The 12 Days of Muerto: Day 9...Lights, camera, Aztec Zombie!

Day 9: Yesterday's post dealt with the signing of the my movie deal. Here I'll share memories on the actual making of the movie...
 
So the script was done, and we needed to find our hero, El Muerto. So they approached Wilmer Valderrama, who was at the height of his stint on THAT 70s SHOW. When I found out he accepted, I was happily relieved and excited. We were off to a good start. In fact, around this time I had secured a solo art show at a gallery in Santa Monica (the Froden Gallery, since closed). My producer invited Wilmer, who had just signed on for the movie. So, there, on October 16, 2004, Wilmer walked into the gallery with his then-girlfriend Lindsay Lohan. My nieces and nephews spent more time taking photos with them than me that night but I was fine. Wilmer had even bought a couple of my art pieces. We were introduced by our producer Larry Rattner. It was a wonderfully surreal evening. Our director, Brian Cox, shot this photograph of us. (And it wouldn't be the last time he composed us in a frame together...)

 Come January 2005, the film was in full pre-production mode. Larry's offices were hustling with activity: costume fittings, contract signings, planning meetings... They even conducted the actor auditions there. Brian asked me if I wanted to sit in one day and man the camera, which I thought was a great idea. This was the day Joel David Moore came to test. Joel, who you probably saw later in James Cameron's AVATAR, was up for the role of El Muerto's (actually his alter ego Diego) best friend Zak. He waltzed into the room and Brian introduced me as the creator of the comic book. Joel mentioned that the had just finished filming another comic book movie, Dan Clowe's ART SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL. I said "Well, you're working your way through all the comics", to which he good-naturedly replied "Yeah, guess I'm working my up to play Jimmy Olsen!".

Every time they hired a new production head, I was introduced to them as the creator. One time, the production designer Freddie Naff (a real amicable guy who told me he once did production work for the comic book company COMICO) came up to me with a binder of artwork, showing some of the set designs and props. He said "I showed Brian but he asked me to have you look at these too". Same with the costume designer and make-up department head. There really was a great feeling of being part of a team, not just a figurehead.

After those 2 relentless weeks of pre-production, it was mid-January and time to for the actual filming. Our first day of filming was at the San Fernando Mission, north of Los Angeles. It was early morning, and the Assistant Director had assembled the entire production in a large circle out in the parking lot. She went over the game plan for the day, as well as a general pep talk for the duration of the production. She also then wanted to thank the 'person responsible for all of us being here today...'. I took my bow, stumbled through some little speech, then it was time to make a movie!

What did I do everyday as Associate Producer? Basically, I walked around the set with my sketchbook, would engage with brief conversations with various crew members or actors if they had the time, and generally just studied the filmmaking process. I remember clearly, after Brian had directed the first scene of the day, he walked quickly past me on his way to the next setup, glancing at his wristwatch, "It's 10:15am, and we've just shot the first scene of your movie".

It was during an evening shoot that Wilmer showed up dressed completely in costume and make-up. That was a surreal moment, and it's like it suddenly dawned on me:  "Dang, they're making a movie about my comic!". It was interesting watching the actors discuss a scene with the director, or the director talk with the cinematographer and production artists. You see the process of making a film played out before your eyes. As a cartoonist, someone who writes and draws their own story, it was a fascinating study in contrast: You draw the whole story on a sheet of paper, creating your actors, their costumes, their environment, etc. A film crew is an assemblage of artists working together under the vision of the director, but everyone must be on the same page, in sync with one vision. This was film school for me, with the instructor using my comic as the class project.

One of my favorite stories from that first week: On the second day or so, I was asked by our Co-Producer Susan Rodgers if I could pick up actor Michael Parks and give him a ride to set tomorrow the following morning, because we would be short a P.A. (production assistant). Being the good team player, I said "Sure, no problem". Inside I was thinking: "That's lame. I'm the creator. Can't they find someone else". Honestly, I thought that! Well, so the next day I pick him up. This is the guy you've see in several Quentin Tarantino movies (as seen in the pic here), playing a sheriff. He gets in the car, tosses his nylon ski jacket in the back seat and his script on my dashboard. I introduce myself as we drive off. "Hi, Michael, I'm Javier Hernandez. I created the comic book the script is based on". He says, in that great little drawl of his, as he reaches for his script to glance at the cover "Is that so?". I told him the story of how I got the deal for the movie and tells me "You're lucky. It doesn't usually happen that way.". This man had been in the industry for decades, tv and movies, so he would know. We hit it off immediately and he was so down to earth. We were two guys talking about day jobs heading to another gig. To this day, whenever I watch the film, I get a charge when he first appears in the movie: "Wow! We got Michael Parks in my movie!".
 

