Looks like someone is making a documentary on THE HUMAN FLY!
Long-time readers of this blog know that the Human Fly is the 1970s real-life masked stuntman whose exploits were made legendary in the 19-issue Marvel Comics series. I have written about the comic book (and my passion for it) here before, which you can find at this link.
The YouTube clip above is an intro to the film, which hopefully will be completed and released. Despite all my years of being a fan of the Fly, I had never seen any video footage of him, so I was literally beaming with excitement when I finally watched the promo film. Imagine waiting some 35 years to actually watch a childhood hero of yours in action? For me, the Fly from the comic series (which was written for it's entire run by one of my favorite writers, Bill Mantlo) is the real Human Fly. He's the one whose story I followed for a year and a half as an 11 yr old, all wide-eyed and star struck. The fact that I knew the comic was based on the real-life stuntman just made him all the more awesome in my mind.
While all my friends were tripping over themselves to get to the new STAR WARS movie, I was daydreaming about the wildest superhero ever, because, hello, he was real!
My good friend Michael Aushenker (fellow cartoonist & Fly enthusiast) wrote an article a few years ago for BACK ISSUE magazine, (you can read my review of it here) providing the most comprehensive history in print I've ever read on the backstory of the Human Fly. It's worth seeking out (and not just because he actually got a quote from me for the piece!). While there are some unanswered questions and rumors regarding the Human Fly, and I imagine the documentary will address (expose?) them, I'll always have my idealized version of the Fly, as illustrated by such master cartoonists as Frank Springer, Carmine Infantino and the untouchable Mr. Frank Robbins, with captivating scripts by the great Bill Mantlo.
I'm eager to see the full story of the Human Fly, warts and all. It's about dang time, and I know there is an underground cult of Fly Fans just waiting for this flick. It won't be the super blockbuster movie that THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN or THE AVENGERS will be, but what the heck, those characters ain't real!
A color marker sketch I did just before writing this post, and after watching the video for about the 5th time since last night...
April's Poster Comic is here...straight from the Limbos Galaxy!
For a much larger version of the comic,click here, which will take you to my page at DeviantArt. Then click on the image and it'll enlarge to a much easier-to-read super-size.
Not only are all my previous comics available there, but I've also added the Poster Comics as well. The Storenvey set-up allows for a nicer looking store, as well as allowing for previews of all the books. The address is LosComex.Storenvy.Com.
To celebrate the 'Grand Opening' of the all-new LOS COMEX WEBSHOP, I've got a great offer on the Poster Comics. There are a total of 4 different ones available, so if you order 2 of them, you'll get 2 additional ones for FREE! If you've been following my blog, you'll have read these done-in-one, single page comics featuring THE WAKE, SPIDER-CALACA, THE WANDERING JEW & CATHOLIC BOY as well as the semi-autobiographic TO BE CONTINUED! Now's your chance to own these comics as 11"x17" prints on glossy, cardstock paper. This special offer ends March 31!
If you couldn't make it out to Wondercon this past weekend, fret no longer! Order whatever you'd like in the Los Comex Webshop. And all books come signed for free. Let us know at Checkout if you'd like them personalized to you or a friend.
Wondercon, held this past weekend in Anaheim, CA, was a 3 day weekend of seemingly non-stop action!
I hadn't exhibited at Wondercon in about 10 years or so. But since they relocated this year to Anaheim from San Francisco, I thought I'd best give it a try. And I'm glad I did. There was no shortage of memorable moments during the show, and that always makes these events worthwhile. I was splitting the table with friend and fellow comics creator Ted Seko, so that in itself made the weekend worthwhile as well.
Since I've started self-publishing in 1998, I must have done at least 75-100 conventions, store signings, book fairs, festivals, etc. But each time I have to give some thought and planning to how to lay out my table. So for the first time, I brought along a comic box (on the left) and filled it with my my entire catalog of comic books (save the one that's currently out-of-print). This was also the first time I debuted my PosterComics, so a plastic 'milk crate' was the best way to display those.
