Frederick Luis Aldama

Frederick Luis Aldama is the Jacob & Frances Sanger Mossiker Chair in the Humanities at the University of Texas at Austin and holds an adjunct professorship at The Ohio State University. His research focuses on Latino literature, film, TV, and comics, with a cognitive approach to cultural analysis. He is an award-winning author/editor of over 40 books, including Latinx Superheroes in Mainstream Comics (Eisner Award winner) and the graphic novel Labyrinths Borne (2024). Aldama is also founder of Latinx Pop Lab, BIPOC PoP, and Latinographix, a graphic fiction series. His work bridges academia and pop culture, emphasizing Latinx representation and futurisms.

Education: PhD, Stanford University (1999); BA, UC Berkeley (1992).

Research Interests: Cognitive narrative theory, graphic novels, Latinx cultural production, decolonial methodologies. His recent projects explore dystopian narratives (Labyrinths Borne), eco-humanities, and the intersection of science and arts in solving global crises. He also co-founded SÓL-CON: Brown & Black Comix Expo and the Obama White House award-winning LASER initiative.

Awards: Recipient of teaching/mentoring awards and inducted into prestigious organizations like the National Cartoonists Society. His books span scholarly works, children’s literature, and graphic novels addressing identity and social justice.

Labs/Teams: Directs the Latinx Pop Lab at UT Austin, exploring Latinx contributions to pop culture. Editor-in-Chief of The Latinx Pop Magazine and FlowerSong Press. Upcoming projects include the Steampunkera Chronicles multimedia universe (2025).