My premiere podcast for PLANET COMIC BOOK RADIO went off with flying colors! The show went live this past tuesday, Nov. 20 at 5 pm Pacific Time and is now available at PerspectiveRadio.Com Just click the link with the PCBR logo and you can listen to my inaugural interview with Jason Martin, a Portland, Oregon area artist whose self-published book, SUPER REAL, is a fun romp through the world of reality TV via a superhero group book.
Jason and I have been good friends since we met a few years ago at Comic Con San Diego, and he's a very savy individual who's worked hard on his comic book, so I thought he would be a great guest to debut the show with. And judging by how fast our 45 minutes whizzed by, I'd say he was a great choice! Thanks Jason!
Jason also contributed a very stylish pin-up to the Galeria Del Muerto gallery on the EL MUERTO/THE DEAD ONE DVD! Here it is:
The show runs an hour, so for the first 15 minutes I pretty much just introduced myself to my audience. Comic creator, filmmaker, and now radio host! To think all this happened because I got off my butt and created my own comic years ago. Is a radio show a natural progression from making comics? Maybe not. But radio, like comics, and film, is an outlet for expression. The EL MUERTO film came about because of a one-in-a-million shot (or series of shots). But I was ready to move on it. Same with this radio show. Check my previous post here to see how this radio show came about
So before the show, Renato Aguirre, one of the show's producers (me being the other!) and I were running a quick tutorial on running the board. This is a small, independent, DYI outfit, so you, as the host, pretty much have the controls to everything. Pressing the all-mighty BROADCAST button and controlling the songs and station I.D. tags! Everthing. Renato had given me a rundown last week, but it never hurts to 'make sure'! So the next thing I know it's 3 minutes to 5 pm! We pop on a song to lead into the show, then I have to hit the station I.D. blurb, followed by what I hope becomes my theme song, DAZE OF THE DEAD by Richard Odie and Johhny Franco.
FYI: Franco is an old friend of mine from way back. In fact, in 1983/84, while I was in High School, he opened up the first comic book shop in Whittier. Years later when I published my first EL MUERTO comic in zine form, he wrote a song inspired by the title of the origin story, DAZE OF THE DEAD! We ended up releasing it as a CD single limited to 102 signed and numbered copies. Playing it as the opening theme for my new radio show just seemed like a great place to reintroduce it to the public.
As DAZE OF THE DEAD is playing, we place the call to Jason and SHAZAM, we have Jason on the air soon as the song ends. Smooth.... Well, okay, I think in my opening, I may have stumbled over a word or two, but considering this is podcast live, I think I did okay. Once I got into the interview with Jason, I felt completely at ease. Granted, he's a friend of mine, but talking to another person about comics is not something that I have to force myself to do! Next thing I know, I'm getting the signal from Renato that we have only 8 minutes left. I was genuinely surprised that the time went so quick. I found a good spot to wrap up the interview then signed off by playing another song, "SENOR HERNANDEZ: WAY OF THE COMICS LONER" by Dr. T and The Sea Lions with Rabies! That piece was recently written by a friend of mine who's been a member of my El Muerto Message Board for a couple of years. I think it's a great little song and if you listen to the lyrics, a little too close to the mark!
All in all, a very successful launch. The folks at PerspectiveRadio.Com were very happy with it, Jason was a great guest, and I really had a great time. Very much looking forward to continuing with more guests and more shows.
We did it! Our premiere showing, at the San Diego Latino Film Festival on saturday, March 17, was a sold-out hit!
I had been at the festival earlier in the week for some workshops and panels, so the anticipation was building. Boy, this was a thrilling event, I'll tell you. Family, friends, fans and filmgoers all made the event so memorable.
We had a press conference before the screening, with Tony Plana, producer Larry Rattner and myself, in the lobby of the theatre. Tony is such a dynamic figure, so strongly supportive of film festivals and Latino art, and very popular with the fans.
Here we are after the press conference. He was more than happy to pose for tons of pics from all the fans there, and I found myself the subject of quite a bit myself. (Good thing I invested in a suit!)
I lingered outside the theatre before the 8 o'clock showing, greeting my family and friends as they arrived. My three siblings and their families, along with mom, made the 100 mile trek down to San Diego. Heck, even one of my fans from my Muerto Message Board drove all the way down from the Bay Area to see the film! Here's a great pic: the line for EL MUERTO! These would be the first film fans ever to pay and line up for the film! Our previous screenings were private invites or American Film Market attendees. So this crowd made for a priceless pic! The showing was sold out and in fact there were about 2 dozen people waiting to see if any more seats would become available.
The film played to a packed theatre, and everyone had enthusiastic responses. It was great that our three executive producers/financers were there as well. Bruno Leone and his two sons Dan and Rich. They're really down-to-earth folks, and always supportive of me as the creator of the comic. The film began with the opening credits, featuring my artwork intercut with live action, and the viewers were following the film every step of the way, and thankfully laughing at all the right times! My cameo drew a lot of cheers, which made me happy and grateful that I picked that particular scene myself. I've already seen the film several times, but to have had so many entusiastic people in the audience was a whole new experience. After the screening, we had a Q&A up near the screen, with lots of great questions, followed by an impromtu autograph session.
Our writer/director Brian Cox was called out of the country for a production meeting on another project, but he had asked me to read a statement for him. I was honored to do so, and wish he was there to have heard all the great compliments on the wonderful film he made. If it wasn't for my initial faith in his approach for the project, I would never have signed on to make the film. Also, I was able to dedicate the film, in the spirit of Dia de Los Muertos, to four people who had passed away in the last year who I was hoping would be able to see it. My aunt Dora, uncle Greg, uncle Manuel, and friend Gary Burke. Tony and I were so busy with meeting people that they had to politley ask us to continue signing out in the lobby! And of course, more pictures were taken. Here's a nice one with (left to right) my sister, niece, brother, mom, Tony, me and another niece. Tony had some nice words for my mother, in espanol, no less. Mom was on cloud nine. In fact, at one point, she had me sign her an autograph! I was like "Mom, you're my mom!". That was so awesome, though!
Here's me, my leading lady Bernyce, cousin Jose Manuel and Tony. Sure was great to be able to celebrate with my loved ones and my fellow filmmakers.
After several minutes in the lobby, we all headed outside. By then, some people were leaving, and we were getting ready to be shuttled downtown to attend a nightclub. But it gave me a chance to meet up with friends and hear how much they loved the film. My cousin Manuel took this pic as I walked up the stairs outside the theatre. He says it shows me moving up higher and higher. And why the heck not?!
