Friday evening's ART NIGHT at the PASADENA CENTRAL LIBRARY was so much fun, I could have easily gone another couple of hours!
These truly are the opportunities an artist hopes for, if one is interested in these types of events! Enthusiastic crowds, a venue to showcase your work and promote various things you're associated with, meeting some very supportive and interesting people, etc. The Library had numerous exhibitions and events that evening, as part of their participation in the city-wide ART NIGHT, many of them with a Latino theme (music, folkloric dancers, etc). For their spotlight on Latino Cartoonists, I was invited to attend along with Jim Lujan and Grasiela Rodriguez (both fellow Cartoonistas), and animator/cartoonist Raul Aguirre, Jr. (who started out the evening NOT a Cartoonista!).
Like other library events I've done, I always look forward to meeting the young and old and everyone in between. There was a young girl who, after I talked to her about what I do, asked me if she could sit down and draw as well. I was talking to her mother about how it's great seeing kids draw and even more important that their parents support them. The little girl took her time drawing a face, really working at sketching out the details and making it 'just right'. I like how she was attracting her own crowd.
At times, I would end up drawing for about 5 or 6 kids in a row. Most were happy to receive an EL MUERTO drawing, although some opted for a WOLVERINE or something else. At one point a mother came up to me and thought I had said I was tired of drawing and so told her son he couldn't get a drawing! Well, the little boy was very upset and so his mother wondered if I could possibly draw him something. I felt terrible that they had left in the first place, as I didn't intend to turn anyone away! I asked the young man he could have any drawing he wanted: Spider-Man, Batman, even El Muerto if he wanted. Well, to my complete and welcome surprise, he wanted, a DEMOLITION DOVE drawing! He had seen one of the color prints I had of that character (who has only appeared in one preview book I've done so far!) and really dug the cyborg Dove-turned-commando! Well, as happy as I was that he picked that, as I was drawing the picture I would look up at him and see he had the most enthusiastic smile lighting up his face! That's priceless, I tell you. To say the least, he was very happy with the drawing!
(By the way, notice how I draw on pre-printed sheets of cardstock emblazoned with some character images, my name and websites? I stole that great idea from Canadian D.I.Y. comic creator, Blair Kitchen!)
Among the folks I had the chance to meet was an older gentleman by the name of Ray. He specifically wanted to check out the Latino Cartoonist exhibit and was an interesting person to get to know. Ray's been and actor, filmmaker and musician in his life, and told me that his daughter was also an artist. He was interested in how I created my comics and we also talked about THE SHADOW radio drama! I ended up doing an EL MUERTO drawing for his daughter, and he promised to send me a CD of a musical piece he had created. He introduced me to his wife, Adelita, and we all happily posed for this photo, with me telling everyone "Hey, Ray just adopted me!". These are the type of interactions with people you don't usually expect, but that's what makes these events more than the standard 'show and sell'. Which I don't mind doing at all, but some rich human interactions are pretty priceless.
Raul Aguirre had several of his newest paintings on display and spent lots of time drawing for everyone. This guy's a real people person.
Jim Lujan was well represented by a slew of new paintings he created just for this event. I love the old school superheroes, and I love Jim's art style. Combine the two and you get some real great looking pieces. C'mon, check out that IRON FIST!!
Amidst all this hoopla, I asked Jim to pencil one of his characters for me to ink later. He inked one of my sketches a short while ago, so now I'll be returning the favor. I'll post the inked piece here later this week!
Grasiela also had several new paintings debut here (although none of us seemed to have taken any pics!!). Here's Gras sitting by a collection of some of our work. Amidst all the Jim Lujan luxury items are her Spider-Woman painting and my EL MUERTO DVD (she placed that in there!).
