There will be live music as well as refreshments and snacks available. Come on out and support your local business and art!
LunaSol Mexican Vintage is located at:
6711 Bright Ave.
Whittier CA 90601
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Lunosol Book Fest this Friday, August 31 in Uptown Whittier
I'll be signing alongside many other authors and artists this Friday evening in Uptown Whittier.
Over the years, I've done various events with LunoSol Mexican Vintage bookstore, so it's nice to get back with them for this evening of local creative talent. Besides being available to sign any of our books you wish to purchase, every artist and author will be doing a short presentation of their work.
There will be live music as well as refreshments and snacks available. Come on out and support your local business and art!
LunaSol Mexican Vintage is located at:
6711 Bright Ave.
Whittier CA 90601
There will be live music as well as refreshments and snacks available. Come on out and support your local business and art!
LunaSol Mexican Vintage is located at:
6711 Bright Ave.
Whittier CA 90601
Saturday, August 25, 2012
ESPERANTOS poster comic
This month's Poster Comic introduces Esperantos, the man in the mirror...
Click here for a larger readable version. (Once you open the image, click on it once to enlarge it)
Usually these Poster Comics get posted earlier in the month, but I've had to juggle a lot of projects recently so this comic got bounced around a bit. But I'm glad to finally post it.
Enjoy!
Usually these Poster Comics get posted earlier in the month, but I've had to juggle a lot of projects recently so this comic got bounced around a bit. But I'm glad to finally post it.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Old Town La Puente Art Walk this Saturday
I'll be exhibiting at the OLD TOWN LA PUENTE ART WALK this Saturday, August 18 from 2pm-10pm.
The event is being held in the city of La Puente, located in the San Gabriel Valley. In addition to art vendors, there will also be a poetry event in the evening as well as music at one of the locations.
I'll be set up next to the Nuvein Foundation booth in the parking lot of the Twin Palms Recovery Center at 218 Glendora Ave. Just look for the parking lot at Glendora Ave. and Workman St., there will be several booths set up.
In addition to my comic books, I'll also have some of these 'Sharpie paintings':
11" x 17" canvas boards drawn with Sharpie markers! I'll have the two above plus several others.
Part of the aim of the Old La Puente Art Walk is to revitalize the area and make it a vibrant center for local community art and culture. I was at the previous Art Walk back in May and for being the first one they held, we had some constant traffic. This one is set to have lots more artists and event sites, so there should be even more people attending. Hope to see you there!
The event is being held in the city of La Puente, located in the San Gabriel Valley. In addition to art vendors, there will also be a poetry event in the evening as well as music at one of the locations.
I'll be set up next to the Nuvein Foundation booth in the parking lot of the Twin Palms Recovery Center at 218 Glendora Ave. Just look for the parking lot at Glendora Ave. and Workman St., there will be several booths set up.
In addition to my comic books, I'll also have some of these 'Sharpie paintings':
11" x 17" canvas boards drawn with Sharpie markers! I'll have the two above plus several others.
Part of the aim of the Old La Puente Art Walk is to revitalize the area and make it a vibrant center for local community art and culture. I was at the previous Art Walk back in May and for being the first one they held, we had some constant traffic. This one is set to have lots more artists and event sites, so there should be even more people attending. Hope to see you there!
Friday, August 10, 2012
Kids artwork from my comic book workshops
For the last couple of years I've been teaching art classes at Pico Park in Pico Rivera, CA. On Wednesdays I have my Comic Book Workshop and Thursdays it's my Cartooning for Kids class. The comic class runs 5 weeks, and the cartooning class is 4 weeks. Usually I'll have about 2 sessions of each workshop every season, so that's about 16 classes a year at that facility.
The current comic book workshop ended on Wednesday. Here are some samples of the comics created:
The one above (Moustache Man & Goatee Guy) is by Matt, who's been taking the class for about 2 years now! His parents are really supportive, and Matt's imagination is pretty active. It's really great to see a young artist with such creative ability.
