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If Latinxs had to turn to a superhero to save the day, they would turn to the one and only Chapulín Colorado. Even if in the process of fighting evil he messed up the situation a little more, at the end, the character (played by Roberto Gómez Bolaños in the 1970s) in red tights with a gold heart on his chest would come through with a solution — thanks to his antenitas de vinil, chipote chillón, chicharra paralizadora, and pastillas de chiquitolina!
Carina Guevara — a Latina from Austin, TX, who teaches 2D art and photography to kids while moonlighting as an illustrator — felt the same way about Chapulín Colorado after Donald Trump was elected president, creating a picture-perfect illustration of El Chapulín defending Latinos against Trump [2].
"This illustration was inspired by my anger and frustration over the current political climate," she told POPSUGAR over email. "I wanted it to be funny and bring comfort. When I see El Chapulín Colorado, I immediately feel nostalgia, so to see that character and hero fighting for us is powerful."
Guevara hopes this and the other badass illustrations she features on her Instagram [4], including some of Selena Quintanilla, ollas de barro, and pan dulce, inspire other Latinxs to represent their culture via art. "As a young girl, I felt the lack of Latinx representation in books and art. I wanted to change that so got I got degree in fine arts, but I wanted my ideas to resonate with my community, not just be in a gallery for the privileged," Guevara said. "So, I make illustrations with hopes that one day my little cousins might pick up my work at the store and see themselves and their experiences in them."