I actually sold a lot more comics than I anticipated. What really struck me was that most of the sales were to kids, about 8-10 yrs old, boys and girls. Previous experience has told me that while my books aren't specifically created 'For Kids', the appeal of the character, at least visually, has pretty strong appeal. In an age where NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS and X-MEN movies seem to be in many kid's homes, perhaps kid's can be exposed to a little more than Sesame Street level content? Of course, I can already see a couple instances in my next book, EL MUERTO:DEAD & CONFUSED PT. 2, that will probably test that theory!
Well, besides me analyzing my own market appeal, the other significant event of that wonderful evening was near the end of the exhibit, Jim Lujan formerly invited Raul to join the Cartoonistas. Raul was more than happy to join, and I declared to the remaining patrons there that they had just witnessed a secret initiation ceremony that most humans will never see!
Who makes a good CARTOONISTA? Well, Jim and I, as Co-Founders, have some pretty particular criteria. Moreso now, having built this organization from scratch over the last 12 months. Now that we have an exact idea of the crowds we attract and venues we display at, we are committed to keeping this a tight group of like-minded individuals with what we think is a perfectly suited art style and aesthetic for the group. Building this Cartoonista group with Jim and Grasiela and others has been one of the most rewarding things I've done as an artist, and the response we've received from the communities and organizations has proven our dream. And we're not done dreaming, either. This is an ambitious group!
Thanks to all who came out to see us,thanks to Nick Smith and the wonderful staff at the Pasadena Central Library, thanks to my fellow Cartoonistas and thanks to Enrique Diaz and the Nuvein Foundation for all the support they've given us!
Jim Lujan has more pics (and a video!) at his blog and on the site.
A stroke of good luck has befallen Pasadena, CA this Friday the 13th. ART NIGHT PASADENA returns once again and the Central Library is hosting a 'Latino Cartoonists' exhibition as part of their participation. I've been working with the Pasadena library system for years and I'm always glad to be invited back. This city is really dedicated to promoting art, culture and literature to the community. Their website states that there's a library within 1 mile to every citizen!
Last time I was at the Central Library was back in October 2008, when the CARTOONISTAS staged a Live Art event during the last Art Walk. This time, while not an official CARTOONISTA event, there will be some representation! Besides myself, CARTOONISTA Co-Founder JIM LUJAN will be debuting a slew of new paintings, Grasiela Rodriguez, the Iron Lady of the CARTOONISTAS is also exhibiting, and we'll be joined by animator/cartoonist RAUL AGUIRRE, JR., a tremendously talented and jovial person.
If you want to see a lot of great art that evening, check out the events that evening and don't forget to swing by the Central Library to pay us a visit. We'll be there from 6pm-10pm!
Here's a brand-new tattoo design I was commissioned to create.
It's La Catrina, the 'elegant lady' from the Dia de Los Muertos folklore. About a year ago, I sold some Muerto comics to a person in Canada, and recently this same reader asked if I would create a piece of art to be used as a tattoo design. We tossed around ideas and settled on this image. After submitting a rough to the client, I then got approval for the final art. I'm sending the original art via mail tomorrow.
This was really fun to work on, especially knowing someone is going to have this displayed on their body! And I really like the simplified, iconic nature of the piece. I inked this using Faber-Castell PITT Artist Pens (brush marker B & F). Something else to further explore in the future. Like I've mentioned many times, I look forward to creative expressions in various venues. Tattoo's are yet another.
By the way, somewhere I have a photo of a fan of mine with an El Muerto skull tattoo on their left shoulder! If I find it, I'll post it here.
I really liked the film. Comedian, Nite Owl and especially Rorschach, I thought were especially well played. No slight feat for the actor playing the Comedian, as he's a repulsive character. But creating compelling characters is one of the chief goals of storytelling.
The film itself? Well, I knew there was no way they could cram every minute detail of Alan Moore's brilliant script into a film, so focusing on the basic story narrative (heroes are outlawed, all have issues coping with post-crime fighter life, impact on culture, murder mystery, etc) was a logical way to go. I personally think the fight in the alleyway with Nite Owl and Silk Spectre vs. street gang was needlessly bloody (bones popping through flesh??!!). That type of gratuitous violence, obviously enjoyed by the director Zack Snyder, was much too distracting for my taste. But overall I found the rest of the film to be compelling entertainment.
