Mercedes Acosta

Mercedes Acosta is a Cuban-American author and illustrator from a religiously and culturally mixed family. Her stories range from the eerie to the fantastical and cover themes of found family, alienation, healing, and self-discovery. 

Mercedes studied comics and scriptwriting at Savannah College of Art and Design. Her work has been featured in multiple anthologies, including Ab(solutely) Normal: Short Stories that Smash Mental Health Stereotypes, Cautionary Tales: North America, and the Local Haunts horror anthology. Her debut graphic novel which she both wrote and illustrated, Monster Cabaret, will be released by the Dial imprint of Penguin Random House in 2026. 

In her spare time, Mercedes works as a medic with Doctors Without Borders and other humanitarian organizations. Rumors that she can walk up walls are unconfirmed.