Another week found us in East LA, and for a few nights we set up camp at Evergreen Memorial Park. Yeah, you can't make an El Muerto movie without a cemetery. One evening as they were setting up a shot for the Day of the Dead scene, I was talking to our beautiful star, Angie Cepeda, who played Diego's girlfriend Maria. She was asking me about the details surrounding Dia de Los Muertos, explaining that in Columbia they don't celebrate it. I told her about it's long tradition in Mexico, and how it's a celebration of loved ones who've passed on. She was genuinely touched by the meaning behind the celebration, actually raising her hands in the air and saying "Ooh, I'm even more proud to be in this film than I already was!". It was like a scene out of a movie!

At one point, I visited Wilmer in his trailer, I think to give him a signed copy of an El Muerto print I had made. He was getting his Muerto make-up applied, sitting in his chair while John Williams STAR WARS music played over the sound system. As I was leaving his trailer he called out to "Hey, Javier. Are you happy with the way I'm playing the character?". I stopped at the door and turned back to face him, letting him know that I was indeed happy with the way he was bringing the role to life. I could have floated out the door at that point.

Here's one of the few scenes I know of that didn't make the final edit of the film (It might even be the only one). It's Diego getting his skull logo tattoo. Probably cut out for time, I'm not sure. Btw, that's Mark Bautista, our Make-Up Department Head playing the tattoo artist:

 
I guess the highlight of the four weeks of filming, for me, was the night I filmed my cameo with Wilmer. This was the part I had picked out months ago in the office of our director Brian Cox. 'Man in costume' was the name of the character. A guy leaving a cemetery during a Dia de Los Muertos celebration as El Muerto is making his way in. This was filmed at the front gate of the cemetery (which I always point out to whomever's in the car with me when I drive by!). I remember the evening, as I walked around the set then I heard over a nearby walkie talkie, "We need Javier over in make-up". Well, I guess I'm ready for my close-up! I first went to wardrobe trailer, where I changed into some black slacks and a long-sleeved black shirt (from my own closet). I also wore, although you don't really see it on film, my Spider-Man watch from Fossil, decked out in the artwork of the original Spidey artist, Steve Ditko. For good luck, I figured. 

So I got to the make-up trailer and decided to go full Hollywood. I asked one of the crew if I could have a haircut as well, so as one of the ladies is applying my make-up, another one is cutting my hair. Probably wasn't enough time for a manicure, but maybe next time! Here's the call sheet listing me as Cast Member #20....

 

Afterwards, I board the van and I'm driven, with an Assistant Director at my side, to the front gate. Once I got out of the van, and saw the entire crew waiting behind the lights, with the Executive Producers in attendance, and even some of the neighborhood residents watching, I got a little nervous. Play time was over, this was a professional film set with yet another scene to film. Every second adds up, no time for amateur hour on my part. Brian came up to me and just told me to be natural, don't 'act' it. All I could do was try my best. I approached the gate, opened it, then came face to face with Wilmer Valderrama. Me and my character, looking each other eye to eye! Suffice to say, we filmed my scene in about 3-4 takes, which is about what most of our actors' scenes were done in (yeah, I counted every take that day with the seasoned professionals, just to make sure!). Brian was complimentary, saying I did great. It's funny, for me it was a huge highlight, but for everyone else it was just another scene, now on to the next. Sure glad I spoke up and claimed that cameo months earlier, though!

I've probably showed off this photo more times than most people show off their pregnancy sonogram pic, but this is a highlight in my personal history book, so indulge me.

You can see a great little behind-the-scenes documentary on the making of the movie here, created by James Seligman.