The good thing about doing a local show is being able to go home after the first day and bring back either more product or display fixtures. I was thinking of retiring my ancient EL MUERTO banner, but there was plenty of room behind me, so I brought it and hung it up. Which was good, because I think it really helped get more attention in the isle I was in.
One thing about our location that I wasn't too thrilled about in the beginning was to our left was this massive, monolith:
This wall, surely the tallest wall I have ever seen, was one side of a bathroom planted right on the floor of the convention hall (because putting the bathroom along the side of the hall would have been too much extra work!). Anyway, that wall was one of the reasons I brought the banner the second day. May as well make the best visual impression you can given the circumstances. Thanks to STEAMCROW artist/co-owner Daniel Davis for mentioning that bit of advice to me on Friday...
WONDERCON is a pretty big show, so there were lots of vendors and lots of attendees. On Friday, the traffic in the Small Press area was light, but Saturday picked up tremendously, and in fact that was our best day. Sunday, while not as busy perhaps, still had plenty of buyers stopping by our table and picking up our goods.
It's always good to see so many artists setting up at a show to sell their work. There's always way space occupied by retail vendors and larger comics publishers, but it's the Artist Alley and Small Press area that gets me excited about the art of comics. I don't look at any of these artists as competitors, but rather I look at how do I keep my work in the public's eye, and how good of a job am I doing in being an effective exhibitor. There's only so much you can 'pitch', people either respond to the work or they don't.
Couple of things that stand out to me about this weekend: As the years go on, I hear from more people who've seen the EL MUERTO movie, which sometimes helps sell some DVDs. That just shows the constant and pervasive power of movies and television.
I was visited by a writer who moderated a panel I was on at the LA Latino Film Festival back in 2004, and another guy who interviewed me on JoBlo.Com back in 2005. A former student of one of my comic book workshops, from some 9 years ago, stopped by as well. He's in his early 20s now, which really shows me how much time has passed.
Also, two former employees from a comic store I used to shop at, (and later do signings at) back in the late 90s/early 2000s came by the table. A young lady whose doing her doctorate on comics made into films picked up some of my books, and I let her know she could contact me later if she had any questions I could help her with. Plus the usual mix of new readers ("Where do you suggest I start?") and old fans ("What do you have that's new?").
There were of course other friends and acquaintances I saw as well, but the ones I mentioned stand out because it really underscores to me how long I've been doing 'this'... Making my own comics and all the other experiences that have come with it. The movie, the teaching, the signings.... Man, it's been a great 14 years so far.
I did get a chance to walk around the convention hall and visit some of my friends, such as Neil Segura and Ray Mendivil, creators of FOREVER FRESHMEN:
John Narcomey of DRAW HARD STUDIOS in talks with an armored Batman fellow:
Back at my table, more of my friends stopped by to say 'Hello'. Here's the Queen of Hearts herself, the lovely Jenny Dos Santos:
My old pal Dean LeCrone , cartoonist, filmmaker, All-American Yancy Streeter, was walking the floor presenting some of us with his 2012 DOC SMITH YEAR OF DISASTER CALENDER. Dean's one cool dude, always has a positive attitude and twinkle in his eye. And another friend of mine, the exceptional Ms. Bernyce Talley, also came around at the same time to add some class and charm to my table, and to bust my chops (always a pleasure, believe me!):
Ted and I handled the weekend pretty good, I'd say. But there were times when the long days and slow patches would get to us! But then, a new wave of folks would stop by the table and liven things up. Here's Ted doing some free sketches for some appreciative kids:
All weekend long, Ted was producing some great little drawings using a $1 box of crayons! Most of these went to fans at no cost, and I even snagged a couple, the Man-Thing and Robin:
I had my marker brushes with me, so once in a while I'd do a sketch myself. Here's one of my character The Wake:
I even asked Ted if he'd like to make jam piece. I drew another of my characters, The Coma, and Ted really blew it out of the water with his crayon coloring! Photoshop? Bah, big deal!:
I only bought one comic that whole weekend. I walked by a booth called 'HIPPY COMIX' and knew I had to stop and look. I immediately started looking for back issues of Gilbert Shelton's WONDER WART-HOG and found this little gem for $10:
Hey, I might be at the convention to showcase my own work, but as a fan, there's so much to see and buy at every show that sometimes I gotta indulge myself!
