Latino science fiction and fantasy fans may feel under-represented when it comes to a podcast that addresses their interests. Sure, they will find general interest Latino podcasts and others that tackle culture, LGBTQ issues, fashion, and immigration, among other subjects. But a Latino podcast devoted to, say, the Star Trek, Star Wars and Doctor Who universes (to name a few) or to the literary contributions of such Latinx genre writers as Ernest Hogan, Daniel José Older and Silvia Moreno-García? Well, let’s just say that it’ll be easier to find the proverbial needle in the equally proverbial haystack.
Which is why Y tu Bantha también (named after the large woolly mammals native to Tatooine) is like an oasis in the middle of this podcast desert. Created, produced and hosted by Catrina Dennis and Kayla Sutton, the monthly podcast will highlight all aspects of the Star Wars universe – movies, animated TV series, comics, novels, fandom, etc. – from a Latinx point of view as well as the contributions made by Latino artists to that franchise. The first episode, uploaded last week and titled Rebels, Resistance, and Cassian Andor, offers a taste of what listeners can expect: recent news and chisme (had it not been for this first episode, I wouldn’t have found out that Older recently published Last Shot, a Han Solo and Lando Calrissian novel), a celebration of one specific Latinx character or creation that has influenced both Catrina and Kayla (the episode’s title gives it away) and a wish list of whom they would like to see in the next Star Wars film.
Catrina and Kayla are more than mere fans; they bring to the table their experiences as marketers (Kayla has worked on social media campaigns for Disney and Universal) and as content creators (Catrina contributed to the Star Wars podcast Hangin’ with Team Kanan and is associate producer for the docuseries Looking for Leia). Both will be at the 2018 San Diego Comic Con from where they will record their next episode and where Kayla will participate in a panel titled Motherhood and Moms in Comics.
Editor’s Note: Catrina Dennis and Kayla Sutton are both contributors to Remezcla.