Yesterday, Sunday the 24, I spent the day at the Uptown Whittier Dia de Los Muertos festival. They've been running this for a few years now, and this is the first time I've signed here in a couple of years. They closed off two blocks of the main street, Greenleaf Ave., and had artist booths, food vendors and music to help celebrate the occasion.
I was stationed in front of GEEKS Comics, right on the sidewalk, courtesy of my good friend Sal Felix.
A couple of the kids from my current comic book workshops came by to visit, including Matthew, a talented artist and fashionable dresser:
One thing that became clear to me, not just this day but at Saturday's Dia de Los Muertos event in nearby Rose Hills, was the amount of saturation the film EL MUERTO has made in the general public by now. First released on DVD in 2007, the film, always an independent underdog, has had an extremely long life on cable. I had various people stop by my tables both days and mention that they had seen the film on television, some had even caught one of the local screenings we had played at a few years ago.
Obviously your standard Hollywood film gets a wide release and usually is known by a certain percentage of the public. But our independent film EL MUERTO seems to have built up a slow but gradual audience in it's time. While I always assumed this would be the case, to have these encounters with people still catches me by surprise.
I had one guy stop by and recognize me immediately. Apparently, he had interviewed me back in 2003 for his college newspaper (or it may have been High School). He mentioned that at the time I had talked about getting a movie option, and now years later he sees me selling the DVD of the film. I'll often meet up with people who had met me years before at an event, and then years later we catch up once again. Things like that don't make me feel necessarily older, but they do remind me that what I do, my life as an artist, is such an integral part of my existence, like getting up in the morning and brushing my teeth.
The view of Greenleaf from my table:
Ah yes, good ol' Greenleaf. When I look at this photograph, I look at those trees and realize they must be the exact same trees that were there back in the 70s, when my parents would take me and my siblings to Ambrose Pizza, the 'best pizza in the world' I would proclaim with all the authority of a 10 year old. When I was in my early teens, I would ride my bike to Greenleaf and spend a day visiting the numerous books stores, both for new books and used books (mostly comics, actually). Bookland, just a few doors up from where GEEKS is now, has been closed for probably 10 years or so. But I used to go there and buy my new comics when I wanted to see what was available beyond the spinner racks at the supermarkets and 7-11 stores I'd normally buy my books at.
It was at Bookland that I used to sometimes buy the trade paperback collections that Stan Lee (Marvel Comics creator) would write, such as ORIGINS OF MARVEL COMICS and BRING ON THE BAD GUYS. Those books, which offered the behind-the-scenes stories of the early Marvel classics, were so instrumental in my realizing that I also wanted to create my own comics. I'll have to post about those particular books at a later date.....
Besides Bookland, there were about 3 used bookstores on Greenleaf and the surrounding streets. The Little Old Bookshop, Ames Used Books and one other store. All of them had small sections set aside for used comic books, dating back about 5 or 10 years. Just digging through those little piles of comics was such a treat, never knowing what you would find by flipping through the issues. That was my Ebay back then, without the Paypal fees! Sometimes I'd find some books from the 60s (the ancient stuff!), and slowly build up my collection and knowledge, of the characters and equally important to me, the creators.
In the 1984, one afternoon after High School, I discovered that an actual comic book store had opened..in Whittier, on Greenleaf. The Fortune Bookie, owned by John Franco (who later on became a good friend of mine). To have finally been able to walk into an honest to gosh comic book store as a High Schooler was just a milestone! Plus John also carried movie memorabilia, which worked out well for me (and him too!) as I was becoming a huge James Bond film fan and picked up a cool A VIEW TO A KILL teaser poster at the shop.
There was a time in the late 80s that Hollywood came to visit Greenleaf. They actually filmed several scenes of MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE there, and me and my friend Rick O'Neil would hang around the evenings and watch the proceedings. Skeletor's spaceship was hovering over the streets of Whittier those evenings, and it was a total trip to have been there when it happened!
