Most of the time I see comic books as a form of escapism. Wanting to get away from the realities of the everyday life that is sometimes plain and simply boring. Entertained by superheroes and their never ending quests for the greater good. But every now and then it’s good to have a story or two that is grounded in reality and that can teach us very valuable lessons, because it’s through hearing stories about our past that we can make better decisions about our future.

Enter Henry Barajas’ La Voz De M.A.Y.O. Tata Rambo #2. This is the second issue of the true story of Ramon Jaurigue, an orphan and WWII veteran that also happens to be the great-grandfather of the author, who co-founded the Mexican, American Yaqui and Others organization (M.A.Y.O.). They played a key role in lobbying the Tuscon City Council to improve the living conditions for the members of the local Pascua Yaqui tribe. Ramon’s dedication and hard work to his community lead to the integration of the Yaqui into the expanding metropolis of Tucson.

The story of La Voz De M.A.Y.O. dramatizes the amazing life and accomplishments of Barajas’ great-grandfather by extensive research using newspaper clippings, interviews with surviving MAYO members and Ramon’s authored articles. The great thing about this is that by Barajas telling his family’s story he ends up telling a much larger story about an entire group of people that came together to fight for what they deserved. Make sure to check out the video clip above!

The first issue was funded via a successful Kickstarter campaign. This campaign for the second issue is focusing on making sure that the creators working on this title get paid, which include J. Gonzo, Eva Cabrera, Claire Napier Bernardo Brice and copy editor Kat Overland. The first issue was fantastic and I look forward to see how the story develops.

Authentic stories like these are hard to come by, especially ones that are so close to the author. As a Latinx writer and avid comic book reader myself, I’ve found myself frustrated at times with how our culture is a lot of times portrayed in mainstream media, often plagued by sterotypes that I cannot identify with. But with a story like La Voz De M.A.Y.O. Tata Rambo I find comfort and excitement in the authenticity of Baraja’s writing of his great-grandfathers’ life. You can tell just how much this story means to him and thus how much we should also appreciate being let in to his personal life with open arms. But then again, that’s one of the great things about our culture.

Check out the cover art by Eva Cabrara and preview pages for the second issue by J Gonzo with letters by Bernardo Brice below!

Be sure to be a part of this great series, by pledging whatever you can to help La Voz De M.A.Y.O. Tata Rambo #2 make it to print via it’s Kickstarter link below!

La Voz De M.A.Y.O. Tata Rambo #2 Kickstarter Campaign

Henry Baraja’s La Voz De M.A.Y.O. Tata Rambo #2 Kickstarter campaign ends Friday May 10th, 2019.

Source: Press Release