Looking back at 2013, and ahead....

A few more days and we're off to a whole new year!

That means another year's worth of experiences, new challenges to undertake, new goals to conquer....

For me specifically, it means continuing to pursue new opportunities for teaching my comics classes, as well as pursuing further venues in which to explore my art.

It's going to mean more comics, too. In the end, I like creating in various mediums, and I do mean to pursue more painting and gallery shows. But really, I want to continue in creating new comics, and further my skills in telling stories. Entertaining stories with strong visual identity, but also honing in on what makes storytelling in comics so appealing to me as an artist.

A large part of this past year involved putting a lot of work into organizing three comic conventions! In the end, the events were all worthwhile endeavors, but there's no way I want to spend 2014 as involved in organizing events on that scale. In between all the heavy lifting of putting on these shows, I managed to squeeze in various comics works and drawing assignments. Those moments seemed liked finding a heavenly oasis while marching through a large landscape of unending tasks.

As a co-founder and Creative Director of the Latino Comics Expo, we put on two shows this year. One in June at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, and another in Long Beach at the Museum of Latin American Art.

In between those two shows, I managed to work on the San Gabriel Valley Comic Book Expo, in my capacity as a Director of the Nuvein Foundation.

I've been on the Board of the Nuvein Foundation for some years now, and was the instigator of our first Comic Book Expo a few years ago. This past Summer though I informed my friends at Nuvein that I'd be retiring from the Board following the latest SGV Comics Expo so I could focus more on getting back to creating artwork and pushing to take the Latino Comics Expo to further heights.

One of the biggest projects I was working on in between all the conventions (and that includes the ones I appeared at that I wasn't involved with as an organizer) was putting together my first trade-paperback collection, the LOS COMEX CODEX. An anthology of 5 of my comics that are now officially 'out-of-print'.

Another anthology I published recently was COMICS!, a full-color collection featuring my 12 one-page Poster Comics. Three of those comics were actually created this year, the others dating back from December 2011.

I contributed a cover to a recent issue of DITKOMANIA, the zine devoted to the career of comic book legend Steve Ditko.

Wearing my writer hat, I also contributed to HEY KIDS, COMICS!, an anthology featuring essays by a variety of creative professionals about their early childhood memories of comics.

I did a pinup for THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THE HUMAN FLY, as well as doing the production design for the book. As a childhood fan of the Fly, it was a real joy to have worked on this book.

Another project that gave me a tremendous amount of pride to be associated with was LATINOS AND NARRATIVE MEDIA, a new scholarly work by Frederick Aldama. I was asked to write the forward to the book, which led to me also providing the cover. And it turns out that I'm also one of the subjects of the book, in an essay entitled 'Javier Hernandez's El Muerto as an Allegory of Chicano Identity'. No one was more surprised than I to find out about that!

I even managed to squeeze in a pinup for new friend of mine, Nathaniel Osollo. He asked me to contribute to an online edition of a new story of his series DARK MOUSE (which you can read here).

In light of my earlier lamentation of being too involved with organizing events this year, as I wrote this post it dawned on me that perhaps there was plenty of time to produce new work! Well, let's suppose 2014 will see even more work, because my plan is to focus on putting one one Latino Comics Expo next year, so that can only lead to more hours available for creating.

In between all of these events and publications, my comics workshops and classes kept me gainfully employed. It's always a rewarding experience working with new groups of students and seeing them create their own works. I also kept busy with numerous signings and appearances at other comics conventions and art events, so it really is a non-stop lifestyle, this 'art' thing.

Creatively, whether producing a convention or creating new artwork, the important thing for me is to leave a mark. Express myself in various ways to connect to people, to share ideas, to celebrate the imagination. Met lots of people, solidified some new friendships, made partnerships with other like-minded folks and organizations.... Basically just lived the life I had this year.

Just last month I debuted the first of a new series of comics I've entitled '4 Pagers'. Literally 4 page comic shorts. The inaugural one, DAWN OF THE DINOSAURIO, can be read here. The next one due in January features a trio of characters who've been living in various sketchooks of mine over the last several years. A superhero team operating in the 1970s.