(The trailer for MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE. Check out Greenleaf in it's moment of glory!And for those reading this blog post via Facebook, here's the Youtube link)
Flash forward years later, to about 2004 or so, and I find myself working for John Franco at the latest incarnation of his store, The Hobby Connection. I was between jobs, and for about 8 months or so I worked as a salesclerk in the comic shop. I actually enjoyed the experience, as it gave me an insight into the comic book world I hadn't yet experienced, the comics retailer angle. By now I was already publishing my own comics books, and having been a fan, and buyer of comics, working as a retailer was another rung on the ladder to being a total comic book junkie!
In 2008, I even had the chance to screen EL MUERTO at the Whittier Independent Film Festival, for which we actually won Best Feature! After the screening, we held a Q&A at GEEKS Comics with myself, director Brian Cox and Co-producer Susan Rodgers.
In the last two years or so, either on my own or with other artists, I've had numerous events here at GEEKS. Art shows, live art, seminars, classes. These and all the various experiences I've had along Greenleaf or the surrounding streets adds up to a lifetime of memories. Greenleaf, and the city of Whittier, is named after poet John Greenleaf Whittier, who never set foot in our street or town. But I'm glad to have a well-traveled journey along these streets, and expect to have lots more stories to tell about Greenleaf. Didn't plan to turn this Dia de Los Muertos event review into an 'Ode to Greenleaf', but there you go. The muse called and I answered.
Okay, another post about Dia de Los Muertos. My second post about it today, and my third post for the day!?
I have a very passionate fan of my comic El Muerto, and I'm glad to say he's a very good friend as well. His name is Jose Iturriaga. Back when I had a Message Board on EL MUERTO.COM, he was one of the early, and frequent members.
Well, about an hour or so ago, Jose sent me some pics of the little Dia de Los Muertos display he and his wife made in their home. A very personal, elegant little scene, with some artwork they bought recently. But check out what, or who, is also in the pictures!
Yep, that little figure in there is El Muerto! That figure was actually made by Jose, a completely customized 12" action figure of El Muerto. Jose actually made two: one for him and one for little ol' me! He based his figures on the film version of El Muerto, as played by Wilmer Valderrama.
Check out how lifelike the figure looks, sitting amongst the other mementos, looking at the sugar skull in his hand. Wow.
When I first saw these photos, I was just enjoying the nice setup Jose had built. Of course I was also happy to see his El Muerto figure in the display, too. But I started to think about how years ago I used to joke how I wanted El Muerto to become as identified with Dia de Los Muertos the way people automatically think of Santa Claus as inseparable form Christmas. I mean, let's be realistic and think of the, um, commercial results that could benefit the creator!
But seriously, when I saw Jose's display, and think about how much he both celebrates so much of his Mexican culture, and totally became a fan of both the El Muerto comics and the movie, well, I can honestly say that I'm truly humbled by the fact that my character can become a little special thing to people in that way. Honestly, companies invest millions into trying to tie their product into people's consciousness, and their commerce. I can't speak for those companies, but the feeling I get from this type of result from fans of my comic work...Well, it's worth to me a lot more than a large check I could deposit in the ATM.
Don't get me wrong for a minute: I am open and eager, and anxious to receive money for my work, lots and lots of it. But this....Well, this is really, really great. I am thankful that there is a Dia de Los Muertos, which took many people many years to bring to the level of celebration it enjoys in many parts of Mexico and here in the U.S. And I'm thankful for everyone who's path I crossed over the last 11 years of creating El Muerto. For fans, and friends, like Jose.
When I emailed him a while ago for permission to use his photographs, he was totally cool with it. He mentioned that he was actually watching the EL MUERTO movie! There are tons of Christmas movies, and everyone likes to watch their favorite Halloween movies on October 31. But how cool that I can say we now have a film available to watch on Nov. 2, the Day of the Dead. (And it actually portrays the sentiments found in the holiday, it's not some bloody, gory zombie horror fest). I still have about an hour before Dia de Los Muertos gives way to November 3, so I think I'll watch EL MUERTO too!
15 years ago I attended my first San Diego Comic Con. 6 years later, in 1998, EL MUERTO made his debut comic book appearance at that show. 2 years ago, back in 2005, we screened a rough teaser trailer for the EL MUERTO film, which had finished principal photography a few months earlier.
