This Friday, L.A. TACO is dropping its Summer 2026 Magazine, featuring 48 pages of street-level journalism, art, and Los Angeles culture, compiled and designed by Pulitzer-finalist Ivan Ehlers and featuring the work of all your favorite L.A. TACO contributors.
We're also publishing our own newspaper. You can check them both out on Friday at our DIY punk show at Superchief Gallery, where Tacos Royale and bands Spunk, Lagrimas, Hungry Ass Youth, S.O.H., Ugly, and the Foolanos—our editor in chief Javier Cabral's own band—will be there.
To celebrate the magazine's release, we sat down with Ivan Ehlers to ask him about his life, his work, and his life's work.
Hey Ivan! What brought you to Los Angeles? And what keeps you here?
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, down in San Pedro. There are lots of amazing places across the world I love visiting, but L.A. is home.
Can you trace a line from your first inspiration to where you are now as an illustrator? Who helped and inspired you along the way?
I always loved drawing ever since I was very little. At school, I would draw on my notes, my tests, my books . . . anything that was in front of me.
There are too many people to mention that helped and inspired me along the way, but I will say that my wife is responsible for me making the jump from working in the construction industry to being a professional artist. I think it would be only right to never stop thanking her for that.
Which of your cartoons has received the strongest reaction from readers, and was it the one you expected?
The Flock camera cartoon came from a conversation I had with friends several years ago. I struggled to distill my perspective down to something short of an essay. When I got it down to one panel, I honestly thought it would be a dud—one of those cartoons that other cartoonists like, but dies a slow death online. I was surprised by the enormous response. I’m happy that most of the people interacting, from a wide swath of the political spectrum, seem to understand the point I was trying to make.
Are there subjects you just can't stay away from, and others you avoid?
I can’t stay away from abuses of power and extreme hypocrisy. It helps that they so often travel together.
I do a lot of research before I start a political cartoon, but there are subjects I still can’t wrap my head around. I leave those alone until I know exactly what I’m talking about.
If you had to explain Los Angeles to someone who's never been, using one panel and no words, what's in the panel?
Oh, man—I wouldn’t know where to begin. Maybe an image of people at protests in DTLA could capture the emotion and power of Los Angeles coming together to defend each other and our community.
What's your favorite taco?
I’m a regular down at Puesta del Sol in San Pedro. Nothing too fancy, but their shredded beef tacos always hit the spot.
You've had to draw some dark stuff. Do you get depressed when making this kind of art?
I think the bad guys want us to feel depressed and helpless to keep us from taking action. Making art doesn’t have to change the world to be an act of resistance—and I never feel depressed when I feel like I’m doing something to fight what I think is wrong.
Is there a cartoon you've done that you adore but that never ended up running?
I have a great big stash of unpublished cartoons that I find hilarious. I’m holding on to those until someone gives me a lot of money to release them, ha ha.
What other kinds of art do you make?
It’s extremely difficult to make it as an artist these days, so it helps to be skilled in a lot of different areas. On any given day, I’ll do cartoons, comics, graphic design, illustration, or creative direction. I also do a lot of writing, including humor pieces, opinion pieces, and screenwriting. Oh, and I’m working on a children’s book I’m really stoked on.
I dig the life, but being a freelance artist is a hell of a hustle.
How'd you get involved with L.A. TACO?
Like a lot of other people, I discovered L.A. TACO on Instagram. I wanted to support, so I bought a hat, I think, and got a nice thank you e-mail with the order. That’s where the conversation started, and it’s led to some really awesome stuff. I’m happy to be a part of the team.
Follow Ivan Ehlers on Instagram.