Evenings of the convention were dedicated to dinner with friends, both local and out of town. That's one of the great reasons I love these conventions, meeting up with friends you don't get a chance to see normally. Sure, as I mentioned, the days are very long, and you're working every minute, either talking to endless streams of people, or fixing up your table, or wandering around the hall meeting friends and such. After dinner, it's a drive home, fall asleep, then get up for another 8, 9, 10 hour shift.
But at it's best, I get to make my comics, set up at a show, meet lots of interesting people, sell my goods, make some money, and generally have a great time, filled with some rich memories and experiences. Makes it all worthwhile.
WONDERCON is being held this year in Anaheim (after 24 years in the Bay Area) and I'll be exhibiting the full 3 days.
This Friday thru Sunday, find me in the Small Press area at table #33, which I'll be sharing with long-time friend & fellow DIY comics creator, Ted Seko. We'll have these signs behind us, so you better not miss our table!
When I started my self-publishing career back in 1998, I attended WONDERCON for a couple of years when it was held in Oakland. Eventually it moved to San Francisco, and I've only been to it once in that city about two years ago, as a visitor. But with their temporary move down here in Southern California this year, I didn't want to pass up on the opportunity to do a 'local' show, particularly one as big as WONDERCON.
I'm going to officially debut my Poster Comics as, well...posters! I've been releasing these online as webcomics since December, but now they'll be available as 11" x 17" prints, on glossy cardstock. I have a special Poster Pack featuring all 4 Poster Comics plus a free 4" x 6" postcard print of THE SPIDER-CALACA.
I'll also have all my other comics that are currently in print, including WEAPON TEX-MEX Vs EL MUERTO and THE COMA, copies of the EL MUERTO DVD, buttons and anything else I can find! Also, I'll have a few sketchdolls available....
Undercover spycam footage of the THE WAKE sketchdoll!
Get your WONDERCON tickets here, and stop by Small Press #33. Hope to see you there!
I've put some original art pieces on the auction block over at my Ebay page.
Earlier in the year, I drew a pair of sketch cards featuring two of my favorite Peter Sellers characters, Dr. Stranglelove and Inspector Clouseau from PINK PANTHER fame:
I found them in a drawer in my desk and decided to put them up for sale. I ended up drawing up some new sketch cards featuring some of the recent charactes from my Poster Comics, such as The Spider-Calaca and The Wake:
And I also drew cards with The Coma and El Muerto:
I also put this up for auction, an EL MUERTO Vs THE COMA illustration I did last year was I was working on the THE COMA comic book last fall:
If you'd like to bid on these, please visit my Los Comex Ebay page. Auction ends Sunday evening, March 11!
It's not very often I review films on my blog, but here's one....
Did you see IMMORTALS? The film about ancient Greek mythology starring future Superman Henry Cavill and movie badass Mickey Rourke? The film came out last November. While at first glance it recalls the look of 300, it turns out to be an entertaining couple of hours on it's own merit.
Mickey Rourke plays the warrior king Hyperion, hellbent on a bloody quest to obtain the Epirus Bow, which he plans to use to release the Titans and unleash their fury on mankind. Hyperion's wife and children died years previously, and Hyperion blames 'the gods' for not coming to their aid. So, he is in fact a disgruntled non-believer! Now he plans to free the Titans, who were imprisoned by the gods years ago after a grueling battle.