On friday evening, July 27, we screened the film to an audience of comic book readers, film buffs and a dedicated group of long-time El Muerto fans. In some ways, a circle was happily completed that evening. But not the last one, for sure. Here's the rundown of my friday in San Diego.
I arrived on a warm friday afternoon, made warmer by my choice of dress! But with the hotel I was staying at way outside the city limits, there would be no place to change into my 'movie screening clothes' later....
Back when I first attended Comic Con in '92, attendence was at around 22,000!! (According to a post I found online by Jackie Estrada, long time Comic Con organizer) 22,000! That is hilarious! This past Con is rumored to be upwards of 125,000!! Wading through the mass of humanity outside the convention center, I would not doubt it for a second.
Entering the actual building for me is always exciting. Because at this point in the game, you can usually find the same exhibitors in the same spot they usually occupy (back-issue comic dealers, booksellers, publishers) but then there's always a huge varitey of new people exhibiting, selling everything you could possible imagine related to comics and pop culture collectables. It's like finding the secret Ebay wharehouse or something.
But of course one of the best things about going to Con is hooking up with so many of my friends, many who are selling their own comics but also plenty of 'civilians' I run into as well. One of the first booths I tracked down was that of good friends Rhode Montijo and Jamie Baker. They've been splitting a booth at Con for a couple of years now and often have some gimmick. This year it was cheesy suits (think the classic used-car salesman) and signs all over the booth proclaiming 'Everything must go!" and "Prices slashed!".
As I was standing around Rhode's booth, I notice that WWE wrestling superstar Stone Cold Steve Austin is walking around (promoting his new film I imagine). Actually, my girlfriend Bernyce noticed him and she went up and asked him for a photo. Using her as cover, I asked Steve for a photo as well. I wished him luck in his new movie careeer and he actually responded, in his trademark Texas gravelly voice, with genuine sincerity "Thanks, I'll need it!". That was very odd and charming to me. Here's Stone Cold, one of the most badass performers in the history of wrestling, and he's as scared and unsure as the rest of us entering the movie biz! Nice!
Comic Con wouldn't be Comic Con without a visit to the booth of Rafael Navarro, the indestructable creator of Sonambulo. Here's me and Raf and his current director on a new SCOOBY DOO animated project, Kevin Altieri. Kevin is an animation director and long-time storyboard artist whose many credits include the classic BATMAN, THE ANIMATED SERIES!
Dean LeCrone is a local San Diego cartoonist I met a few years back in the Small Press exhibitor area. He does comics with a crazy bent of humor and Dean's also a good old fashioned 1970s-era comic book geek! My type of people! This year he was promoting his 'geeks gone crazy' DVD, "Dean LeCrone VS. The Mutants of Comic Con!"!! He filmed it at Con last year (I show up in bits of it I'm told!) and I hear from good sources it's hilarious! I actually forgot to pick up a copy but he's going to be screening it at an LA comic book shop in September, so I'll have to make that screening. Here Dean's checking my heart for Comic Con Excitability Syndrome....Because us comic book/indie film dudes have to take care of one another.
Speaking of excitability, the time was approaching for the EL MUERTO screening. But first, we had a dinner to attend. Who's 'we'? That would be me, my girlfriend Bernyce, one of our executive producers, Bruno Leone and his lovely wife Pat, my producer Larry Rattner, the Head of Sales for our DVD distributor Echo Bridge Home Entertainment, and one of the stars of our film, Tony Plana. Dinner was at a very nice and cozy restaurant called Busters, located near the Con. After getting my fill of Sangria, I was ready to head back to the convention center and show the film.
