by George Carmona 3rd
La Borinqueña is more than just the story of a young Puerto Rican student who gains mystical powers to help defend her island, it’s also the story of her creator Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez. Originally from the South Bronx, Miranda-Rodriguez grew up with a love for comics, creating his own as a kid to sell to friends to help buy more comics. He’s since curated an art show and written for Marvel Comics, as well as worked with Hip-Hop Icon Darryl ”DMC” McDaniels of Run-DMC on their book DMC.
I bought my copy of La Borinqueña way back when it was fresh off the presses around early December, but it’s his love of comics and the Bronx that got me to travel all the way up to Hunts Point to witness the unveiling of his characters mural at the Casita Maria Center for Arts & Education.
Using elements from the comic art as reference, Bronx-based professional graffiti artists and muralists, the TATS CRU blessed the walls of Casita Maria with an amazing work of art that blends the two artistic worlds together. Perfectionist to the end, they were still doing touch ups before the crowd formed.
Joined by La Borinqueña artists Will Rosado and Sabrina Cintron, he spoke about the mural at Casita Maria as “..an amazing opportunity to return to the Bronx. To celebrate my Puerto Rican Heritage, my Bronx roots and also to give young people and especially people in this community in general a hero that looks like themselves. And I have this opportunity to work with legendary graffiti Kings the TATS CRU, I don’t think there’s ever been a project such as mine that has brought in professional comic book artist and professional graffiti writers in this industry, in this instance, so to have this mural here in this community is beyond words right now.”
If you find yourself in the Bronx swing by and take a look at this fusion of superheros and graffiti. Book two will be out later this year, but can be pre-ordered with variant covers by legend and master comic artist George Perez, also a native from the BX, and Nik Virella hot off her run on All-New Wolverine.
George Carmona 3rd is an Artist/Writer, former Milestone Media Intern, former DC Comics paper pusher, current book lover, and lifelong comic geek. You can find his work at FistFullofArt.com or follow him on twitter at GCarmona3.
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