Mercedes Acosta

Mercedes Acosta (full name Mercedes Cibayara Maria Catarina Acosta) is a Cuban-American author and illustrator. She is from the Taino nation, hailing from the eastern Cuban branch. Mercedes studied comics and scriptwriting at Savannah College of Art and Design, and she focuses primarily on children’s books and comics, ranging from the fantastical to the creepy. Her debut graphic novel, Cabaret Macabre, will be released by the Dial imprint of Penguin Random House in 2023.

See more of Mercedes’ work @indiginerd on Instagram

Mercedes has been featured in multiple anthologies, including the Local Haunts horror anthology and the upcoming Cautionary Tales: North America anthology for kids. She creates zines and minicomics in her spare time and also works as an illustrator and narrative designer in the tabletop roleplay game industry. Mercedes contributes to charity zines and fundraising causes that focus on uplifting marginalized people and environmental activism. Her art has themes of heart, magic, spirituality, and community. Her stories have themes of found family, recovery, healing, and self-discovery. Representation for people of all backgrounds and stories is of paramount importance to Mercedes, and she focuses on representing a variety of stories in her work.