Founded in 2017 by a McKinney ISD schoolteacher who wanted comic fans of every income level to have a space to celebrate their culture, Texas Latino Comic Con turns 10 this year — spotlighting Texas-based Latino creators from Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, and the border, with special guest Hector Rodriguez celebrating the 15th anniversary of his acclaimed comic series El Peso Hero, plus lucha libre, artist panels, cosplay, and a full afternoon of Latino stories and art
Saturday, August 1, 2026, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Latino Cultural Center, 2600 Live Oak Street, Dallas, TX 75204. Free entry for the entire family. Panels, lucha libre, artist alley, cosplay, and community — all for the whole family. Full guest lineup and schedule at txlatinocc.weebly.com.
Well neighbor, if you have kids who love comic books, love superheroes, love lucha libre, or love the sound of a whole afternoon of art and community — and you don’t want to spend $50 a head per family member to get in — clear your Saturday calendar for August 1. The Texas Latino Comic Con is celebrating its 10th anniversary at the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas, and it is genuinely one of the sweetest, warmest, most joyful community events the state throws every year. Free entry. All ages. Guest lineup you won’t find anywhere else. And a mission that keeps getting more important with each passing year.
Ten years, neighbor. That’s a milestone worth showing up for.
The story behind the con
Here’s how this got started, and it’s a story worth knowing. Back in 2017, a fifth-grade bilingual teacher for McKinney ISD named Hector Rodriguez III was already making a name for himself in the world of comics with a character he’d created six years earlier: El Peso Hero. It’s a comic book series about Ignacio Rivera, a humble Chicano man from the Texas-Mexico border who discovers extraordinary powers and takes on human traffickers, corrupt officials, and drug cartels. The series has been featured on Univision, CNN, Telemundo, CBS, NBC, NPR, and outlets around the world. It became a genuine international phenomenon among Latino comic fans.
But Rodriguez noticed something when he’d travel the comic convention circuit as a guest. Getting into a comic con typically cost $25 to $60 per person. For a family of four? That’s grocery money. That’s rent money. And a lot of Latino kids and families who would have loved to meet artists like him, buy books that reflected their culture, and see themselves in the stories on display — simply couldn’t afford to.
So in 2017, Rodriguez — a proud son of Eagle Pass, Texas — co-founded the first Texas Latino Comic Con. Free entry. Central Dallas. Focused specifically on Texas Latino creators. Built for the community that had been quietly shut out of the convention scene for years.
Ten years later, TLCC has grown into a treasured Texas tradition and one of the most respected Latino comic conventions in the country.
This year’s theme: Our Stories Matter
The 2026 theme is exactly what it says on the poster: Our Stories Matter. It’s simple, but in a year when Latino representation, immigration, and community identity are all part of a bigger public conversation, the message lands harder than usual. TLCC has always been a space where Latino kids get to see themselves in the heroes on the wall, where Latino artists get to share their work with an audience that gets it, and where families of every background can come together and celebrate stories that have historically been overlooked.
Guest of Honor: Hector Rodriguez celebrates 15 years of El Peso Hero
The star of this year’s convention is the founder himself, celebrating a major milestone. El Peso Hero turns 15 this year. What started as an independent comic book from a Dallas-area teacher has grown into a cross-media franchise with international recognition, a lucha libre multimedia company, and — coming soon — a movie in development.
If you’ve never picked up an issue, this is your chance. Rodriguez will be signing books, meeting fans, and making the 15th anniversary a moment worth celebrating.
Texas Latino creators leading the way
Here’s the piece that makes TLCC genuinely unique among comic conventions in America, neighbor. This isn’t just a Latino comic con. It’s a Texas Latino comic con — meaning the majority of the guest lineup consists of Latino comic creators who live and work right here in the state. This is a Texas creative community showing up for itself. And when you walk the floor at TLCC, you’re meeting Texas Latino artists who have built their careers here at home.
Confirmed Texas creators appearing at the 2026 con include:
Hector Rodriguez III — Dallas–Fort Worth. Guest of Honor. Fifth-grade bilingual teacher at McKinney ISD. Creator of El Peso Hero and founder of TLCC. Eagle Pass native.
Hector Cantú — Dallas–Fort Worth. Creator of the internationally syndicated comic strip Baldo, one of the most widely-read Latino comic strips in America.
Sam de la Rosa — San Antonio. Marvel and DC Comics artist known for his work on Spider-Man and other iconic titles. One of the most accomplished Texas Latino artists in the comic industry.
Richard Dominguez — Dallas. Creator of El Gato Negro, another cornerstone of Latino comic culture and a longtime Texas independent comic pioneer.
Eliamaria M. Crawford — Dallas–Fort Worth. Owner and illustrator of Elia in a Box Studios. Known for her dry-humored stick figure comics and her line Nuestras Artes, Nuestra Cultura.
Fabian Rangel Jr. — Houston. Creator of Blood Brothers: Hermanos de Sangre and other independent Texas comics.