The screening was scheduled for 9pm, but I had asked the staff if they could wait another 10 minutes or so. As the Con was closed at 7pm, I knew people would be making their way back from dinner, so the extra minutes actually helped. I had a good turnout of friends show up, as well as some long time El Muerto fans. But the majority of the people were just curios conventioneers looking for cool movie to see. I introduced the film and grabbed my seat, this time towards the back of the room. I was extremely exhausted after a very long day and I figured if I nodded off for a few seconds, no one would notice! (Imagine someone blogging about that the next day? '"El Muerto creator nods off at his own film"?!!). As usual whenever we screen the film to an audience that knows me, my cameo gets the expected cheer from the audience. That still pumps me up everytime I experience that!
Immediately following the film we had a Q&A. Tony Plana walked up on the steps and I introduced him to the audience just as he set foot on the stage. As a long-time actor, and especially because of his current role on the multiple Emmy-nominated show UGLY BETTY, Tony's popular with the public. As I walked onstage I lifted the mike and lowered my voice "And Javier Hernandez", introducing myself to an enthusiastic audience (it pays to have friends and fans at these events!). Our producer Larry Rattner joined us and I moderated us through about a half hour of questions.
The questions I get are always 'What was it like getting your comic made into a movie" and "When's the next book out?"! The answers are always 'Great' and 'Very soon'!! Moderating was actually fun, and I'm told I did a pretty good job. I don't know how often the creator of a comic book that's been made into a movie gets to moderate his own movie panel, but the wonderful thing about this entire film production has been that I've had the oppurtunity to be involved very closely with the entire process. We mentioned the release date for the DVD (Spet. 18) and I told the audience about the many features we've created for the DVD. Features such as a special Muerto mini-comic book I created to be packaged inside the DVD, a 'slideshow' of my first Muerto comic, a color gallery of El Muerto artwork by 7 artist I personally handpicked, a tutorial on how to draw El Muerto, a commentary track with myself and screenwriter/director Brian Cox, and interviews with the cast and crew. And I was very glad to see that they created a spanish language dub for the film, as opposed to just subtitling it. Before we ended the panel, I said something I had meant to say at the beginning of the screening. "I'd like to dedicate the screening to the memory of a comic book legend, Jack Kirby, the King of Comics". I met Jack at my first Comic Con back in 92, and he was always one of my two most important influences in my lifelong love of comics, so dedicating the film to him at this convention was an honor.
We gave out this poster after the Q&A which Tony and I were more than happy to sign for the fans.
Tony not only plays the wonderfully written Aparicio in our film, but he's such a generous person with his time. A real professional and class act.
It was fun talking to the fans after the film. It was a manageable but enthusiastic crowd. Plus it gave me a chance to talk to some friends of mine who hadn't yet seen the film. Tony and I posed for several pictures and I can say that we all had a great time at the screening. I was always hoping to have had a chance to screen the movie at Comic Con and I'm grateful to the convention organizers for making it happen. Truly one of the highlights in an experience that is overflowing in highlights.
Midnight was fast approaching and I still had a 35 minute drive to my hotel. And it's getting late for me right now as well so I promise you, dear reader, that I will finish up my con report tomorrow night, for sure! I still have to tell you about saturday and sunday in San Diego. Thanks......
This year's Another Hole in the Head film fest will be hosting two El Muerto screenings! I'll be at the sunday night showing and will host a Q&A after the film. So any Bay Area Muerto fans please come out and check out the film and support the festival. The screening is held at the Roxie Cinema and should be a blast.
Astute readers will note that El Muerto has a very special connection to the Bay Area. I debuted El Muerto at the 1998 Alternative Press Expo in San Jose. And in fact, two months later at WonderCon in Oakland, I almost killed him off! I was having a really bad show that day. No sales, no interest...nada! After taking a sullen stroll to the hotel bar and pounding down a rather mild Screwdriver (Vodka and orange juice to our younger readers!) I walked back to the table prepared to tear it down, pack it up and head back down to Whittier!
Well, as I got to the table, there was reporter from a local paper waiting for an interview and a couple of fans ready to buy comics! Long story short, I stuck around and pledged to never let myself get down like that again. I've attended every single APE since then and have met many wonderful fans and made some great friends up North. And now I'll be showing the movie based on my comic book in good ol' San Francisco! How's that for a Hollywood ending?!
Check out the festival site and order your tickets! Hope you make it out there!