My favorite character from the book was my favorite character in the film: Rorschach. The masked vigilante with the black & white world view, a lifetime of personality issues and an uncompromising view of justice made the film for me personally. It's often been said by many of the years, but he's the only one in the story who actually stood by his principles. Even though he was powerless to prevent the final grand scheme, he was determined to get the truth out. We may, or may not, disagree with his brand of justice and views on life, but you can't deny the righteousness of his final act.
Like any adaptation to film, there is the inevitable debate: "Why make a film out of this comic book!!!??". The best answer I could say would be for me to look at the Adam West BATMAN TV show, the SPEED RACER and SPIDER-MAN 1960s cartoons, my favorite James Bond films, the classic Universal Monster films, etc., and ask again "Why did they make films and cartoons of these novels and comics? Probably to make money and/or take the ideas to a wider audience, but in the process they made great cartoons and movies." I know I've gotten tremendous joy out of these 'adaptations', and even moreso when one can watch them 'on demand' with DVDs.
Sometimes, often, they make mediocre or even disastrous adaptations of our favorite comics. But 'them' trying doesn't ruin the comic for me. Every attempt at telling a story, in film, comics, music, etc. is, on some level, a crap shoot. You may hit or miss, or you make something you like and others hate. You don't know until you try.
My personal experience in having my own comic book turned into a film resulted in two things: One of the most fantastic experiences of my life as an artist, and a film I love to watch. Of course anyone can be suspect of my impartiality, but it's my experience so I'm the only one who can judge it based on my reaction to it. When it's your comic book movie adaptation, you can have your cake and eat it too. With a big glass of milk!
Anyways, let me share with you a drawing I received of Rorschach:
Who drew it? Why, my good pal, animator extraordinaire, and fellow CartoonistaJim Lujan! Me and Jim were having lunch over the weekend, and I just point-blank asked him for a sketch of Mr. Walter Kovacs himself. One of the great things about having friends who are artists (and particularly artists you admire) is that I can freely ask them for sketches of characters. It's not like I wouldn't want a Watchmen sketch from co-creator/artist Dave Gibbons, but Mr. Gibbons would most likely have a long line around his table or have an artist fee or maybe he would be too busy. With a friend, you just ask and viola, there you go! At least, that's what I do. Never hesitant to ask a friend for a sketch. I'd gladly do the same, of course, so everybody wins! And really, Rorschach done in Jim's style? How cool is that?!
Fellow Cartoonistas, Jim Lujan and Grasiela Rodriguez, wanted to schedule some time for some of us Cartoonistas to get together and paint. Not on a jam piece, but to work on our own projects surrounded by our fellow artists. Well, it didn't take long for us to name the get-together a Painting Party! Cause when the Cartoonistas get together, it's always gotta be some kind of party!
Grasiela kindly has us over at her lovely home. Jim and I were there, as well some invited guests. Here's Jim (background) working away at the dining table!
I got started on a painting I've been wanting to do for awhile: The Man-Swamp. It's a character of mine I'm currently working on for a mini-comic. I told a fellow cartoonist, Mark Rudolph, that I would be painting the Man-Swamp in his honor, so here it is in the earliest stages:
Grasiela has always been a Cartoonista super trooper, always ready and able to attend all of our events. Jim and I consider her the Woman Woman to our Batman and Superman! For the past several months she has been focusing strongly on her painting skills, and one of her great pieces she's created has been this WATCHMEN group portrait. A toast to Grasiela and America's most watchable superheroes:
She also has a Harley Quinn painting she's working on:
That evening, she continued working on her Spider-Woman painting:
A few months back, Gras had surprised me with an El Muerto painting she made. Out of the blue, she showed me and I flipped out on how beautiful it was. Of course, I had only seen a jpeg of it. Last night I got to see it in person, and boy-oh-boy did I want to take it home! The detail in the painting gets easily lost over the internet, so seeing it in person was a great experience. One day, I may have the money to make her a decent offer, but she's rightly proud of it as it's a true original.