There's always a mix of returning students and new ones, and on average about 30% will be girls, and sometimes almost half. The skill levels vary of course, but the important thing is that all the kids have a desire to tell a story. Put the paper and pencil in front of the child and they'll think for a second then start drawing the first panel and soon they work out their whole story. I'm still amazed at the innate human desire to tell stories, especially to tell it through words and pictures. And because their stories aren't very dialogue heavy, it's the art of storytelling by picture that shines through. A long and well-loved tradition...
What I do in my class is take the kids through a group storytelling session, where I draw a one-page comic on a wipe board with them providing me the idea for each panel. The main thing I stress to them is that each panel has to progress from the previous panel, no matter how wacky the scenario, because our goal is to tell a story.
One thing I do is that at the end of the fourth week, I collect each student's artwork (3 pages of comics and one cover), then over the weekend I'll make photocopies and on the last class, give each student 3 copies of their printed comic book (an 11x17 paper, printed on both sides & folded in half). While it's a little extra work, I feel it really gives the kids a sense of having created a comic book, not just producing the art for one.
Once in a while, for the 5th and final class, I'll ask a cartoonist friend of mine to visit the class and talk with the kids about their work or do a project. Once, my friend Ted visited and led the kids into creating a giant comic called ZOMBPOCALYPSE, where two kids at time would draw and color a page of the comic. That was really fun.
In the current class, Jacob, a first time student, created this comic:
He even had time to knock out this 32 panel comic on a sheet of 8.5" x 11" paper:
It was nice to hear him narrate the story while I looked over the page. The blue energy ball generated by the human character was inspired by DRAGON BALL Z, a cartoon that plenty of my students over the years have claimed as a favorite.
Jacob actually gave me that comic, as well as this drawing:
A sunny day, a happy superhero and a giant tank... C'mon, what's not to love about that?!
My next round of classes at Pico Park start up at the end of August. Check out my Comics Workshop page for more info on my classes. And if you're a librarian, I also do library visits where I conduct comic book workshops as well. Please check out that page as well for my contact info.
The current comic book workshop ended on Wednesday. Here are some samples of the comics created:
There's always a mix of returning students and new ones, and on average about 30% will be girls, and sometimes almost half. The skill levels vary of course, but the important thing is that all the kids have a desire to tell a story. Put the paper and pencil in front of the child and they'll think for a second then start drawing the first panel and soon they work out their whole story. I'm still amazed at the innate human desire to tell stories, especially to tell it through words and pictures. And because their stories aren't very dialogue heavy, it's the art of storytelling by picture that shines through. A long and well-loved tradition...
One thing I do is that at the end of the fourth week, I collect each student's artwork (3 pages of comics and one cover), then over the weekend I'll make photocopies and on the last class, give each student 3 copies of their printed comic book (an 11x17 paper, printed on both sides & folded in half). While it's a little extra work, I feel it really gives the kids a sense of having created a comic book, not just producing the art for one.
Once in a while, for the 5th and final class, I'll ask a cartoonist friend of mine to visit the class and talk with the kids about their work or do a project. Once, my friend Ted visited and led the kids into creating a giant comic called ZOMBPOCALYPSE, where two kids at time would draw and color a page of the comic. That was really fun.
In the current class, Jacob, a first time student, created this comic:
He even had time to knock out this 32 panel comic on a sheet of 8.5" x 11" paper:
It was nice to hear him narrate the story while I looked over the page. The blue energy ball generated by the human character was inspired by DRAGON BALL Z, a cartoon that plenty of my students over the years have claimed as a favorite.
Jacob actually gave me that comic, as well as this drawing:
A sunny day, a happy superhero and a giant tank... C'mon, what's not to love about that?!
My next round of classes at Pico Park start up at the end of August. Check out my Comics Workshop page for more info on my classes. And if you're a librarian, I also do library visits where I conduct comic book workshops as well. Please check out that page as well for my contact info.
