A.W.O.L. Cruz Ochoa

Elvira Carrizal-Dukes, Ph.D., M.F.A., is a Xicana educator, writer, graphic novelist, filmmaker, and community arts leader from the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. She is the CEO, writer, and Editor-in-Chief of DUKEScomics LLC, an award-winning bilingual and multicultural publishing company.She earned her Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition from the University of Texas at El Paso, an M.F.A. in Film from Columbia University in New York City, and a B.A. in Journalism and Chicano Studies with a Theatre Arts minor from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Her teaching career spans more than two decades, from youth workshops to university-level instruction.Her publications include the graphic novels A.W.O.L.: Cruz Ochoa and Daizee & the Dukes of Chuco: Chuco-Juárez World Rally, and the award-winning play Father's Shadow / Sombra del Padre, published by Dramatic Publishing. She is also the author of Cholx Counterstory and numerous academic essays in journals such as College English, Composition Studies, and Routledge collections.Dr. Carrizal-Dukes' creative work has earned the International Latino Book Awards Silver Medal, the Outstanding Emerging BIPOC Creator Award from Latinx Pop Lab, and multiple theatre and film festival honors. Her films include Mariposa, The Weeping Pimp, and Ignacio's Keys, and her plays and comics have been showcased at international festivals in Mexico, Germany, and Japan, as well as major U.S. literary and comic events.She is also an accomplished Graphic Medicine writer, creating bilingual comics for health education projects addressing trauma-informed care, HPV vaccination, and brain health.A committed educator, she has taught Chicano Theatre, Cinema, Film Production, Journalism, and Technical Communication, as well as leading "story + art" workshops for students of all ages. Her teaching blends cultural responsiveness, critical race theory counterstory, and visual storytelling to empower diverse voices.

Ronnie Dukes is an international award-winning illustrator and Chief Creative Officer of DUKEScomics LLC, an independent New Mexico-based publisher. His work spans graphic novels, book covers, academic illustration, and community art projects, with a style recognized for its versatility and storytelling depth. Dukes made his high-profile debut at Tokyo Comic Con with A.W.O.L.: Cruz Ochoa, a full-color, 100+ page action-adventure graphic novel available in English, Japanese, and Spanish. The story follows a Latina soldier who defies orders to search for her missing brother, set in the U.S.-Mexico borderplex region.He is also the illustrator of Daizee & the DUKES of Chuco: Chuco-Juárez World Rally, a sci-fi graphic novel available in English, German, and soon Spanish and Japanese, featuring a fearless race car engineer on a mission to deliver eco-friendly technology to the world.Dukes' work has earned honors including the winner of the 47th Annual Conference on Aging art award and finalist placement in the Microsoft Surface "Original by Design" international contest. His illustrations appear on covers for Community Literacy Journal, Parlor Press, and SUNY Press, and in academic and health publications for Routledge, Label Me Latina/o, International Emergency Nursing, and more. He has collaborated on graphic medicine projects with leading researchers at The University of Texas at El Paso and Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.An artist with Latino and Indigenous heritage from Chicago's South Shore, Dukes began his professional journey at Gallery 37 while still in high school. His career has included exhibitions in Harlem, Leipzig, Guadalajara, and major U.S. cities, as well as appearances at comic cons and literary festivals across North America, Europe, and Asia.Through his mentorship program, Dukes has guided emerging artists-including helping a 14-year-old publish his first comic-and led workshops for hundreds of students. Passionate about multilingual storytelling and cultural exchange, he continues to create work that bridges genres, communities, and continents.More at dukescomics.com.

DUKEScomics is an award-winning, international small press specializing in bilingual graphic novels that merge futurism, borderlands culture, and BIPOC representation. Founded by writer Dr. E.C.-Dukes, a Xicana from southern New Mexico, and illustrator/animator Ronnie Dukes, a Black Chicago native, the duo's work combines cultural heritage, speculative storytelling, and dynamic visual art.Their published works include the action/mystery illustrated narrative A.W.O.L.: Cruz Ochoa-available in English, Spanish (Ausente Sin Permiso), Japanese, and German-and the sci-fi adventure Daizee & the DUKES of Chuco: Chuco-Juárez World Rally.DUKEScomics has earned multiple honors, including the 2024 International Latino Book Author Award, the 2024 Outstanding Emerging BIPOC Creator Award from Latinx Pop Lab, Ad Astra Media, and UT English for Comics, Animation, Education, and Outreach, and the 2023 and 2025 El Paso Black Business & Community Awards Arts & Entertainment Business of the Year.Their work has been exhibited internationally at Tokyo Comic Con (Japan), The Leipzig Book Fair Manga Comic Con (Germany), FIL Guadalajara (Jalisco, Mexico), and Con-Front (Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico). Notable U.S. appearances include the American Library Association (Chicago and San Diego), Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), BIPOC Pop, The Latinx Comic Arts Festival, Latino Comics Expo, Texas Latino Comic Con, and Chuco Con (El Paso, TX).As teaching artists and arts advocates, E.C. and Ronnie lead comics workshops at the El Paso Museum of Art, collaborate with organizations such as the McCall Neighborhood Center and Doña Ana Arts Council, and co-founded the Sun City Children and Teens Comic Arts Festival, helping young creators publish and market their work. Their mentorship program launched its first comic by a 14-year-old high school student from El Paso.Their work has been recognized in academic publications including Community Literacy Journal, Routledge, Label Me Latina/o, Riot of Roses Publishing House, and the Latinx Visions Anthology. DUKEScomics also partners with health researchers to create graphic medicine addressing borderland health issues.Married for 20 years, they began their creative journey with E.C.'s national award-winning play Father's Shadow / Sombra del Padre. DUKEScomics' motto: Visualizing the future through comics.