Like so many Cartoonista events, this one ended up with a great meal. Gras pulled out all the stops and whipped up a meal of Fondue: A pot of tangy, melted cheese with apples, broccoli, bread, carrots, tomatoes for dipping! Haven't had Fondue since the 70s. Last time I had even seen someone eat Fondue was on an episode of THAT 70s SHOW (y'know, that tv show starring Wilmer Valderrama, the actor who played EL MUERTO in the live-action film now available on DVD!!):
I was surprised how much I liked the apples dipped in the cheese. Interesting taste you don't come across every day! Also, I should add that some of the folks went out for a Taco Bell run as well. Ever dipped a crunchy taco in cheese Fondue? Mmm Mmmmm!
And last but not least, here's my painting of The Man-Swamp. Needs some final touch-ups, but I had fun making this that evening and it was really good to break out the acrylics again. Will be gearing up for a lot of painting in the next two months for some personal appearances as well as a two-man art show.
And hope to do lots more paint parties with my Cartoonista pals and drawing jams and Live Art and eat lots of delicious food! Thanks Gras for hosting and everyone who attended!
Pages from my sketchbook from the last couple of nights. Hoping to share these more often.
These are two different characters, the gent with the tommy gun has been floating around my sketchbooks for some years. The bandaged head fella is a recent idea. I think the classic Universal monster flick, THE INVISIBLE MAN, had a big effect one me. Not the invisisble part, but the image of a fully bandaged head. Just looks cool. And you find it popping up all the time in art (DC Comics' THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER). Anyways, not too much to disclose on these characters, as they're on the perennial 'back burner' of my brain. But I did want to share them here on the blog.
Last fall, at our debut Cartoonista Live Art appearance, we met the publisher of a magazine called BNA Magazine (Buenas Noticicas America, which is Spanish for 'Good News America'),which focuses on local community issues such as family, education and business.
The publisher was interested in having us contribute to the magazine, so the idea for CARTOONISTA CORNER was born. We get a half page every month, in full color. Basically we decided that we would have puzzles and art projects for kids to enjoy. Our first appearance was in November of last year, and each month we've had a different Cartoonista contributing everything from coloring book projects to mazes to connect-the-dots and word searches. I'll let you know here once we get the previous entries posted to the Cartoonista webpage, but since I've just contributed my first CARTOONISTA CORNER piece, I wanted to share it here:
I came up with Klonco the Clown a few years back. Just one of the many ideas that pops into my head on a regular basis (a chronic symptom of so many artists!). Here's my first digital art of Klonco (formely known as Clonko!):
There's a whole back story to Klonco, and I've always wanted to do it in comic book form. But my age-old nemesis, Time, has had the upper hand on me. However, these CARTOONISTA CORNER spots are great places to roll out Klonco. Maybe he'll show up in other places, but for now, look for Klonco the Clown to appear periodically in BNA Magazine.
When I was a kid, I used to really love puzzles like mazes and crosswords, especially when they were combined with comic characters. Great way to keep a young imagination active, pursuing a challenging puzzle of some type while interacting with comic book characters. Some of my favorite books as a youngster were such classics as these little gems:
Maybe one day I'll publish a whole book of "Klonco's Fun Time Games & Puzzles"!? Ya never know...
Boy, did we knock it out of the park today! The Cartoonistas were invited to perform a Live Art event at the West Covina Library and we had a tremendous time. Scheduled from 1-3pm, there were times when the fever pitch in the room was set on Maximum Awesomeness. Amy Crow, the librarian organizing the event, said that her expectations were beat by a mile!
