Medar de la Cruz is a Dominican-American cartoonist and illustrator born in Miami, Florida. He is currently residing in Brooklyn, New York. Medar graduated with a degree in illustration from ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California, and has worked as a freelance illustrator for The New York Times and The New Yorker. Beyond the drawing board, Medar has worked on zines and hosted zine workshops. Medar has also contributed to the Outreach Department at the Brooklyn Public Library, providing book cart services to incarcerated individuals on Rikers Island. This experience motivated him to explore the role of journalism in his autobiographical comics.
In addition to drawing comics, Medar serves as an educator, sharing his passion for visual communication through community workshops all over New York City. He won the Pulitzer Prize for the article "The Diary of a Rikers Island Library Worker."
Medar, Thanks for this interview. Would you tell us who Medar de la Cruz is?
I am a cartoonist and illustrator living in Brooklyn, New York, and originally from Miami, Florida. I am Dominican, and I love reading, skateboarding, and surfing.
Can you tell us about your journey into the world of illustration and cartooning?
My journey into the world of illustration and cartooning began when I was a child. I was always drawing, and I just never stopped. When I was 10 years old, I moved to Austin, Texas, and I discovered a world of independent books and comics that inspired me to pursue illustration as a career. Later, I moved back to Miami at the age of 12 and continued to draw. I was accepted into a high school that specialized in design and architecture, which helped me develop a portfolio that got me into the Art Center College of Design in California.
I eventually graduated with a degree in illustration and, soon after, moved to New York City to pursue my career, as most of the editorial work I was interested in was based there. Since then, I’ve started working on autobiographical comics, which have helped me take a closer look at the world around me.
How has providing book cart services to incarcerated individuals on Rikers Island influenced your creative work and art?
I wrote and illustrated an article about my experience providing library services at Rikers Island, which is an island in New York City that serves as a jail with many different facilities. Providing book cart services to incarcerated individuals taught me a lot, particularly that comics are a medium people from all walks of life enjoy. However, the main reason this experience influenced me was because, while working at Rikers Island, I had no other way to depict what I saw or heard—since no phones or cameras are allowed on the island. The only way I could share my experiences with others was through drawing from memory and writing about it after I got home from work. This experience also shaped my creative work by inspiring me to use the medium of comics to bring attention to individuals who are otherwise excluded from participating in society.
You've been recognized as an award-winning illustrator. How do you balance your various roles as an illustrator, educator, and public speaker?
Balancing my various roles as an illustrator, educator, and now public speaker is something I’m still learning how to do. The only way I can manage it is by maintaining a schedule and constantly reminding myself why I’ve chosen this path. Each of these roles keeps me inspired in different ways. For example, when I have the opportunity to teach illustration, I get to see students—most of whom are not pursuing it professionally—approach their work with a sort of purity and freedom that I sometimes envy. Their learning and experimentation often inspire me as well. As a public speaker, engaging directly with the audience’s questions about my work offers me a fresh perspective. Their questions often help me see my work through their eyes, which not only gives me new insights but also inspires me in ways I hadn’t considered before.
What advice would you give to aspiring artists and storytellers who are looking to make an impact with their work?
The advice I would give to aspiring artists and storytellers is to study the work of your favorite artists and really lean into the subjects that interest you the most. If your goal is to make an impact, ask yourself: What matters to you the most? What is it that you want to make an impact with? And who is the community you want to impact?
Get to know that community and your surroundings. I believe we are all surrounded by people with stories to tell, and they can greatly influence and inspire us to keep striving to make a difference through our work.
Looking ahead, what are some of your future aspirations or projects that you're excited about?
Some of my future aspirations and projects that I’m excited about include working on a book. It will be a lengthy process that will take time to finish, but I am just getting started. I want to share more of my story and experiences. I’m also excited about exploring my heritage, culture, and the history of the Dominican Republic, particularly as it relates to my family.
Your work extends beyond traditional illustration into creating and conducting zine workshops when you were a student. What inspired you about zines?
What inspires me about zines is the culture surrounding them—the experience of going to a zine fair, trading zines with other creators, and sitting next to people who are also selling theirs. I love getting to know them in that space. I also appreciate how accessible and simple it is to put together a zine, make copies, and self-publish. As an illustrator and cartoonist, I love how turning pages naturally creates a narrative, even if that wasn’t the original intention. For me, seeing a series of images in order always creates a story, which inspires me to explore storytelling further.
What do libraries mean to you?
Libraries mean a lot to me. They are places where one can go to study, discover narratives, explore history and archives, and build community—whether with the librarian or with the locals who visit. I love that they are free and provide a space for people. For me, as a student, they provided me with my first job and continued to be a part of my life after I graduated. Libraries will always hold a special place in my heart.
What are your favorite authors or characters in history that you most admire or have influenced your life?
I have many favorite authors, but off the top of my head, some of my favorites include Paul Beatty, Fran Ross, Toni Morrison, Gabriel García Márquez, Jaime Hernandez, Gilbert Hernandez, and Joe Sacco. The list goes on, and it’s very hard for me to keep it short, but these are the ones that come to mind right away.
What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m working on putting together a book proposal to pitch to publishers, hoping to secure a contract so that I can work on my book about Rikers Island. I’m also still taking on freelance illustration work.
Would you share with us your favorite quote and what does it mean to you?
One of my favorite hip-hop groups is De La Soul, and there’s a quote I love from them that goes:
"Always look to the positive and never drop your head. For the water will engulf us if we do not dare to tread. So let's tread water''
I love this quote because it essentially advises everyone to keep pushing and face their fears, which is something I always try to do, even though it’s not always easy.
Suggested Reading List from Medar de la Cruz
