El Gato Negro
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| El Gato Negro | |
 Both versions of El Gato Negro. Art by Richard Dominguez. |
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| Publisher | Azteca Productions |
|---|---|
| First appearance | El Gato Negro #1 (Oct. 1993) |
| Created by | Richard Dominguez |
| Characters | Agustin Guerrero Francisco Guerrero |
El Gato Negro (The Black Cat) is the name of two fictional comic book superheroes created by Richard Dominguez and featured in the Azteca Productions' Universe. Both characters made their first appearance in El Gato Negro #1 (October 1993).
Agustin Guerrero was the first to hold the title of El Gato Negro in the 1950's, creating the pseudonym in order to form a successful career in lucha libre. His motives soon changed however, as he decided to use his talents to fight the criminal element that plagued South Texas. Agustin later retired the alter ego in the late '60s, only for his grandson to adopt it three decades later.[1] Agustin was first introduced as a major supporting character and there are plans to release a series featuring his own exploits as El Gato Negro.
Francisco Guerrero, the second and current incarnation of El Gato Negro, is Agustin's grandson. Francisco makes his living as a social worker in South Texas and devotes most of his free time volunteering for community service. Growing tired of the increasing crime rate in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and haunted by the murder of his friend Mario, Francisco continues the legacy of El Gato Negro, spending his nights fighting against crime. This version often receives comparison to Batman, which is in fact one of the character's many influences.[2]
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[edit] Publication history
[edit] El Gato Negro (1993 - 1995)
El Gato Negro made his first published appearance in El Gato Negro #1. Created by Richard Dominguez, the character was originally a member of a largely Latino superhero group dubbed Team Tejas. Dominguez became partial to the character, and having placed considerably more empasis on his development, decided to abandon the Team Tejas project for a later date.[3] This El Gato Negro was Francisco Guerrero, a social worker from Edinburg, Texas, grandson to the original El Gato Negro and heir to his legacy. The series also introduced Agustin Guerrero, the original El Gato Negro of the early '50s and late '60s, as a major supporting character. Although retired from his former vigilante-activities, Agustin did appear in costume at the climax of the three-part story arc “Unknown passing, Unforgettable Return”. The self-titled series was deemed a critical success, but the comic was later placed on hiatus, thus ending the last published issue in a cliffhanger. There are currently plans to release a graphic novel of the original series which will include the unpublished fifth issue, thereby resolving the storyline.
[edit] El Gato Negro, Nocturnal Warrior (2004 - present)
El Gato Negro returned in 2004 under the new series "El Gato Negro: Nocturnal Warrior" after a seven year hiatus. Dominguez enlisted the aid of Michael S. Moore to serve as writer and co-plotter of the new series (having previously worked together on the first published issue of Team Tejas) and artist Efren Molina. The combination of Moore's writing style and Molina's pencils have given the new series a much darker tone than its predecessor, to which Dominguez explains:
| “ | I felt that I didn’t do justice to true [El Gato Negro] fans who really deserve a book that is worthwhile reading about a Hispanic superhero. I’m relaunching the series with the services of writer Michael Moore (who is part Latino), who I believe truly understands the essence of the community...I’m really excited about Efren Molina’s pencils...[His] pencils give a darker atmosphere for the book. It pulls the ‘the true-blue-Gato fans’ right into the story.[4] | ” |
The new four-part "Legacy" storyline will retell the history of El Gato Negro and introduces a new villain in his ever-increasing rogues gallery, a sightless assassin, known as El Observador.
[edit] Silver Age El Gato Negro
Dominguez is also currently working on a series which will feature the early adventures of Agustin Guerrero, entitled Lucha Grande Comics.
[edit] Fictional character biographies
[edit] Agustin Guerrero
Separated from the Texas Battalion while on a raid, Agustin became lost in the harsh jungles of Korea only to encounter an exiled Japanese warrior and assassin known as "The Black Cat". Forming an alliance, the Black Cat properly trained the lost Tejano in martial arts and stealth. After being rescued and discharged from the military, Agustin returned to South Texas to begin a career in Lucha Libre. Recognizing a recurring cat motif in his life, Agustin chose the identity of El Gato Negro, promising to bring bad luck to his opponents. But it was his vigilante activities outside of the ring that made him a legend amongst the communities of South Texas. Agustin's incarnation of El Gato Negro has become so much a part of the local folklore that few even acknowledge his existence, referring to him as a "fairy tale".
[edit] Francisco Guerrero
The second and current El Gato Negro, Francisco Guerrero is a social worker by day and a vigilante by night. The citizens of Southwest Texas believe Francisco to be the original El Gato Negro, returning once again to rid Texas of evil. Prior to becoming the new El Gato, Francisco was growing tired of the increasing crime rate in his hometown of Edinburg, Texas. The final straw being the death of his friend, Mario, a border patrol officer who was overpowered and murdered by several drug-runners. Deciding to take action, with the permission of his grandfather, Francisco adopted the moniker of El Gato Negro and operated as the Nocturnal Warrior for several months, successfully fighting against crime. Despite being popular with the citizens of his community, El Gato Negro is constantly being hunted by local law enforcement led by Sheriff Miguel Bustamonte, Francisco's best friend and Mario's older brother.
[edit] In other media
[edit] Film adaptation
Richard Dominguez is currently in talks for a possible live-action film adaptation of the El Gato Negro characters.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ El Gato Negro featured at International Hero
- ^ El Gato Negro "The Hispanic Answer to Batman"
- ^ Pop Thought, El Gato Negro interview
- ^ Comics Bulletin - El Gato Negro Returns in November
- ^ PLANET COMIC BOOK RADIO interview with Richard Dominguez PART 4