Kids were here in droves, with their parents, eager to see some artwork and meet some artists. The library gigs that we do always capture their young imaginations, and I'm glad to see parents encouraging and exposing their children to art. The Nuvein Foundation presented the event, and they had 5 members in attendance promoting the organization and handing out literature. Here, Renato Aguirre, Nuvein Board Member and fellow producer on PLANET COMIC BOOK RADIO, talks to the crowd about the Cartoonistas as well as promoting the comic book workshops I'm offering.
Jovial Jim Lujan, Cartoonista Co-Founder, is dazzling the crowd as usual with his dapper demeanor and dizzying drawing chops.
Jim's wrestling drawing was a pretty big piece, chock full of life and energy. I didn't notice til later that the referee in the match is layed out cold! I love the intensity that the kids seem to be eyeing the drawing with.
At these library events, since we're not there to sell artwork to little kids, we raffle off the artwork we create. I had drawn pics of the Pink Panther and a giraffe character (hopefully one of the other five people with cameras got pics of those!), but the one that several kids were really asking about was EL MUERTO. So here's the adorable little girl who held the raffle basket I drew a ticket from and the happy boy who won the drawing:
There was another kid, about 12 or so, who was watching me draw the El Muerto piece and we talked about my process with the chalk drawing art and what his art experiences were. He impressed me with his talk, and in fact had done a drawing about a grim reaper and his son who didn't want to 'take over the family business'. Funny how I attract the kids who have their own death-inspired characters! (I swear, I AM NOT GOTH!!)
Bernyce Talley had her own little fan base watching her draw. It's interesting to me how at our gigs the girls will hover around the women Cartoonistas if they're around. Makes sense though, as girls will feel more comfortable among a fellow female artist (I think). And it's very important for young girls to see female artists as equals to the male artists. Me and Jim always talk about how our diverse group of artists is such a strength.
One young girl I heard was very saddened that she didn't win one of the raffles (sniff), so dear Bernyce actually made a special drawing for her! Who says the Cartoonistas ain't a bunch of softies?!
Two of our Cartoonistas, Grasiela Rodriguez (l) and Bernyce:
At one point Renato decided it would be a good idea for me to hold an impromptu 'comic book mini workshop' for the kids! So, after regaining my composure, I decided that I would do the ol' one-page-three-panel-story-bit! Kids flocked to the table in the back and most of them got busy coloring a Cartoonista coloring handout we give out. Some actually participated in the story lesson, while others just jumped right into doing their own stories. But it did give me the chance to interact with some of the kids in at least poking around in a very basic storytelling exercise. One of the kids later asked me if I was going to raffle off the sample sheet I drew, so I just gave it to him! One of the kids who helped develop the story I drew was this very young girl who ended up drawing her own cover for the kid-pirate-finds-treasure comic we created:
Now that I think about it, there may have been a slightly higher percentage of girls in attendance than boys. C'mon boys, put down them dang video games and baseball bats and get to these Cartoonistas events! Just imagine that, first a black American president, then a cartooning industry populated by a majority of females!
Below is a pic of Jim raffling off his wrestling piece. In truth, everyone was a winner today. The Cartoonistas had a capacity crowd to interact with, the Nuvein Foundation was able to sponsor a very successful community event, and the West Covina Library was able to provide a free, interactive event to their patrons.
I was also able to talk to a mother and her 16 yr. old son about one of my workshops. They just happen to be in the library today, and came to the event. The son likes to make comics, but has no place in his area to learn more about comics creation. It was nice being able to share some knowledge about self-publishing and independent press to a kid who has done some research himself, but wants to learn more. And it was really satisfying to see how much his mother is supporting him in his efforts. Hopefully I see him in one of the workshops. I also really enjoy talking to some of the kids who are more seriously into their art. I can tell they really like being able to talk to an artist about techniques and their own ideas about art. As a kid I didn't really have any exposure to 'comic book artists', at least face to face. So I do appreciate the opportunity to interact with these younger artists and help in useful ways.
