Name La Cucaracha Role Syndicated comic strip | ||
Similar Prickly City, Lio, Brewster Rockit: Space Guy!, The Wizard of Id, Curtis | ||
La Cucaracha (Eng. "The Cockroach") is a nationally syndicated daily comic strip by Lalo Alcaraz, which focuses on Latino culture and politics.
It is syndicated by Universal Uclick, and is in over 60 newspapers. It began daily publication in November, 2002. It is the only 'political' Latino-themed syndicated daily comic strip in the U.S.
It is one of several politically themed comic strips in mainstream papers. It is similar, in that manner, to Doonesbury, Candorville, The Boondocks and Prickly City (although the latter is of an opposite political persuasion). Some see a distinct influence of Mexican artist Rius.
The strip is considered one of the most controversial in the history of American comic strips, labeled "anti-white" and "divisive" by its detractors and defended as "truthful" and "progressive" by its supporters. It was dropped by four papers after a deluge of reader complaints. Alcaraz satirized his hate-mailers by drawing a letter-writer pleading, "Please drop 'La Cucaracha' and bring back my favorite comic strip, 'Whitesville USA' by Aryan McCracker." In regard to this response, Alcaraz said, "I'm sorry, but I'm just not polite about this stuff."
Universal Press Syndicate considered 'La Cucaracha an unqualified success, and signed Alcaraz to a 10-year contract.