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Digging up a DEAD DINOSAURIO...
My next comic book project to be published will feature these new characters of mine...
DEAD DINOSAURIO & EZTLI, The First Calaca. (Calacas are the various interpretations of skeletons created for the Day of the Dead). The story takes place during the Conquest of Mexico and features a young Aztec boy named Eztli ('Blood' in the language of the ancient Mexicans). During the brutal invasion, the boy calls upon the gods for help and finds it in the form of a strange and unknown creature.... a Tyrannosaurus Rex!
The story is going to debut in a limited run mini-comic. Several copies of the book are going to be traded with a group of artists I've met online as part of a mini-comics 'swap'. The remainder of the copies will be sold at an upcoming event I'll be exhibiting at on September 15, down in the San Diego area. Hispanic Literacy Day at the South Chula Vista Branch Library.
Here's the cover of the mini-comic...
And the back cover:
A few pages from the book, without the lettering:
This limited run mini-comic, THE PRE-HISTORIC EDITION, is the precursor to what will be the magazine-sized edition, complete with extra features, such as production sketches and the entire thumbnails to the story. For this magazine-sized edition, all the artwork will be colored in gray tones, similar to my WEAPON TEX-MEX Vs EL MUERTO comic book:
The magazine-sized comic will also feature a wraparound cover, the first one I've ever done for one of my books:
I'll have this image available as an 11x17 poster once I release the mini-comic in a few weeks. I'm currently organizing my Fall schedule, but I will definitely be at the Long Beach Comic Con on November 3 & 4, as well as several Dia de Los Muertos events throughout Los Angeles (dates and times to be announced).
If you've read my Poster Comics featuring Spider-Calaca & BatiCalaca, I can tell you that Dead Dinosaurio fits right in with those two. I have several more Super Calacas to debut, then eventually they'll all get teamed-up together in a new comic book, THE CALACAS OF JUSTICE!
More updates to come. And thanks for reading
DEAD DINOSAURIO & EZTLI, The First Calaca. (Calacas are the various interpretations of skeletons created for the Day of the Dead). The story takes place during the Conquest of Mexico and features a young Aztec boy named Eztli ('Blood' in the language of the ancient Mexicans). During the brutal invasion, the boy calls upon the gods for help and finds it in the form of a strange and unknown creature.... a Tyrannosaurus Rex!
The story is going to debut in a limited run mini-comic. Several copies of the book are going to be traded with a group of artists I've met online as part of a mini-comics 'swap'. The remainder of the copies will be sold at an upcoming event I'll be exhibiting at on September 15, down in the San Diego area. Hispanic Literacy Day at the South Chula Vista Branch Library.
Here's the cover of the mini-comic...
And the back cover:
A few pages from the book, without the lettering:
This limited run mini-comic, THE PRE-HISTORIC EDITION, is the precursor to what will be the magazine-sized edition, complete with extra features, such as production sketches and the entire thumbnails to the story. For this magazine-sized edition, all the artwork will be colored in gray tones, similar to my WEAPON TEX-MEX Vs EL MUERTO comic book:
If you've read my Poster Comics featuring Spider-Calaca & BatiCalaca, I can tell you that Dead Dinosaurio fits right in with those two. I have several more Super Calacas to debut, then eventually they'll all get teamed-up together in a new comic book, THE CALACAS OF JUSTICE!
More updates to come. And thanks for reading
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
PANCAKES & BOOZE Art Show this weekend in LA
So here's a new type of show I'll be exhibiting at this weekend.
Yep, PANCAKES AND BOOZE! (Or click here if you want to see their Facebook Event listing...). An honest-to-gosh Art Show, with live art and live music, art vendors, drinks and...pancakes!
My friend & fellow cartoonist Michael Aushenker, who I'll be spitting a table with, informed me about this show. As it's a local venue, and a different crowd and vibe than the usual comic conventions, I thought it'd be a great idea to try it.
