Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez

Bio:

Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez is a graphic novelist and philanthropist most notably recognized as the writer and creator of the critically acclaimed and bestselling superhero series La Borinqueña, the only graphic novels dedicated to charity work in Puerto Rico. Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez created the character, writes the stories, and publishes these books via his studio Somos Arte. La Borinqueña #1, published in 2016, is now part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian and will be recognized in the forthcoming publication Our Nation: 250 Years of Patriotism, Aspiration, and Resilience from the National Collection in April 2026. As a response to the devastation of Puerto Rico by Hurricane Maria in 2017, DC Comics approached Edgardo and together they teamed up La Borinqueña with their superheroes in the best-selling anthology published by Somos Arte, Ricanstruction: Reminiscing & Rebuilding Puerto Rico. The success of this benefit publication inspired the development of his La Borinqueña Grant Awards to support local non-profits in Puerto Rico. In 2018, Edgardo received Eisner’s prestigious comic book industry award for his humanitarian work. In 2022, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and actor/activist Rosario Dawson collaborated and helped produce La Borinqueña Guest Starring Rosario Dawson. In 2025, Edgardo received an Emmy Award for the Telemundo segment “La Borinqueña: The First Afro-Latina Superhero in Comic Book History.” A portion of the sales from La Borinqueña books and merchandise combined have helped to award over $250,000 in grants to local non-profits and projects in Puerto Rico that are committed to sustainable progress in the areas of child development, women’s health, agriculture, environmental justice, the arts, and the preservation of Afro-Puerto Rican heritage. Through his charity work he envisions a thriving Puerto Rico that is self-sufficient. Under his company Somos Arte Studios, Inc. he has worked with such notable clients as Marvel, Sony Pictures, and Atlantic Records. Edgardo has served as an Arts Envoy for the U.S. Department of State and is also the recipient of the Mellon Foundation funded fellowship, Bridging the Divide for his continued work as an independent author. Presently his exhibition Arte de La Borinqueña is touring across the U.S. having recently shown at the gallery of Humanidades Puerto Rico in San Juan, Puerto Rico.