Dia De Los Muertos: Political cartoonist plays role in 'Coco'

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Pixar movie "Coco" brought to the big screen an animated Dia de Los Muertos celebration.

It remains one of the top-grossing films in Mexico.

"I don't know if I'm that talented to write that movie, but it was a beautiful piece of art that makes you cry," says Lalo Alcaraz.

Alcaraz is a Political Cartoonist and served as a cultural consultant for the movie.

"I really am proud of the work that we all did on Coco," he said. "It was a giant collaborative effort."

Alcaraz recently visited Merced.

He writes the syndicated cartoon "La Cucaracha" and lately has been using humor to dispel myths about the COVID-19 vaccine in the Latino community.

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"People from the Valley are great and they're treating me like a king here," he said. "I definitely want to come back and draw more inspiration."

The influence of "Coco" can still be felt four years after it premiered.

"I just feel proud and happy," Alcaraz said. "This movie is going to live on. It's becoming a tradition every year to watch."

Alcaraz says traditional gatherings at cemeteries are anything but scary. It's all love.

The celebration allows families to connect with lost loved ones.

"But they are, like they say, in spirit," he said. "They're with you, especially on that day. Many people believe that the spirits, the souls, visit us on that day. That's when the doors open, so you leave stuff for them that makes them happy."

Lalo's role on the "Coco" set was to make sure the culture was correctly represented.