The show is being held in Downtown LA at LOT 613. Address is 613 Imperial Street, Los Angeles, California 90021.
Showtimes are Friday and Saturday, 8pm-2am.
I'll be bringing along my catalog of comic books and Poster Comics. I'll have some original artwork as well. At any rate, I expect to at least expose my work to a new audience.
It's $5 at the door, ages 21 and over. Hope to see some of you there!
Dead Dinosaurio & Etzli © & ™ Javier Hernandez
Yep, PANCAKES AND BOOZE! (Or click here if you want to see their Facebook Event listing...). An honest-to-gosh Art Show, with live art and live music, art vendors, drinks and...pancakes!
My friend & fellow cartoonist Michael Aushenker, who I'll be spitting a table with, informed me about this show. As it's a local venue, and a different crowd and vibe than the usual comic conventions, I thought it'd be a great idea to try it.
The show is being held in Downtown LA at LOT 613. Address is 613 Imperial Street, Los Angeles, California 90021.
Showtimes are Friday and Saturday, 8pm-2am.
I'll be bringing along my catalog of comic books and Poster Comics. I'll have some original artwork as well. At any rate, I expect to at least expose my work to a new audience.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
2 free Comic Book Workshops at local libraries
I'll be conducting a couple of Comics Workshops at two libraries in the area for the next two days.
On Thursday, July 12, I'll be in Santa Monica at the Ocean Park Branch from 2:30-3:15pm. The workshop is free to attend, but call the library to check if you need a reservation. For kids 6-14. Here's the post from their website.
And on Friday, July 13, I'll be at the Los Alamitos/Rossmoor Branch Library in Los Alamitos. The workshop runs from 3:30-4:30 pm, and it's for kids 6-14. Again, this one is free as well, but I know that you do need to reserve a spot. Information for doing so is on this page of their website.
On Thursday, July 12, I'll be in Santa Monica at the Ocean Park Branch from 2:30-3:15pm. The workshop is free to attend, but call the library to check if you need a reservation. For kids 6-14. Here's the post from their website.
And on Friday, July 13, I'll be at the Los Alamitos/Rossmoor Branch Library in Los Alamitos. The workshop runs from 3:30-4:30 pm, and it's for kids 6-14. Again, this one is free as well, but I know that you do need to reserve a spot. Information for doing so is on this page of their website.
Saturday, July 07, 2012
Discovering Spider-Man & my Spider-Man artwork
This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Amazing Spider-Man, one of the world's most popular comic book heroes.
Star of 1000s of comic books, cartoon shows, live-action television, video games, blockbuster movies and more merchandise than you can shake a web at, the character debuted back in 1962 in AMAZING FANTASY #15. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Spidey has endured throughout the decades by being the underdog hero who never gives up. And you can't beat that costume!
As a kid, I was a huge fanatic. The earliest comics I had of Spider-Man were given to me by my older brother Albert. Some of these treasures included these gems by John Romita and Gil Kane (issue #88)....
Through the reprint series MARVEL TALES, I got to experience the earlier stories drawn by Steve Ditko.....
By the time I stared buying my own comics at the local 7-11, I was a bonafide Spider-Fanatic...
I'll be sharing memories about my favorite Spider-Man stories in later posts, and some thoughts about watching Spider-Man on THE ELECTRIC COMPANY children's show, the 1967 SPIDER-MAN cartoon show, the Sam Raimi movies and lots more. Right now though, I'd like to share some artwork I created over the last couple of days. Just some quick sketches capturing different characters from the books.
Like I said, more webslinging action to come in future posts!
Spider-Man © Marvel Characters
Star of 1000s of comic books, cartoon shows, live-action television, video games, blockbuster movies and more merchandise than you can shake a web at, the character debuted back in 1962 in AMAZING FANTASY #15. Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Spidey has endured throughout the decades by being the underdog hero who never gives up. And you can't beat that costume!
