Illustrator and artist Rhode Montijo, in his Los Angeles art studio, showing his newest childrens book, SKELETOWN: SÍ. ¡NO!
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Ashley Balderrama
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LAist
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Today in How To LA:
A look inside an L.A. author’s year-round spooky work space, the legendary Egyptian Theatre reopens and events where you can learn about L.A.’s queer past and present.
Top Story: For L.A. author Rhode Montijo, his studio celebrates the season all year long. When you go inside the children’s book author’s space, you’ll see black and orange adornments that show off Montijo’s almost three-decade art career and collection of vintage Halloween decorations.
Montijo’s latest picture book, Skeletown: Sí. ¡No!, is inspired by another fall tradition, Día de los Muertos. The story explores the adventures— and misadventures— of two calavera kids.
More news you need to know
Republicans have elected Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., to be speaker of the House. The election ends a three-week vacancy after the ouster of Bakersfield Republican Kevin McCarthy that brought legislative work to a halt and plunged the conference into disarray.
The 22-year-old driver arrested and released after a deadly crash along Pacific Coast Highway last week was re-arrested Tuesday on suspicion of murder. He was initially booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and released pending further investigation.
I’ve mentioned my love for October in previous newsletters because I love all things Halloween and scary, spooky things. But for L.A. author Rhode Montijo, his studio celebrates the season all year long.
Skeleton kid adventures
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When you go inside the children’s book author’s space, you’ll see black and orange adornments that show off Montijo’s almost three-decade art career and collection of vintage Halloween decorations.
Montijo’s latest picture book, Skeletown: Sí. ¡No!, is inspired by another fall tradition, Día de los Muertos. The story explores the adventures— and misadventures— of two calavera kids in just two words.
Here’s a little preview of the book:
Wilfredo, the worry doll, is always concerned about Skully's antics. In this scene, the skeleton boy rides a bike with one hand.
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Ashley Balderrama/Ashley Balderrama
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My words are not enough to capture what his studio looks like and the illustrations in Montijo’s book — you’ll just have to see it. Read the story and see all the photos right here.
Stay safe and cool, L.A. There’s more news below — just keep reading.
*At LAist we will always bring you the news freely, but occasionally we do include links to other publications that may be behind a paywall. Thank you for understanding!
Republicans have elected Rep. Mike Johnson, R-La., to be speaker of the House. The election ends a three-week vacancy after the ouster of Bakersfield Republican Kevin McCarthy that brought legislative work to a halt and plunged the conference into disarray.
The 22-year-old driver arrested and released after a deadly crash along Pacific Coast Highway last week was re-arrested Tuesday on suspicion of murder. He was initially booked on suspicion of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and released pending further investigation.
Tensions are high among American voters ahead of presidential contests next year, according to a new national survey released today by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) in partnership with the Brookings Institution.
The legendary Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood is reopening on Nov. 9 with a screening of the David Fincher thriller, The Killer.
Wait... one more thing
LGBTQ+ History Month Events
An exhibit item in Phranc: The Butch Closet titled, Shirt and Tie (2022) by Phranc. 33” x 35” x 3”. The mediums used for this piece were kraft paper, gouache and thread.
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Courtesy of Circa
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Did you know October is LGBTQ+ history month? It goes back to 1994 when a Missouri high school teacher, Rodney Wilson, felt we needed to dedicate time to learning and teaching LGBTQ+ history, which isn’t consistently covered in education. Here’s a list of all the events happening in L.A. if you want to learn more about the city’s rich LGBTQ+ history written by my colleague Caitlin Hernández.
And speaking of Caitlin, they recently joined host Brian De Los Santos on the How To LA podcast for an episode on finding and creating queer joy in the community. Listen to it here.
BONUS: Since we’re on the topic of events, if you’re trying to get a head start on Halloween weekend, I have the event for you! The hit podcast Spooked comes to Los Angeles as host Glynn Washington and guests celebrate All Hallows' Eve with a night of Snap Judgment LIVE storytelling magic. Get your tickets here.
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Jordan Rynning
has been following this case for months, including interviewing the man at the center of allegations.
Published October 31, 2026 7:00 AM
Michael Angel Alvarez, 41, spoke with LAist on Sept. 16, 2026, about the federal body armor case against him being dismissed.
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Jordan Rynning
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LAist
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Topline:
The L.A. County District Attorney’s office dropped its felony body armor charges against Michael Angel Alvarez earlier this week. Alvarez was sentenced to time served on a lesser charge — a probation violation. He served more than 100 days in jail earlier this year while awaiting trial.
Most serious claims haven’t materialized: Though federal prosecutors made headlines claiming in court documents and on social media that Alvarez was “leading a violent street gang, while claiming to be a gang interventionist for the City,” they have not filed charges related to those claims.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office dropped its felony body armor charges against Michael Angel Alvarez on Wednesday. Alvarez was sentenced to time served on a lesser charge — a probation violation. He had served more than 100 days in jail earlier this year while awaiting trial.
Why Alvarez’s arrest made headlines: Alvarez was working as a city-contracted peace ambassador in MacArthur Park when he was arrested by federal agents in May. Federal and county prosecutors each brought felony charges against him, claiming he was in possession of body armor as a violent felon.
Bill Essayli, who leads the U.S. Attorney’s office in L.A., pointed to the case on social media to criticize city officials for allowing taxpayer money to be “shelled out to a convicted gang murderer.”
About his criminal record: Judges in federal and state court have now dismissed prosecutors’ felony charges against Alvarez, after U.S. District Judge Anne Hwang found on Sept. 9 that Alvarez did not have a violent felony conviction. Alvarez was 15 when he committed a gang-related murder. He was tried and convicted as an adult in 2002. After a change in state law increased the age at which minors could be sentenced as adults to 16, Alvarez’s case was sent back to juvenile court, and he was released in 2024. At that point, he had served more than 20 years.
