Posada (1852-1913) was a Mexican political cartoonist and lithographer who criticized the government. Skulls are commonly depicted in his work and were important in Mexican culture, especially in the Day of the Dead imagery and in pre-Columbian art. The skulls represent both life and the afterlife. The Grupo Mascarones were a theater group created by Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) students in 1961. The group was founded by Mariano Leyva Dominguez as a cultural center for theater, which also held art exhibitions and publications.

The play they presented, Las Calaveras de Posada, was about Posada’s famous engravings, and included an overview of the history of Mexico from pre-Hispanic times to the present day. One of the event’s sponsors, the Centro Cultural de la Raza, is a non-profit organization founded in San Diego in 1970, that aims to preserve, educate, and encourage artistic growth within Chicano, Latino and Indigenous art and culture. The play was held at Memorial Jr. High, one of the first two public junior high schools built in San Diego, located in Logan Heights. Music was produced by music teacher and organizer, Ricardo Bielma.

This poster is related to the Chicano Movement in its references to and pride in Mexican heritage. An influence that the Chicano Movement may have taken from Posada is the fact that they both encouraged political artworks that spoke to the struggles of the people in their communities and condemned those in power.