Cavill, playing the hero Theseus, of course becomes involved in stopping Rourke, but not after having a conversion himself. Formally a nonbeliever in the gods of Olympus (or at least 'agnostic'), he comes to realize and accept them, especially as they came to his assistance in a crucial battle. Cavill does a convincing job as the noble mortal Theseus.
But for me it's really Rourke who makes the film. His raspy voiced, hate-filled Hyperion is a musclebound despot, part Conan the Barbarian/part Doctor Doom. While I'm not 100% familiar with the Greek mythology represented in the film, it's a rousing, comic book style battle between good and evil. The film's shot beautifully, Old World classicism in golds and brown. While the scenes look like paintings, the action, and there's plenty of bloody, visceral action, moves like a modern video game. But for me, visually, it's grounded enough to work as part of the overall film. Digital effects for me are always tricky to enjoy, but they're pulled off here with convincing results.
I skipped the remake of CLASH OF THE TITANS, but liked IMMORTALS. Now I wish we could have some big-budget action films like this that deal heavily with Aztec mythology. FYI: I was sent a copy of the DVD to review, and like I said, movie reviews haven't been a big part of my blog, but I don't have a problem talking about a film I enjoyed. If you want to see it, the DVD comes out Tuesday, March 6!
It's March, so that means it's time for an all-new Poster Comic. Introducing The Spider-Calaca!
Please click HERE to check out a much larger readable version. It'll take you to my DeviantArt page, where you can click on the image to see the larger size.
Back in 2010, I had come up with the idea of doing a whole series of characters based on the calaca (skeleton) figures seen during the Mexican holiday, Dia de Los Muertos.
Here are some of the superheroes I created. Spider-Calaca, Calaca Americano and BatiCalaca:
With the new Poster Comic, SPIDER-CALACA is the first of the CALACAS OF JUSTICE to appear in a comic. Let's keep our fingers crossed for more Calacas appearing in more comics!
This is my fourth Poster Comic to date, having released one everymonthsince December 2011. If you'll be around Orange County/L.A. County the weekend of March 16-18, I'll be at WonderCon all weekend. Look for me in the Small Press area, table 033. I'll have all my Poster Comics available for purchase (11" x 17" full color prints) as well as all my other comics.
For those of you browsing my webshop here, you may have noticed that a few of my comics were out of stock. Well, they're back!
Yes, MANGA MUERTO Vol 1, COMIC POP! & WEAPON TEX-MEX Vs EL MUERTO are back with all-new printings, now now featuring cardstock covers, giving you a beefed-up book. AND, the prices are now actually lower than on the previous editions! I have a new printer I'm using, and their pricing is so good, I've been able to share the savings with new retail prices.
For those who have ordered these books in the past, thank you for supporting me with your purchases. I do appreciate everyone's patronage. If you've been thinking of getting some of these books, then now's the time to order! Follow this link to my webshop....
If you're looking for stories for younger readers (grade school/middle school), then MANGA MUERTO Vol 1 is a great way to go. It features a more kid-friendly version of my comic book character El Muerto, here recast as a foreign exchange student in Japan who comes into possession of a giant mega robot, Skeletron! (Think GIGANTOR or JOHNNY SOKKO & HIS FLYING ROBOT, cause I sure was!) There are three stories in this jam-packed 48 page book, enough for a weekend of fun. Giant robots, towering monsters and thrills for fans of...well, giant monsters and towering robots! Shown here is a page from MUERTO & SKYMAN, the second story in the collection. Pencils by me, inks by Ted Seko.
COMIC POP! features a cornucopia of work, such as pin-ups I've done for other publications, pin-ups other artists have done of my characters, stories I've written and drawn for other creators, comics I've collaborated on, etc. I even reprint, for the first time in a comic book format, El Muerto's multi-part appearance in the BALDO newspaper strip from 2008! At a 40 whopping pages, this book delivers plenty of art and story.
From COMIC POP!, the El Muerto story originally included as a mini-comic inside the package of the EL MUERTO DVD release. Story and pencils by me, finished art by Mort Todd.
