Comics writer Julio Anta joins Byron on the show to explore his new Dark Horse Comics project, The Beast of Boriken. Part of Tiny Onion's True Weird series, this tropical horror story uses the legend of the Chupacabra to address the complex history of colonization, activism, and trauma in Puerto Rico. Julio breaks down his collaboration with artist and Puerto Rica native Daniel Irizarri, and how they blended indigenous Taino culture weaving it with the legend of El Chupacabra and applying that formula to highlight modern-day political struggles. We also discuss his extensive background in the YA and middle-grade graphic novel markets including the June release of his second Hillside Valley graphic novel, Sol Goes For Goal!, and why he believes comics are a unique medium for what he calls Revolutionary Optimism.

"The Chupacabra is a sort of manifestation of the anger and the trauma that the people of this island, from the time of the indigenous, have all felt."

Interview Breakdown

* El Chupacabra Origins: Julio shares his childhood memories of El Vampiro de Moca and the 1995 sightings that popularized the cryptid.

* A look at Loli, an activist radicalized by the aftermath of Hurricane Maria that is the primary protagonist in The Beast of Boriken.

* How the comic mirrors real-world issues like the Esencia project and modern land grabs in Puerto Rico.

* The importance of working with a Puerto Rican creative partner to ensure cultural accuracy from the landscapes to the botanica spiritual scenes in the book.

* Why Julio develops comprehensive guides for schools and libraries to keep graphic novels relevant in classrooms.

The Beast of Boriken from Dark Horse Comics

A thrilling new True Weird series from Tiny Onion by co-creators Julio Anta (Frontera; Sí, Se Puede) and Daniel Irizarri (Xino, Cementary Kids Don't Die) bringing el Chupacabra to life!

In contemporary Puerto Rico, Loli Flores is a fierce activist fighting the overdevelopment of the island by outside investors. When a ground-breaking ceremony is violently interrupted by a supernatural force, Loli discovers that the stories of el Chupacabra are not just echoes from the past, but a brutal protector of generations extending back to the indigenous people of the island. As Loli uncovers the horrors firstand, el Chupacabra is on a parallel path with elemental destruction left in his wake.

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