Appropriately, the era in which I grew up in and fueled my imagination from so many sources (comics, television, music, toys, movies, etc) will provide me with my first story in the New Year. The past keeps me in the present, the future began so many years ago.....

Celebrate Steve Ditko's birthday at Stan Lee's Comikaze this weekend!

This weekend will be my first time attending STAN LEE'S COMIKAZE, a three-day comic book/pop culture convention being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The show starts on Friday, November 1 and runs all weekend. I'll be in Artist Alley, sharing table AA955 with Jose Cabrera.

Interestingly enough, November 2 is Steve Ditko's birthday. Ditko, back in the 1960s, collaborated with Stan Lee over at Marvel Comics and together they created Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. Over the decades, Ditko has continued creating comics for various publishers, and even today, at age 85, he's still releasing new material through his co-publisher Robin Snyder. (Check this link to see the books, as well as ordering information for the titles).

In addition to selling my own comics and prints, I'll also have available "DITKO CONSIDERED", my one-page Poster Comic on Steve Ditko, and the most recent issue of the fanzine DITKOMANIA (edited/published by Rob Imes) for which I created the cover. On Saturday I'll have a little birthday celebration going on for whoever wants to join in. I'll be providing some snacks, and sharing some classic Ditko comics. So stop by and let's talk Ditko!

And if you can't make it out to Comikaze, you can always occupy your time by checking out my Pre-order campaign for my upcoming book "COMICS!"....

Steve Ditko's recent comic book covers

One of my favorite places to visit on Facebook is the DITKOMANIA Group. It's run by Rob Imes, the Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of DITKOMANIA, the zine dedicated to the work of comics great Steve Ditko.

The DM Facebook Group is fairly active, with members posting some of their favorite Ditko images as well as engaging in numerous discussions on the work of cartoonist Steve Ditko (Spider-Man, The Question, Mr. A). Ditko's comic career started in 1953, which makes him a 60 year veteran of the industry. He is, in fact, still producing new work today, usually averaging a new 32 page comic book every 4 or 5 months.

I'll often post or comment there myself, and in fact was going to share these images there. But I decided to post them here since I wanted to add some commentary. 

Ditko's recent output over the last 6 years consists of 32 page comics, printed entirely in b&w. Each book is in effect an anthology, with Ditko providing several stories in each issue. When looking back at the 18 issues, there are instances when some covers feature similar designs. Sometimes the books are printed consecutively, in one case there is a several year gap between when each issue was printed. I could speculate that some might be intentional choices on Ditko's part, since he doesn't really comment on his work in public. At any rate, here are the examples:

'Act 6', which is actually the 11th issue in the series, shares a similar design with #18: The cascading masks on the lower left corner and the character headshot in the center of the page, surrounded by images of the other stories in the book. These two issues were printed about 2 years apart, so I'd be curious if Ditko just fell back on this design choice or specifically recalled the original image when drawing the newer one. Also note the use of question marks in both images, a motif that Ditko had been using for decades.

Here we actually have two issues published consecutively, 
#13 and #14. These actually bookend one another nicely, with the design flipped from one book to another. Another Ditko trademark shows up on issue #13, the wide-open eyes surrounded by sweat and tears. The intensity with which Ditko portrays these type of eyes is haunting, and always works. 

As you can tell by the above examples, Ditko seems to take great joy in his titles and numbering for these comics. The ingenuity and playfulness of the design, such as the motifs he uses (I love the black cat & 'lucky 13' wording), really endear these comics to me.

Plus he really makes ample use of lettering, adding text and blurbs throughout the cover. Again, it seems very playful, as well as enticing the viewer to come aboard for an entertaining ride. He also seems to be fond of the word 'surprise'!  

Here's a last example of a similar design on two consecutive issues:

It's interesting that the top row of characters are almost the same on both books: The Cape, The Outline and Hero (except on issue #17 Hero is substituted for The Distorter).
The bottom characters change from The Madman to Miss Eerie. Note that both these characters are speaking, as well. Right before they pulverize some hapless criminal, no doubt!