WEAPON TEX-MEX vs EL MUERTO brings together two of my characters in a classic superhero street brawl. What strange forces bring together the Aztec Zombie and the Toro Terminator in the haunted ghost town of Santa Sangre?
Also featured in the WEAPON TEX-MEX Vs EL MUERTO book are two other Tex-Mex short stories, and that ain't no bull!
3 books, back in stock. And each one has a minimum of three stories per book! If that ain't a bargain in this day and age of multi-issue storylines the big companies try to keep you roped in with, I don't know what is...
Shop the JAVZILLA WebShop today. You'll get some exciting books packed with a variety of comic book stories, and you're supporting creator-owned work, the most exciting work being produced in comics today!
It's finally done. This month's brand-new Poster Comic:
The character of The Wake is an idea I just came up with in time for this comic. You can read this previous Blog post for some early design sketches. To see a much larger sized copy of the comic (which is much more readable) click this link to visit my DeviantArt page, then click on that image to super size it.
Thanks to my friend and fellow cartoonist Ted Seko for some keen advice. I showed Ted my layout for the page and he offered some suggestions that really improved the storytelling of the comic. It really helps to have someone whose skills you admire and trust take a look at a project in the development stage. Now if we ever make a Wake movie, I'll have to get Ted tickets for Opening Night!
Little behind in blogging about this, but on Sunday, January 29, I visited the California Comic Convention in Yorba Linda, CA. A retailer friend of mine has been telling me about this show for the last couple of years, but I never made it out there. When I found out who the special guests were for this time around, I knew I had to make it.
Comic book artists Herb Trimpe and Val Mayerik were attending, and I had never met either one before. Herb Trimpe was one of the most prolific comic artists whose work I was exposed to during my most formative years as a young reader, from the mid-70s until the mid-80s. His long run on THE HULK was a huge favorite, as well as his work on various Marvel titles that were licensed from other properties, namely GODZILLA, THE SHOGUN WARRIORS and G.I. JOE, to name a few.
But the book I had wanted him to sign was my original 1980 copy of SPIDER-MAN Vs THE HULK AT THE WINTER OLYMPICS! This was a Treasury Size comic book, 10" x 13", that to my young eyes back in the day was a whopper of a slugfest. It was cool seeing Trimpe thumb through the book, as he mentioned that he enjoyed seeing his work printed in that large format.
Herb was also accepting commissions, so I decided on asking him for a Godzilla sketch. His wife, by the way, was a delight to talk to, and I'm sure over the years she's learned to be patient with Herb's many fans!
What I've always liked about Herb's version of Godzilla was that it wasn't an exact recreation of the design from the Toho movies. He said he had no editorial direction from Marvel or Toho regarding the design, and he just came up with a look that he felt worked. Another example of that care-free, loose style that made comics great growing up. Let an artist bring his own ideas to the plate, without a bunch of suits telling him how to do it.
I've been very fortunate over the years to have been able to meet many of my childhood favorites, and meeting Herb Trimpe was in no way a disappointment. He was very engaging and thoughtful, talking about a variety of topics the whole time. I even had the nerve to show him the rough draft of a one-page comic I was working on. He looked through the sheet, following along from panel to panel. He complimented me on the clarity of the storytelling, and even asked if I had the finished page (which I didn't!). As a creator myself, and one who really enjoys meeting the people who buy my work, I always think about the older artists I've met and how well they treat their fans. I've always tried to make each person who visits me feel welcome and appreciated, so I have guys like Herb to thank for setting the example.
My friend Ted Seko, who I traveled with to the convention, counts Herb Trimpe among his top favorite comic book artists. Ted gave Herb a copy of his recent book, SUPER MONSTERAMA, and Herb was very complimentary toward the artwork, taking his time looking through the book. I felt really happy for Ted, as I know he was on cloud nine to hear that from Mr. Trimpe.
