully bilingual. Each speech bubble is sort of split in two and it delivers both English and Spanish at the same time. And this is a good opportunity for us to mention that our Exhibition is fully bilingual. 2.

[A]

I noticed that, yes.

[C]

So it's the first full fledged bilingual exhibition at the 42nd Street Library.

[B]

Actually adding to what Charlie just said, one of the characteristics that many, the vast majority of these comic books show is the bilingualism in Puerto Rico. So many of the characters speak with mixed Spanish, English, or they switch between Spanish and English constantly. Or the books, the comic books are published in Spanish and also in English. So that the linguistic context is that bilingualism that exists especially more in the urban spaces in Puerto Rico is part of it, but also shared by the diaspora. Right. The Puerto Ricans in the diaspora speak in many cases other languages in addition to Spanish or speak that other language. That doesn't mean that they are not Puerto Rican. It's part of the identity too. Right. You're not defined only by that one language. That's what I meant to say. The other thing that I think you can see in most of these comics, it doesn't matter if they're superheroes or if they're about maternity. There's some about maternity. And it comes over and over and over again is resilience in the face of hardship. So it is maybe not well known how. How difficult life is in Puerto Rico, how many blackouts they have to deal with on a regular basis. So you see that kind of. It shows in different ways. Sometimes very subtle, in a very subtle way, that resilience in that resourcefulness that they have. So a very quick example, there's a comic book called Ta Sita that's made by Joel Chiso Vazquez. And it's about a coffee cup that's the main character, an anthropomorphic coffee cup. And the very first panel in the comic book is the owner of the coffee cup telling the coffee cup, hey, there's no electricity, so I can't warm up the coffee. And the coffee cup says, neck, give me a minute. And the next panel is the coffee cup taking the sun and warming up with the sun. So it's finding those solutions in the face of hardship.

[A]

The name of the show is WEPA.

[D]

It opens tomorrow, October 4th, at the.

[A]

New York Public Library.

[D]

Co curators Paloma Celes Carbajal and Charles Carter.

[A]

We're here to discuss and preview the exhibits. Thank you so much for joining us.

[C]

Thank you, Alison.

[B]

Thank you, Alison, for the invitation. We hope to see you there.

[D]

I will be there.

[A]

Coming up on the show on Monday, the new PBS documentary King of Them all tells the story of King Records, the 20th century music label that transformed American music.

[D]

Will speak with its director. And that is all of It. All of it is produced by Andrea Duncan Mao, Kate Hines, Jordan Loft, Simon Close, Zack Ghatar Cohen, Elle Malik Anderson and Luke Green. Megan Ryan is the head of Live Radio. Our engineers are Juliana Fox and Jason Isaac. Our intern is India Rice. Luscious Jackson does our music. I appreciate you listening and I appreciate you. I'm Alison Stewart and I will meet you back here next time.

[F]

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[G]

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[C]

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