In the comic book “ Super Lucha Cats ,” four crime-fighting anthropomorphic cats — in lucha libre wrestling masks — battle monsters terrorizing Bell Gardens. This comic feels familiar to anyone who grew up with “X-Men” or “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
Southeast LA native Javier Solórzano is the comic book’s author and artist. He has a lot to say about his part of Los Angeles, particularly how it’s perceived by other Angelenos. He’s trying to fight some stereotypes that have persisted for decades.
“Whenever I would watch wrestling on TV, they’d [wrestlers] start tussling around. And then one day on a notepad, I just drew a cat in a wrestling mask,” says Solórzano.
The cover of the first issue of “Super Lucha Cats.” Photo by Craig Calkins.