The other artists in attendance at the show was Val Mayerik. Val worked with Steve Gerber on a variety of projects beginning in the 70s. Their most famous work has to be the creation of Howard the Duck, something long-time readers of this blog know I'm a big fan of. I asked Val about his working relationship to the late Steve Gerber, and I could tell that the admiration he had for his collaborator was sincere. I got a small Howard the Duck drawing from Val on a sketchcard. Very pleasant person to talk to, so it's nice to have been able to meet him.
Nowadays, I rarely go to a comic book convention if I'm not exhibiting at it. But this show was more of a comic collector's show, with pretty much the entire floor made up of back issue dealers, so it's not really something I would have a table at. Not one unemployed actor in sight! It was nice to be able to spend time looking through back issues of comics, and have some pleasant conversations with Herb and Val. Connecting with these old school artists reminds me why I loved comics so much as a kid, and why I eventually decided to create my own works.
While I've been actively working on a variety of ideas and other projects, I haven't posted here since early January! Well, I have some news here, and it involves my next Poster Comic, set to debut during the first week of February.
Here's a quick sneak peek at the brand-new character who's going to debut in that one-page comic:
Here's what I'll share about this individual: He's a supernatural hitman, a crystal gun-for-hire. I actually had done a drawing of him, from either early 2011 or maybe even sometime in 2010. At the time, the visual idea for the character popped in my head, and this is what he looked like originally:
When I found this sketch about 2 weeks ago, I started thinking about the whole idea in the back of my head. When I first drew him, I really don't think I knew what he was about at all! But for the last two weeks or so several ideas ran through my head, all given the directive that 'it must be something off-the-wall'. I think I finally settled on the final concept just a few days ago, and today finally solidified the look and story. At least the story I want to tell in a one-page comic.
These Poster Comics of mine, of which I've already donetwo, are kind of like my comic book version of a Haiku, those short form Japanese poems that can run as few as three lines. Since it doesn't seem likely to me that I can ever produce all the stories I want to, at least in the form of a comic book series or full-length graphic novels, I want to at least produce a body of work consisting of a wide variety of material, taking different forms of visual storytelling.
And to be honest, since I've committed to produce 12 monthly Poster Comics this year, it's actually an exciting challenge to create these short form stories, limited to only one page. While I have enough ideas for stories with new and existing characters of mine, I also have at least one biographic story, a historical comic, and an adaptation of a public domain movie I plan to tackle in this format.
As I mentioned in a previous post, another one of the goals of these Poster Comics is to craft a visually interesting graphic design piece, something that stands as an 11" x 17" image, but also works as a story someone can read and, hopefully, enjoy.
The new Poster Comic should be up here by the end of next week. Stay tuned...
Here it is, I just finished my first comic of 2012, a brand-new Poster Comic, "TO BE CONTINUED":
If you're having problems reading the comic at this size, follow this link to my DeviantArt page where I was able to upload a much larger version (just click the image to enlarge it, once you open the page).
Part year-in-review wrap up, part autobio, but all full-color comic, baby! This was fun because it's the first time I've ever done a story with so many of my key comic book characters in it. Plus over the years I've enjoyed doing autobiographic stories, so this was a nice way to come up with a combo platter of a comic.
My first Poster Comic was done just this past December, "HAUNTED HOLIDAYS", starring two new characters of mine, Jacob & Joaquin: The Wandering Jew and Catholic Boy. Check it out here.
I realized as I was working on "TO BE CONTINUED" that this is the second comic in a row I've done that starts out at a cemetery! I say it's a complete coincidence! But, if you're from my area, you know Rose Hills is a beautiful memorial park, and it's presence is seen for miles throughout the neighboring cities of Whittier, Pico Rivera, etc. So, if I had to have a secret studio hideout (with easy freeway access!) it would probably be right there atop that hill...
In between a couple of comic book projects I'm working on for this year, I'd like to attempt to produce one new poster comic every month. I want to work in different art styles and vary my subjects, as a way to keep myself stretching and experimenting as a creator. Stay tuned...