A federal judge ruled Tuesday, Oct. 7 that Republican Bill Essayli is not legally serving as the top U.S. prosecutor in Los Angeles.
The ruling is the latest roadblock to the Trump administration’s effort to extend handpicked acting U.S. attorneys beyond the 120-day limit set by federal law. The strategy was designed to bypass confirmation by the U.S. Senate — something that generally requires a degree of bipartisan support.
Essayli “is unlawfully serving as a ‘de facto’ United States Attorney,” U.S. District Judge J. Michael Seabright wrote.
The order won’t take effect until the court rules on the government’s motion for a stay pending appeal. Essayli said he doesn’t agree with the court’s order. He said the president and Attorney General “have every right to select supervisors within the Justice Department.”
If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.
Mariana Dale
explores and explains the forces that shape how and what kids learn from kindergarten to high school.
Published October 31, 2026 5:00 AM
Myrna Velasco (left) performs as Dolores Huerta in “¡Sí Se Puede!” at Boyle Heights City Hall on April 2, 2026.
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Carlin Stiehl
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LAist
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Topline:
An all-ages play about the life of Dolores Huerta and other under-told stories of the farmworker labor movement is back on tour in Los Angeles.
The backstory: Center Theatre Group commissioned ¡Sí Se Puede! from Eliana Pipes in March 2025 and it debuted in L.A. this spring. “There's this perception that farm work was only done by men,” Pipes said. “There were women on the fields, there were women on the picket lines, and there were women in leadership in the United Farm Workers movement.”
An all-ages play about the life of Dolores Huerta and other under-told stories of the farmworker labor movement is back on tour in Los Angeles.
The show's extension had been announced prior to the news that Huerta died Wednesday, Oct. 28., at her Bakersfield home. She was 96 years old.
“There's this perception that farm work was only done by men,” said playwright Eliana Pipes. “There were women on the fields, there were women on the picket lines, and there were women in leadership in the United Farm Workers movement.”
Center Theatre Group commissioned ¡Sí Se Puede! from Pipes in March 2025 and it debuted in L.A. this spring.
CSULA seeks memories from underground music scenes
Adolfo Guzman-Lopez
is an arts and general assignment reporter on LAist's Explore LA team.
Published October 31, 2026 5:00 AM
CSULA is seeking memorabilia from LA's underground music scenes for its research archives.
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Courtesy Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State University, Los Angeles.
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Topline
There’s a whole world of underground Southern California music history that’s hidden in storage boxes — photos, fliers, cassettes and other memorabilia. Research librarians at the California State University, Los Angeles are holding a community archive event on Nov. 5 to ensure the cultural memory of L.A.’s underground music scenes are preserved for future generations.
Why it matters: The memorabilia are the physical remnants of the supportive L.A. communities built around music and enjoyment. But many of these objects languish out of sight, and run the risk of being lost, along with the memories attached to them.
Why now: For four years, archive staff have held an annual day to receive ephemera from the public. They're doing it again on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Read on… to hear how goth, rockabilly and other underground clubs in L.A. inspired the head archivist.
Right around the year 2000, there was a club night in Hollywood called Clockwork Orange. Fans of The Smiths, Depeche Mode, Bauhaus and other bands came for the DJ’s mix of their favorite songs but also for a vibe that welcomed people regardless of race, ethnicity or sexual and gender identity.
“I was a pretty shy person, and so that was a place where I could sort of be myself and express myself,” said Azalea Camacho, a regular there in those days.
She had just graduated from Workman High School in the City of Industry and was also clubbing at rockabilly music nights in Rosemead and goth club nights in downtown L.A.
Camacho said there was lots of memorabilia from those times, such as photos taken in and outside the clubs, ticket stubs and promotional fliers. They're the physical remnants of those supportive communities built around music and enjoyment, but many of them languish in shoeboxes and storage units, at risk of being lost — along with the memories attached to them.
Cal State LA has hosted Sounds of the Underground Archive for the last four years. It's an opportunity for people to donate their underground music scene memorabilia.
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Courtesy Special Collections and Archives, University Library, California State University, Los Angeles
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“I think the danger is maybe those stories are not being told, or people don't know about the story,” she said.
Keeping stories alive
More than two decades later, Camacho is now in a position to make sure those stories are kept alive. She’s head of special collections and archives at the university library at California State University, Los Angeles.
Four years ago, she and library staff created an annual day for area residents to donate or digitize memorabilia for their Sounds of the Underground Archive. This year it's on Thursday, Nov. 5. They’ll accept physical donations, but they’ll also have a scanner to digitize printed material, so people can keep items that are precious to them.
SOUNDS OF THE UNDERGROUND ARCHIVE
Date: Thursday, Nov. 5 Time: 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. Location: Cal State LA Library Community Room, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles
Camacho is hoping this year will bring in a bumper amount of memorabilia. It's taken time to get the word out, she said.
“From the actual community archiving day [we’ve collected] maybe 100 or less than 100 items. … It's not a lot,” she said.
She said they're on the lookout for a wide range of mementos, including:
Fliers
Handbills
Zines
Newsletters
Posters
Set lists
Photographs (prints, negatives or digital files)
Cassette tapes, CDs, or vinyl records
Ticket stubs
Wristbands
Band merchandise (stickers, buttons, patches, T-shirts)
DIY press kits or liner notes and correspondence (letters, emails, messages related to music scenes)
Venue or collective ephemera (membership cards, schedules, announcements and more)