Miss Eerie, by the way, is one heck of a character. My favorite of Ditko's current era. She's a Private Investigator named May Ero, who dons a grotesque mask and solves crimes as the the two-fisted Miss Eerie! Everytime I see her on the cover of a new book, I look forward to her latest escapes.

Even today, at age 85, Steve Ditko continues telling his stories, and bringing his signature creative design skills to the table. These comics, and many more, are available from Robin Snyder, Ditko's partner in publishing. I usually order direct from Snyder, as the books don't have wide distribution through comic shops (although there are stores that carry them). You can visit Bob Heer's site, DITKO COMICS WEBLOG, where he maintains a list of all current comics available from Snyder/Ditko, as well as ordering info and prices. So, if you're a fan of Ditko and want to support his efforts, visit that link and buy some of these comics!

My color cover for the DITKOMANIA zine

I've done the cover for the new issue of DITKOMANIA, the zine devoted to the work of comics legend Steve Ditko.

DITKOMANIA was relaunched in 2008 by Rob Imes, after obtaining permission from original DITKOMANIA creator Bill Hall (who published the zine from 1983-1999). This issue's theme deals with Ditko's SPEEDBALL comic for Marvel, and the cover I drew features an assortment of Ditko's bouncing characters! (Clockwise from top: Speedball, The Screamer, Killjoy, Mr. Quiver and The Creeper).

Rob, as Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, has continued to take DITKOMANIA to greater heights, and the new issue, #91, marks his first full-color cover. Ordering info for DITKOMANIA can be found on the DITKO FEVER website.

I've been contributing artwork and articles to DITKOMANIA for a couple of years now, and I'm very proud to have produced my first cover for the zine. Originally, I had asked another Ditko fan, Fester Faceplant, to color the cover, but there were some technical issues with his saved digital file so I recolored it using Fester's original as a guide. Fester, by the way, runs a prolific blog on Charlton Comics called THE CHARLTON COMICS READING LIBRARY, and is currently in the process of starting his own zine, The Charlton Arrow, due shortly.

Cartoonist Steve Ditko first started working in the industry in 1953. In 1962, he and writer/editor Stan Lee created Spider-Man for Marvel, followed by Dr. Strange. For DC Comics, Ditko created The Creeper and Hawk & Dove. Among his many other creations are The Question, Static and Mr. A. Even today, Ditko continues creating, including a series of 32 page comics released several times a year:

You can order Ditko's creator-owned work through his publisher Robin Snyder. Visit their page at THE DITKO COMICS WEBLOG for pricing and availability.

By the way, I'll soon have copies of DITKOMANIA #91 for purchase here on my site and at conventions, available signed and with an original character drawing of a Steve Ditko character by me.

Steve Ditko, comic artist legend, turns 84 today

A very Happy Birthday to Steve Ditko, the great comic book creator who's creations/co-creations include Spider-Man, Dr. Strange, The Creeper, Hawk & Dove and Mr. A., among many others.

Here's some artwork I did that was featured recently on the back cover of DITKOMANIA #85, the fanzine dedicated to the work of Steve Ditko. That issue featured stories on Ditko's work for black & white magazines, and one of the stories he did for EERIE Magazine that I wanted to pay homage to was one called 'The Fly':

Ditko's career began in 1953, and almost 60 years later, the man is still producing new work! Published under the Robin Snyder/Steve Ditko banner, his latest book was just released:

 

This is his 14th new comic book released in the last 3 years, so Steve Ditko still has some stories to tell. This one features another chapter in the saga of Miss Eerie, and also introduces The Distorter, a character who never once appears in the actual story (unless you count a trail of energy an appearance!) but you still see the results of his/her/it's crime fighting abilities.

In addition to his singularly imaginative artwork and storytelling, what's specifically appealed to me, as a self-published comics creator, about Ditko's work is his reliance for the last 20 years or so on creating his work for himself, without the editorial oversight or worse, marketing input, of any third parties. He's creating pure art at this point, and he leaves it up to others to decide the merits of that choice. His desire is to create personal work and release it to the marketplace, no other considerations come into play. I'm not saying I have the exact same mindset, but his example is one that inspires me tremendously often keeps me going in this crazy comics business.