I have to say, with all humility, it's a gosh-dang good feeling being a Cartoonista! Thanks to everyone who made this a success!
Here's a new sketch (today in fact!) of an old character I designed about 8 or 9 years ago!
I don't even know if I have any sketches of this character in my sketchbooks. At the time I was the Art Director at a screenprinting firm, and I used to do sketches all the time on scraps sheets of paper. So I don't know if I kept any of those sketches. But the design was simple enough to stick in my head. He, or it, was basically created as a variation of CASPER, THE FRIENDLY GHOST. Everyone is scared of him but he's equally afraid of them! Some folks have told me the character reminds them of ORKO from He-Man. I can certainly see where the comparison comes from, but I can't say I was a big fan of the cartoon back in the 80's. Some of the action figures were pretty cool though....
Anyways, I don't know what, or even if, I'll do with this character, but he sure is fun to draw. Perhaps a painting, or some Live Art pieces, are in order. Well, at any rate, it's neat to revisit these 'long lost' ideas.
Monday afternoon I went to GEEKS to talk to Sal, the owner, to find out how the event went overall. Well, to my extreme delight, he told me that on Sunday a guy came into the shop looking for stuff 'from Javier Hernandez' (that's me!) and was directed to the El Muerto comics. He already had them but ended up buying the EL MUERTO DVD, and he also bought my ROM, SpaceKnight and Demolition Dove artwork! (You can see pics of them in the Live Art post below). He bought everything of mine in the store that he didn't already have!
A few weeks ago, I had a discussion on JAVILAND (my roundtable podcast) about 'True Fans'. True Fans are fans that will buy everything you make. The theory being that if you can have at least 1,000 fans, and each spends about $100 on your products, then you can make $100,000 a year! Now believe me, I take that theory with a grain of salt, because there are no guarantees of anything, and there are innumerable variables in every situation. But just having fans that enjoy your work enough to support it with actual purchases, well then, that is something to nurture. As the artist, I have the responsibility to create things from a sincere and honest starting point (in other words, try to avoid a completely, artless, crass attempt at shaking down fans for money), but also I believe, strongly, that I have a responsibility to myself to use all my gifts to make myself a living. That includes a genuine sense of artistic creativity and professionalism, as well as a business ethic and marketing savy.
In my previous post about the Live Art event, I also talked about the young boy who bought my El Muerto comics several months ago, and this last time bought the movie as well. These two situations reinforce for me the theory of the True Fans. Heaven help me, it may just very well be true!
Boy, it's times like these that makes me glad I stick to my stubborn way of thinking! Like I said, this True Fans paradigm only works if I bust my butt and do my part to create, and to create with quality and imaginatively. I can't take anything, or anyone, for granted. Including myself.
I was a guest on FANBOY RADIO yesterday, and the interview is now available for downloading. FANBOY RADIO is the premiere comic book podcast show, so I was really excited to make my first appearance on the show. It's the big time for comics interviews, that's for sure! Hosted by Scott Hinze and Oliver Tull, the show is a lively hour of interview and comic news and fun hijinx. These guys are real professionals, and even more important, true enthusiasts of comics.
Big thanks go to my good friend Jim Lujan (himself a very good friend of FbR and host Scott Hinze) for setting up the interview. Jim also called in on the show and brought his trademark sharp wit along for the ride. We talked about my work, but I was also billed as a 'Bronze Age Guru', so we had some good discussion on the great comics of the 1970s and what made them great.
Here's the link to the FbR site. As of this moment I'm writing this, the interview isn't posted on the site yet, but just subscribe to the show via iTunes (with the panel on the left) and listen to the interview or download via iTunes.
Last night's CARTOONISTAS Live Art event at GEEKS was a true celebration of art and liveliness! This is the second time we've performed there and we were glad to have GEEKS ask us back. I was the first Cartoonista to arrive, and there were already folks waiting for the show!