Tomorrow I'll share more stories from the set, including El Muerto in the tabloids, and the night I got caught in a multi-vehicle wreck on a rain-swept freeway driving home from a filming location!

El Muerto and all related characters are ™ & © Javier Hernandez 1998-2015

THE 12 DAYS OF MUERTO:Day 8.... Going Hollywood

Day 8: In the Summer of 2001 I prepared once more for the San Diego Comic Con. I started exhibiting there in 1998, the year I debuted that first issue of El Muerto.

My friend Carlos Saldaña (one of the first people I talked to before I started self-publishing) contacted me prior to the show to let me know that he was not going to be able to attend the show himself, as something had come up in his scheduling. He told me that he was going to be interviewed by a reporter from NPR, so he told the reporter to contact me at the show for an interview. I thought that was nice thing for Carlos to do.

So during the convention, the reporter indeed shows up. He was interviewing several Latino creators, as I assume he was starting to notice a slight movement amongst Latino writers and artists in creating their own stories. I did the interview, and it all seemed to go well. After he left I got on with the rest of the weekend and just put the interview, like a few others I had done, in the back of my head and filed it under 'Experiences'. Whether it aired or not, it was nice to do it.

I eventually heard it, as a friend of mine had recorded a copy. Pretty straightforward interview, I thought. Turns out someone heard it who would think something else of it, and soon a series of events started that opened up another road in my life..,

It was some weeks later that I got a letter in my P.O. Box. It was from a production company, and the letter was from an assistant to a filmmaker, Brian Cox (no, not the actor from X-MEN 2, folks!). He was inquiring if I had any copies of my comic, as they had heard the interview and were interested in reading the story. I sent them an invoice, they sent a check, they got their books (which at that time only consisted of the original DAZE OF THE DEAD: NUMERO UNO EDITION and SUPER COMICS BLAST) and that was it for a few weeks. The assistant wrote me to say that Brian liked the comics but had to leave the country for business. He asked if I would be available to meet with him when he got back. I responded in the affirmative and thought to myself, "Well, this is interesting...".


Some months later, I'm in Brian's office on Sunset in Hollywood. Real down to earth guy, no sense of that hotshot Hollywood baloney I dreaded. We made our introductions, he asked me about myself, then about the character and story. Lots of questions, some I didn't have complete answers to. I told him as much, as I was only on the first issue of the story. But his questions were honest questions about story, from one creative to another. I never got the sense he was trying to get some type of upper hand or swindle me out of an idea. He genuinely gained my trust, and for me, at that stage of my fledgling movie career, that was very important to me. 

So at the end of the conversation, he asked me point blank: "Would you be interested in turning this into a movie?". My answer, I remember it clearly even today: "Well, I wouldn't not be interested!". We shook hands and agreed to be in contact.

Suffice to say, Brian had more traveling to do, but eventually he approached a producer he had worked with before, Larry Rattner. He pitched the comic to Larry, with the idea of turning it into a movie. Larry, it turns out, had recently met a trio of businessmen, Bruno Leon and his two sons, who together had dealings in book publishing and music production. The Leones were interested in making their first movie, so Larry approached them with this idea Brian had to make a movie out of my comic.

(That's total serendipity: Director likes my comic, turns to a independent producer with the idea of making a film out of it. Producer likes the idea, turns to some investors who agree to finance the idea!)

What followed were several months of meet and greets. Me being wined and dined by Larry and the Leones, Larry taking me to a film festival here and there to educate me about film production and distribution, additional sit downs with Brian to talk more story. Eventually I got a lawyer, because we were moving to the contract and negotiation stage. At one point I told Brian and Larry point blank:

"Look guys, this is a great opportunity. We're all getting along and we seem to have open lines of communication. My only fear is that once I signed and we moved forward, that I wouldn't want the production to run away from me, for me to lose having a hand in the partnership."  They both assured me that wouldn't be the case. They mentioned that this was a small production, our communication would always be open, there was no studio or 'suits' to run the show, etc. I took them at face value, and of course with my lawyer we bounced the contract back and forth several times between Larry and ourselves.