Ordering info for Ditko's new books is available at the DitkoComics Blog. To order DITKOMANIA, visit the Ditko-Fever site. Bleeding Cool.Com, a comics news site, has a nice gallery of original Ditko comic book pages you might be interested in checking out.

Dia de El Ditko: Steve Ditko's birthday!

A very Happy Birthday to Steve Ditko, comic book creator extraordinaire!
 
(Mort Todd's colored version of his cover to DITKOMANIA #72)

Steve Ditko, as artist, is the co-creator of Spider-Man & Dr. Strange, and on his own has created such characters as The Creeper, The Question, Shade the Changing Man and his signature character, Mr. A.

 (Larry Blake's cover to DITKOMANIA #75)

Born November 2, 1927, Steve Ditko continues to create new comics, published by himself and Robin Snyder. His latest book was DITKO #5-FIVE ACT, featuring such characters as The Madman, The Outline and The Cape! At age 83 his physical output has slowed down, and he's not going to be drawing at the same level he was 20 or even 30 years ago. But his determination to create new stories, and publish them himself, remains for me a continued source of inspiration.

For the last year or two, I've been contributing to the DITKOMANIA zine on a regular basis. My most recent illustration was this one for their Halloween issue, featuring a review of Ditko's sole Tomb of Dracula story, published in the late 70s.

The fact that Ditko was born on November 2, the same day as my character Diego de La Muerto, a.k.a. El Muerto (which is also El Dia de Los Muertos) surprised me when I made the connection years ago. My first exposure to Ditko's work was back in the mid-seventies, with reprints of his early Spider-Man & Dr. Strange stories available in Marvel reprints at the time. His work has always struck me for it's combination of quirky cartooning and surreal imagery, combined with his knack for innovative storytelling devices and layouts.

Happy 83rd Birthday, Steve Ditko!

To order Ditko's self-published comics from the last 20 years or so, visit this page, courtesy of the Ditko Comics Web Blog run by BobH.


To order copies of the DITKOMANIA zine, edited & published by Rob Imes, visit this page.

My artwork for DITKOMANIA zine

The new issue of the DITKOMANIA zine is now available, and I've contributed some artwork.



DITKOMANIA is long-running fanzine devoted to the work of comic creator Steve Ditko. Issue #74 covers Ditko's 1970s work at DC Comics, such as his art duties on MAN-BAT #1 (which features the only instance ever of Ditko drawing Batman!), among several other features. My friend Michael Aushenker, himself a cartoonist of great skill, writes a regular column for the zine called DITKOTOMY. His entry for this issue comments on Ditko bringing his unique and peculiar take on characters and how they differed from the established DC characters. Michael asked me to contribute some artwork to accompany his column and suggested a juxtaposition of some sort between Ditko's heroes and the 'old guard'. This is what I came up with:


Batman and Shade the Changing Man © 2009 DC Comics

Shade the Changing Man (created by Ditko) vs. Batman! My take on Batman actually came out Ditkoesque, I'm pleased to say. A little dazzle with a Photoshop effect I think gives this piece just the right look of Ditko surrealism.

I also contributed two other pieces, one being the Creeper. The other piece, Hawk & Dove, couldn't be fit in for space, but will appear in a future issue. Thanks to editor/publisher Rob Imes for having me in the issue, and thanks to my pal Michael for asking me in the first place. I plan to contribute some art in the future, and have even pitched a story idea as well.

Ordering info for the DITKOMANIA zine is right here. It's a great publication dedicated to a particularly unique comic creator. Rob has a done a tremendous job of putting out a quality publication, even though DITKOMANIA is a true fanzine in every sense of the word. It just happens to have great production value for it's reasonable price, and there is always interesting content provided by various writers and artists. I'm glad that Rob includes a letters page, because there are always very strong opinions from the readers regarding the content. That's what fandom should be. Not just a place where fans come together in appreciation for a particular subject or creator, but dissenting voices of opinion.

Here's a color version of my Creeper artwork, reprinted in b&w for the zine.

The Creeper © 2009 DC Comics

If you're interested in the work of Steve Ditko, check out an issue of this well-crafted zine. You can't beat the price, that's for sure! Tell Rob that Javier sent ya'!