Death to Pachuco #1

(W) Henry Barajas (A) Rachel Merrill (C) Lee Loughridge

Set against the backdrop of 1943 wartime Los Angeles, Death to Pachuco is a story steeped in historical urgency and cinematic grit. It reimagines the chilling aftermath of the Sleepy Lagoon murder—an event that ignited widespread racial unrest—and explores themes of cultural identity, systemic injustice, and the cost of being seen as the enemy in your own country.

During the summer of 1943, Los Angeles became a hotbed of tension and conflict as a series of fierce clashes erupted between U.S. Navy members and Mexican American youth stemming from the murder of Carlos Urbano. Private eye Ricardo “Ricky” Tellez needs to find the Sleepy Lagoon Killer before the racist mob kills him in the Zoot Suit Riots. The clock is ticking—and it’s ‘a bad time to be a Mexican.’