As a kid, I was a huge fanatic. The earliest comics I had of Spider-Man were given to me by my older brother Albert. Some of these treasures included these gems by John Romita and Gil Kane (issue #88)....
Through the reprint series MARVEL TALES, I got to experience the earlier stories drawn by Steve Ditko.....
By the time I stared buying my own comics at the local 7-11, I was a bonafide Spider-Fanatic...
I'll be sharing memories about my favorite Spider-Man stories in later posts, and some thoughts about watching Spider-Man on THE ELECTRIC COMPANY children's show, the 1967 SPIDER-MAN cartoon show, the Sam Raimi movies and lots more. Right now though, I'd like to share some artwork I created over the last couple of days. Just some quick sketches capturing different characters from the books.
First batch includes The Lizard, J. Jonah Jameson, Peter Parker's first genuine crush, Betty Brant, Peter Parker in his wrestler gear from AMAZING FANTASY #15 and a shot of Spidey himself:
Like I said, more webslinging action to come in future posts!
Spider-Man © Marvel Characters
Friday, July 06, 2012
Steve Ditko Poster Comic: DITKO CONSIDERED
While movie theaters are packed to the rafters with audiences watching THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, you can read my brand-new Poster Comic here for free!
The story of Steve Ditko, the co-creator of the Amazing Spider-Man, as well as a plethora of other characters and comics:
Click here for a much larger, readable version. One you get to the image on DeviantArt, click the comic again and it'll go Super Size!
In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Spider-Man, I'll have a whole series of posts dedicated to what's always been my favorite comic book superhero since I was a kid. Tune in tomorrow for more art and memories of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!
For now, please read a little about the man who co-created this famous character, Steve Ditko....
The story of Steve Ditko, the co-creator of the Amazing Spider-Man, as well as a plethora of other characters and comics:
In commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of Spider-Man, I'll have a whole series of posts dedicated to what's always been my favorite comic book superhero since I was a kid. Tune in tomorrow for more art and memories of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!
For now, please read a little about the man who co-created this famous character, Steve Ditko....
Friday, June 29, 2012
Sketches and drawings and doodles
Sometimes I'll share some artwork I've created over at my Facebook page, or via Twitter. I also post lots of artwork on my page at DeviantArt. But I should remember to also share it here, for those of you who may not come across those other pages.
So here are several pages from my sketchbook. These were done within the last 2 weeks or so....
Etrigan the Demon, created by Jack Kirby in the early 1970s. © DC Comics
Devilman, created by Japanese comics creator Go Nagai, early 1970s. (What is it with demons and the early 1970s?). © Go Nagai and Dynamic Productions.
A character I'm currently working on as a Poster Comic. Miss Maude!
Here's a pair of doodles I did this morning. I call these doodles because I drew them without penciling them first. I just got my pen marker and started drawing, not worrying about making mistakes, or trying to draw correct anatomy or proper perspective. Just draw, and splash on some color with my Tombow markers....
Miss Maude and Weapon Tex-Mex © Javier Hernandez
The Coma © Javier Hernandez
So here are several pages from my sketchbook. These were done within the last 2 weeks or so....
Here's a pair of doodles I did this morning. I call these doodles because I drew them without penciling them first. I just got my pen marker and started drawing, not worrying about making mistakes, or trying to draw correct anatomy or proper perspective. Just draw, and splash on some color with my Tombow markers....
Thursday, June 21, 2012
A Night in Gotham ART EXHIBIT
Hey Batfans, join me this Friday for a Batman art show!
The exhibit is being held at the Arte Cabalturo Art Studio. The Opening Night Reception takes place on Friday, June 22 from 8pm thru Midnight. The show will be up until July 20.