Earlier this week I recorded an interview with SMALLL WORLD PODCAST.COM and it's been posted here. This was fun to do, and as always, recorded interviews are interesting because I always fret over what I'm going to sound like when I hear the final product!
Well, this one went pretty good. Although I often think I have to many 'Um's and 'Ah's. Well, at least you can put a voice to my image now, those of you who haven't met me. Someone's going to hear this and say "Oh, I thought he was going to sound like Ricardo Montalban". I WISH!! But, regardless, there are some questions about self-publishing in there, mixed in amongst the usual comic book and movie inquiries. Bazooka Joe, the person who runs the site, had heard about the Muerto movie last month at the San Diego Latino Film Festival, so he contacted me and requested an interview. He puts together a nice show with lots of interesting people. I'm glad to have had the chance to contribute to his show.
The superhero movie season has begun and the number one film for the weekend, and in fact the highest grossing movie of the new year: With an estimated opening of about $45 million, the film proves that critics don't know anything about anything! Like FANTASTIC FOUR, this film has proved to be a huge hit with audiences (the people who actually pay to go see movies!).
When I was a kid, Ghost Rider was one of the books that I really dug. A demon biker with a flaming skull head?! Bring it on, baby! Ghost Rider was one of that second wave of superheroes that came about in the 1970s, what Stan Lee called "The Marvel Age of Comics, Phase 2!". Created by Roy Thomas, Gary Freidrich and artist Mike Ploog, ol fire-skull was one of the haunted Marvel heroes who was part monster/part tragic hero. Appearing in the same era as Man-Thing, Morbius the Living Vampire and Werewolf by Night, Ghost Rider was definitely a product of his era: satanism and bikers.
I enjoyed the film so much on Saturday evening, that this morning after my daily walk I stopped by a local theatre and checked out a matinee screening! Yeesh! The film was written/directed by Mark Steven Johnson, who I thought succeeded with his previous adaptation, DAREDEVIL. His script for this film really did a good job of tying in several incarnations of Ghost Rider. I won't detail the story too much in case you haven't seen it yet, but the character's orgin from his original 1972 appearance appears pretty much intact. I haven't really read much Ghost Rider in the last 20 years or so (Jeez!!!) but I felt the film delivered the Ghost Rider I remember. And what a classic design! Ghost Rider's look and attitude probably sold a ton of tickets alone!
While occasionally the film forced some of the actors to mouth some cliched lines (mainly the villians), I rationalize the fact that the source material the film draws on was corny back when they were created. However, I didn't complain back then as a 10 yr. old, so for me I look at these type of films without too critical an eye. Of course, at the very least, the story has to be solid, but otherwise, let's let the superheroes and supervillians act accordingly. I seem to enjoy my Marvel superheroes way more from filmmakers nowadays than in the actual monthly titles (which I pretty much dropped out of by 1990, with occasional exceptions). To think back in the 70s if we were told there would one day be a big Hollywood Ghost Rider movie....
Watching the film, with it's supernatural storyline, Good vs. Evil spiritual warfare, a black-clad cursed hero, and a graveyard caretaker, I couldn't help but think of the Muerto movie. Contrasting our independant film based on my independent comic, Ghost Rider was a full-blown studio film, with over $100 million in budget, but interestingly began filming the day we shot our last day of El Muerto principal photography: Feb. 14, 2005 (according to the Wikipedia entry) Pretty crazy coincidence. A quick note on El Muerto: I'm currently awaiting word from my producer about the distribution plan for our film. Of course I'll be posting the news here when it breaks!
After last night's screening of Ghost Rider, me and my lady Bernyce stopped by a Denny's for a late-night Banana Split. Over the delicious dessert, I pulled out my sketchbook and asked her for a Ghost Rider drawing. And yeah, she drew the original Johnny Blaze version! Nice! I doodled up a quickie version of the movie Ghost Rider.
I gotta tell all the guys out there: ain't nothing sexier than a woman who can draw a classic superhero! Well, let's wait for the Ghost Rider sequel and the long-awaited release of EL MUERTO!