At one point I asked my lawyer (Jean-Marc Lofficier, himself a comics writer & editor, who also represents such comics luminaries as Paul Pope, Stan Sakai, Stephen Bissette and others) about receiving 'creative control'. His response was "That means you have the right to be ignored"! Basically it's not something one can easily claim from a production company. Regardless, I went with my gut instinct, and confident in the final terms Jean-Marc had requested, signed the contract.

I was in the filmmaking business. And got a nice check to boot! (This photo was taken after leaving Larry's office. I went to meet my friend Michael Aushenker, who was working down the street at the time for the Jewish Journal. We had previously agreed to meet for lunch after I was done with the signing. This Brinks armored truck happened to be parked on the sidewalk so I thought it good karma to take this shot!)

During the drafting of the contract, Jean-Marc got me an Associate Producer credit and a 'based on the comic book by Javier Hernandez' credit. I also asked for a stipulation that I would be on the payroll during the production of the film, which I don't think that's something everyone asks for, but I sure as heck wanted to be on the set everyday the film was getting made! Plus I had arranged with the screen printing company I was still working at that I would take a leave of absence once filming started. Mind you the contract was signed in February of 2003, about a year and a half after first being contracted by Brian. Believe me, things can move slow in the movie biz, even for small production.

So Brian got to work on the script, using my origin comic as the genesis of the screenplay, then spinning an original story from there. I didn't have a problem with that, as I looked at how elastic Batman, for example, could be in terms of being presented one way in the comics, another way on a tv show and yet again reinterpreted for the big screen. But always having that core identity.

February 2004 came around, and the script had gone through a few drafts. But also the deadline came up, as I signed a year beforehand. Of course I was ready to resign with the producer once again, and thanks to a stipulation in the contract (which any decent lawyer would make sure to include), there was another payment for rights.

I was prepping my new book, EL MUERTO MISH MASH, and the screenplay was finally getting to it's final draft. Larry and I would give notes to Brian after each draft. At one point, during a meeting in Brian's office, I pointed out a page in the script and told him, "I'd like to play this guy. Can I do that?".
He smiled and said, "Oh, you want to do the Stan Lee thing, huh? Ok, but this guy's wearing a mask." My quick reply was "Yeah, but he can remove it and I get my big reveal!". So, I scored my cameo. (It was a scene where El Muerto is walking into a Day of the Dead festival and runs into a guy in skull mask...)

Once we all decided that the script was done, it was time to turn to the big question. Who's playing El Muerto? At the time, THAT 70s SHOW was in it's prime, so I suggested to Larry and Brian "What about Wilmer Valderrama?". 

As you can see, I intentionally injected myself into all aspects of the process. And just as they assured me, I was always a member of the filmmaking team. They definitely afforded me the respect as the creator of the source material. I don't want to exaggerate my role, these guys were professionals and the film was in their hands. But I was always able to express my opinions. Brian always told me to let him know what was on my mind, but to have reasons for any ideas or issues I raised. Which is a fair way for anyone to collaborate. Just saying "Because I said so" or "Well, I don't like that" isn't productive, or mature. I don't think every comic creator (if they even own their own work) gets this involved with their adaptation. Maybe they don't want to, I don't know. But since I lived in LA and the film was being made here, I didn't see any reason not to work on the film. I just wouldn't want it any other way. I imagine if Warner Bros or another of the huge studios was making it, they wouldn't want the creator sticking his nose in the business. But this was a particular opportunity so I took it.
 
Tomorrow I'll take you into the production of the film....

El Muerto and all related characters are ™ & © Javier Hernandez 1998-2015

 

THE 12 DAYS OF MUERTO: Day 7...Halfway to forever

Day 7: Here we are just past the halfway point of this series, THE 12 DAYS OF MUERTO. Hopefully these looks back to the past have been interesting and entertaining. Maybe even a little motivating, for any creative folks out. Or anyone who's ever wanted to 'do their own thing'.

Indulge me, if you will, a quick little stop at my own midway point. 2007, just a little more than halfway between 1998, when I launched my first comic book, and today. 17 years total. And counting...