We had arranged to have some press there for the evening. A photographer from a local paper came to get some pix for an interview we did the previous week at our Cartoonistas meeting. And we also had a crew from the local Time Warner cable network come down for a story. I had met the producer when he interviewed me last year at my radio show, PLANET COMIC BOOK RADIO, and kept in touch with him to promote the Cartoonistas.
The photographer from the paper was pressed for time, so he asked some of us to start drawing before we finished setting up! For some reason, I kind of locked-up..I literally could not think of what to draw. Strangely, having to draw 'on t he spot' froze me up for a second. But, I dived into my own stable of characters and drew a quick sketch of Demolition Dove. Afterwards, I was adequately warmed up (I guess!).
Co-founder Jim Lujan and Grasiela Rodriguez quickly moved into Cartoonista mode. Jim took the coveted place in the front window display (which always draws a crowd of curious pedestrians).
Jim even busted out some acrylics later and between his witty banter and dazzling display of art, he packs in a full house!
Ms. Bernyce Talley made it all the way from across town to set up an easel and work her magic:
I'm glad we had some good traffic throughout the night, despite some periodic deluges of rain that evening. I was also very happy with the media coverage we got, because that always guarantees we at least get our name and brand out there. For me, personally, I had a great time. I mean, how can you not like meeting complete strangers for the first time and just connect?
An artist attending the Live Art show read the latest El Muerto comic while in the shop and ended up drawing me a pin-up in the store! Thanks to the very talented Joe Torres for the speedy art:
I actually sold some pieces to kids that evening. I hope a photo turns up, but I drew an octopus character of mine (fancy that!) on a bright pink posterboard, and a little girl had her parents buy it! And her brother commissioned me to draw Blade (from the Wesley Snipes films). BLADE!
That evening must have been Kid's Night for me. Another boy, probably around 9 or 10, came up to me and remembered me from the last time we were at GEEKS in November. He had previously bought my Muerto comics, and this time he picked up the Muerto DVD. I was really happy to see a young El Muerto fan. Not just for the obvious reason of having a 'True Fan', but it told me a couple of important things.
One: I've created some comics that, while I would never label them 'Kid's Comics', appeal to a wide range of ages. I've always thought my comics would appeal to High School and up. Maybe not filled to wall-to-wall action, but a compelling enough hero and story to keep people's interest. And while I don't necessarily pepper the El Muerto stories with profanity, sex and violence, I feel comfortable with PG-13-style visuals. I mean, the main character had his heart ripped out of his chest in the origin story! But the content is what you would find in, say, and Indiana Jones flick. So it's really fullfilling to see a 10 year old read the comics and go along for the ride. The fact that I know he will be able to watch the film, as a fan of the comic, just makes me feel everything I've done has been once again validated.
The other thing I learned, or at least had re-affirmed, is that El Muerto has broad appeal. Not just between men and women, or Latino readers and non-Latino readers, but also young and old. A real connection as a character that people can care about, or at least feel a strong compulsion to follow. The visual elements I've always known have been a strong suit. I unashamedly say that: I know it's an extremely well designed visual, simple in it's execution, heavily based on looks that people adopt for Day of the Dead festivals. But I'm glad I'm the one who took that look and made a comic book character out of it. It helps promote the Day of the Dead culture, and helps me build a character.
I'll expand on this subject of 'Signature Characters' in an upcoming post, but thanks to Aleksi for being such a great El Muerto fan! I even gave him an El Muerto button I was wearing (which he pinned on his jacket later in the evening!). I guess kids ARE reading comics....!
Let me leave off with one last piece I did that night: Rom, SpaceKnight! Yep, that beloved comic book from Marvel Comics back in the early 1980s.
Thanks to everyone who came out and checked out the show. The next Cartoonistas Live Art show is this Valentine's Day at the West Covina Library!