Come on out to La Puente, CA and support this show, and the folks putting the event together. They're working hard to make this a memorable evening, as well as continuing to grow the arts community in the city. The Art Cabalturo Art Studio is located at
15815 Main St., La Puente, CA 91744.
I'll have two paintings in the show including this brand-new piece, BAT 2 FACE:
And this classic, THE BATICALACA:
The exhibit is being held at the Arte Cabalturo Art Studio. The Opening Night Reception takes place on Friday, June 22 from 8pm thru Midnight. The show will be up until July 20.
Come on out to La Puente, CA and support this show, and the folks putting the event together. They're working hard to make this a memorable evening, as well as continuing to grow the arts community in the city. The Art Cabalturo Art Studio is located at
15815 Main St., La Puente, CA 91744.
I'll have two paintings in the show including this brand-new piece, BAT 2 FACE:
And this classic, THE BATICALACA:
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
GEEKS CON 2 coming to GEEKS Comics June 16
GEEKS Comics will be hosting their second installment of their micro-comic convention.....
Yes, GEEKS CON 2: COMIC BOOK BOOGALOO! Saturday, June 16, from 12 Noon thru 5pm. Pick up some comics for your Father's Day gift-giving! I'll be there with lots of other local independent comic book creators. I'll have all my books and Poster Comics and prints and stuff....
Check out the Facebook invite, and make plans to visit your friendly neighborhood comics show. It's FREE to attend, and it's held inside GEEKS, the fashionable comic shop located in Uptown Whittier.
GEEKS
6747 Greenleaf Ave. Suite A
Whittier CA 90601
Yes, GEEKS CON 2: COMIC BOOK BOOGALOO! Saturday, June 16, from 12 Noon thru 5pm. Pick up some comics for your Father's Day gift-giving! I'll be there with lots of other local independent comic book creators. I'll have all my books and Poster Comics and prints and stuff....
Check out the Facebook invite, and make plans to visit your friendly neighborhood comics show. It's FREE to attend, and it's held inside GEEKS, the fashionable comic shop located in Uptown Whittier.
GEEKS
6747 Greenleaf Ave. Suite A
Whittier CA 90601
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Mini-comic in progress: DEAD DINOSAURIO
The above work-in-progress logo is for the project I'm currently working on, a mini-comic: DEAD DINOSAURIO & EZTLI: The First Calaca.
You may be aware of my Calacas of Justice project? Where I'm creating a team of Day of the Dead superheroes, based in part on classic superhero archetypes (or cliches). I've done two Poster Comics featuring The Spider-Calaca and the BatiCalaca. Calacas is Spanish for the skeletal figures you often see during Dia de Los Muertos, the Mexican holiday celebrating the life of deceased loved ones, friends and family members.
As a way of introducing these two, I had to conceive an origin story for them. Who was the boy? And why did he have a T-Rex for a pet? Originally I thought of them as having a prehistoric origin (even though we're told that humans and dinosaurs were separated by millions of years). Then I came up with the idea of making the boy a young Aztec. But then I had to come up with a reason for him running around with a dinosaur! Well, that was easy...
During the Spanish Conquest of Mexico, I figured, young Eztli had come across a huge chunk of amber embedded into the side of a mountain. While not recognizing what was inside (perhaps it was Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent diety?) he began to slowly scrape away as much rock from the amber tomb as he could, returning every day to start anew. Once the Spaniards launched their siege of the Aztec city-state Tenochtitlan, Eztli runs back into the mountains and tries desperately to free the thing within the amber, praying that it will somehow be able to help his people....
Thumbnails to a three page sequence.
This shouldn't be a spoiler, but, as seen in the above, it wasn't a god that was encased in the amber....
In researching dinosaurs, and Mexico and the Conquest, I discovered that about 15 years ago there was a movie about a Tyrannosaurus Rex running rampant during the Conquest of Mexico! Tyrannosaurus Azteca !? To say I was surprised was an understatement. A little bruised ego never stopped me, though.... You can watch the film on YouTube. It's quite....something else. So, if there was a precedent for the niche genre of dinosaurs and the Conquest, well then, I'm happy to add my own unique take on it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)