News Release

Baldo Comic Strip Celebrates Ten Years on Top

KANSAS CITY, Mo.  (04/01/2010)  – This April, the popular comic strip Baldo celebrates its ten year anniversary as the most widely distributed newspaper feature targeting Latino readers.

"For our anniversary, we’re planning a special story focusing on our most popular character, after Baldo, of course – Tia Carmen," said co-creator Hector Cantú.

"Over the years, fans have come to love Baldo’s great aunt and her storylines are always popular," added co-creator Carlos Castellanos, "so we thought we’d give readers a treat."

Baldo’s quest for a cool car and little sister Gracie’s thirst for knowledge have always been popular storylines in the strip, but Cantú and Castellanos have often delved into political and social issues as well. Partnerships with groups such as the National Council of La Raza, Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, and the National Alliance for Hispanic Health have helped deliver information on financial health, voter registration and diabetes awareness.

"Mr. Cantú and Mr. Castellanos informed thousands of people about diabetes when Baldo's father developed diabetes," said Dr. Jane L. Delgado, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health. "All of us at the Alliance are proud of Mr. Cantú and Mr. Castellanos and the place Baldo has secured in the history of American comics."

"These partnerships are some of the most rewarding aspects of working on our strip," said Cantú. "It’s one thing to make readers laugh or smile. It’s another thing to actually be useful in their lives, to use Papi or Tia Carmen to create awareness or share useful information."

Some of the most controversial strips have focused on immigration issues.

"Back in 2006 when we did strips on student walkouts over immigration, we got the most e-mail we’ve ever received," said Castellanos. "And not all of it was friendly."

The best e-mails, Cantú said, come from readers who identify with Baldo, his little sister Gracie, and Tia Carmen.

"When people tell us they see themselves on the funny pages, that’s a thrill. Connecting with readers through humor, emotions and experiences, making them feel like they are a part of the funny pages, that’s a big part of our job."

Lee Salem, president and editor of Baldo’s longtime syndication partner, Universal Uclick, considers the strip a vital feature for the modern comics page.

“We’re very proud to have played a part in bringing Baldo to audiences worldwide over the past ten years,” said Salem. “Baldo is an important strip that offers diverse humor and a unique Latino perspective on family, work and culture. Its great success is a credit to the talents of Hector Cantú and Carlos Castellanos, who have created an endearing cast of characters that won readers over from the very beginning, and the strip continues to capture new audiences on a daily basis.”

Baldo launched on April 1, 2000, in more than 100 newspapers, immediately ranking it among the most successful comic strip launches from Universal Uclick. Since then, Baldo’s coast-to-coast audience has more than doubled, three comic-strip compilation books have been published, and a Baldo animation short screened at the San Diego Latino Film Festival.

"In a lot of ways, it feels like we’re just beginning this journey," says Castellanos. "We’ve introduced so many storylines and characters and motivations," added Cantú, "that it’s going to be fun and challenging to bring everything full circle over the next ten years."

About Universal Uclick

Universal Uclick is the largest independent syndicate in the world and a leading digital entertainment provider of humor, comic strips, editorial cartoons, and other content for print, desktop, web and mobile phones. Universal Uclick provides editorial development, licensing and other distribution services for major brands like Doonesbury, Dear Abby and some of the most significant comics in history including Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, Garfield, For Better or For Worse, Cathy, and Ziggy as well as recent hits Lio, Cul de Sac and The Argyle Sweater. Universal Uclick is a division of Andrews McMeel Universal, the leading publisher of humor books and calendars in North America.

Creator(s): Hector Cantu and Carlos Castellanos

Contact(s): Paul Richardson Paul Richardson

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