Jerry Gonzales — Dusk Comics, based in Texas.
Miguel Aguilar — Texas-based cartoonist.
Eddie Medina, Joshua Passmore, and other Texas Latino writers and artists round out the lineup.
Actor Edgar Arreola — with Texas ties, adding a performing arts angle to the con.
Look at that list, neighbor. Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Houston, and the border — that’s Texas Latino creative talent from every corner of the state, all under one roof, all for free, all in one afternoon. You cannot get this combination of Texas Latino comic industry talent in any other room in the country.
New guests are added as the con approaches. Check txlatinocc.weebly.com/guests.html for the confirmed 2026 lineup.
Lucha libre — the con’s signature spectacle
Here’s a piece that sets TLCC apart from every other comic con you’ll ever go to. Rodriguez grew up in Eagle Pass, a border town where Mexican media, wrestling, and comic culture were all part of daily life. That upbringing shaped the convention. Every year, TLCC includes a full lucha libre performance — theatrical wrestling with masked luchadores, a Mexican tradition that combines athletic performance with real cultural pageantry. Kids go absolutely nuts for it. Grown-ups do too, honestly.
If you’ve never seen lucha libre live, this alone is worth the drive.
Plaza de Creativos: Artist Alley
The heart of any comic con is the artist alley, and TLCC’s is called Plaza de Creativos. You’ll find dozens of independent Latino artists — including many working artists from across Texas — selling their books, prints, original art, and merchandise, often at prices you can’t find anywhere else. Bring cash if you can (some vendors also take card), and plan on spending time browsing. Every dollar you spend supports a working Texas Latino artist directly.
Panels and community discussions
Throughout the day, TLCC hosts panels featuring the guest creators. Expect conversations about breaking into the comic industry as a Latino artist in Texas, the role of storytelling in cultural preservation, current projects by the Texas-based guests, and the state of Latino representation in comics, film, and animation. Check the schedule at txlatinocc.weebly.com/schedule.html for panel times and topics.
About the Latino Cultural Center
The convention’s home is the Latino Cultural Center, a beautiful Dallas landmark at 2600 Live Oak Street founded in 2003 to preserve and develop Hispanic arts and culture. The Cultural Center has hosted TLCC for eight years running, and the two organizations have grown into genuine partners. If you’ve never been to the Latino Cultural Center, the building itself is worth seeing.
A note from the organizers on community safety
Here’s something worth knowing before you head to the con, neighbor. TLCC’s organizers have posted an important message on their website addressing community safety and immigration concerns for attendees. Whether you have questions about attending, want to understand the safety commitments the organizers have made, or want to know how to help make the event welcoming for everyone — visit txlatinocc.weebly.com and read the “Important Message Regarding ICE” section directly. The organizers have made a public commitment to being a safe and welcoming space, and they’d rather you have the information straight from them.
Getting there
The Latino Cultural Center is at 2600 Live Oak Street in Dallas, TX 75204, in the Deep Ellum arts district. Parking is available on-site and along nearby streets. Rideshare is easy. If you’re taking DART, the Deep Ellum Green Line stop is a short walk from the venue.
What to bring
Cash for artist alley — not required, but appreciated by vendors.
Water and light snacks if you have kids, since you’ll be moving through a full afternoon.
A tote bag or backpack for the books, prints, and swag you’ll probably end up with.
Cosplay if you’re into it — Latino character cosplay is genuinely celebrated at TLCC, and there’s typically an unofficial cosplay showcase.
Comfortable shoes.
Why this belongs on your calendar
Here’s the honest read, neighbor. In a state as vast and diverse as Texas, community events like TLCC don’t just entertain — they build something. They create a space where a Latino kid in Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, or the border can meet an artist from their own state who looks like them, buy a comic book about a hero who shares their culture, and walk out imagining themselves telling their own story someday. That’s a big deal. That’s the kind of thing that changes the trajectory of a whole generation of young Texas creators.
And after ten years of doing it — always free, always inclusive, always spotlighting Texas Latino talent, always growing — Hector Rodriguez and everyone who’s built TLCC alongside him have earned every ounce of the celebration.
So round up the family, drive to Dallas, park near the Latino Cultural Center, and spend a Saturday afternoon at one of the best community events Texas has to offer. Meet Texas artists you’ll be proud to say you shook hands with. See lucha libre live. Watch your kids’ faces when they see El Peso Hero in person. And celebrate a decade of Texas Latino stories mattering — in a room full of the Texans who made sure they did.
For the full schedule, guest list, and to plan your day, visit txlatinocc.weebly.com.
Follow TLCC on Facebook at @texaslatinocomiccon and on Instagram and Twitter at @txlatinocomics for updates as the con approaches.
Feliz aniversario, neighbor. See you at the con.
Sources: Texas Latino Comic Con; Latino Cultural Center of Dallas; Dallas Observer; Dallas Innovates