In March of '07, the weekend of the 16th thru the 18th, I had a full plate in front of me. I registered as an exhibitor for the comic book convention WizardWorld Los Angeles. I'd have a table for all three days. But also, our official World Premiere for the EL MUERTO film was to take place at the San Diego Latino Film Festival. Held, not surprisingly, some 2 hours south in San Diego!

Also, I was invited to attend the Film Festival earlier in the week, to give a Q&A to a group of students, (alongside some other Latino comics creators) and to participate in the Opening Reception of a group art show organized for several artists, including us cartoonists. So I was actually down in San Diego on Tuesday and Wednesday and drove back up to LA on to attend WizardWorld on Friday.

Here I am at the con with my good friend, and table neighbor, Jason Martin. Jason's a publisher/comic book creator from Portland, OR and we had met a few years back as neighbors at the San Diego Comic Con.

I don't remember it being particularly busy on Friday, but at the end of the day I think I put all my books and merchandise under the table, as Saturday I wasn't going to be at the convention....

So Saturday afternoon it was off to San Diego! It was a great day, with family and friends, and past and present co-workers (this was during the days I was still working as a production artist for a screenprinting company). Producer Larry Rattner, star Tony Plana and myself did interviews with the media and conducted a Q&A after the screening. Here I am surrounded by attendees, friends and family (it's weird when you give autographs to family!):

After the screening, there was a an after party Downtown for the entire Festival. I went there for awhile, but since I had to make the 2 hour drive to get back, I didn't stay there that long. I'm not really a party guy, to be honest. And most of my family and friends headed back to LA after the screening. I hung out at the party with my girlfriend and my cousin, then made the trip back to LA...

And Sunday morning, I was back at WizardWorld LA! Here's me mugging it up at my friend Rafael Navarro's table with a mask he made for his comic book character Sonambulo, a wrestler-turned-private-eye who doesn't sleep (I felt a lot in common with that character that weekend, believe me!!).

It's a fact that no one knows the halfway point of their lives. We can't. We just don't know when we're going to die (in most cases). You can only plan ahead, hope/assume/take for granted that you'll get to 'those goals', and live each day as it comes.

I shared these particular pics here because it interested me to look in my photo library and see where I was was, more or less, at the halfway point between starting my comics career with El Muerto and today. Interesting enough, it was a moment on the comic book convention circuit and the filmmaker festival route. Two sides of the same creative coin, if you will.

I didn't create El Muerto, or any of my other characters, to get a movie made out of it. No harm in doing that if one wants to, of course. But my desire to create something, to share it with the world, to (I'll be honest), leave 'something' behind, that was my motivation. Anything that came from that, professional visibility, new friendships, financial rewards (even on the scale of an 'indy artist'), little bursts of 'fame'.... All that's been wonderful. I appreciate everything that's come my way. Even the headaches and heartbreaks, financial breaking points, the soul searching moments, the inevitable desire to quit the business... It all helps you learn and grow and adapt. Sure as hell teaches you how to survive!

And fuels the desire to create. Creating gives me the ability, or it's at least my preferred weapon of choice, to have an outlet for so much that's in my head. Sure, they're seen by the outside world as comic book stories, sometimes fantastic tales of haunted heroes and heroic monsters, sometimes outrageous tales of humor and silliness. But as long as I'm expressing what I want to, the way I want, then I can claim a lot of little victories here and there.

I don't know what lies beyond January 2016. Oh, I have some plans for my comics, and things I want to do for myself in my life. I know we have a Presidential election coming up.
But none of us really knows if we have a January or a February in our future. Or even our upcoming December. I'm not trying to be alarming here, folks. Just think about people you know who are around with us one day and the next day, they're gone. It's heartbreaking, and we all experience it. So we as individuals have to make sure we do what we desire to do, if we can. Pursue your life, liberty and happiness.

You've got to work real hard at it, and really make the effort and sacrifice to reach it. Blood, sweat and tears. Whoever coined that phrase knew exactly what they were talking about. You have to go out and find what it is you really want to do with your life.

Even when it's staring you right in the face.

 
Tomorrow and for the next few days I'll share with you how I got that movie deal, the experience in making the film, and what type of new adventures the whole ride took me on.

El Muerto and all related characters are ™ & © Javier Hernandez 1998-2015