Javier Hernandez, the independent comic book creator known for creating EL MUERTO, the Aztec Zombie, will be releasing his newest comic, THE COMA, at GEEKS Comics in Whittier on Saturday, November 19, 2011.

Hernandez’s latest comic is THE COMA, which is about…nope, can’t tell you yet. You will get all that info below in the interview we did with Hernandez. Not only does he talk about The COMA, COMA CON, and COMA CAKE, but he also talks about his interest in comics, the movie that was made about El Muerto starring Wilmer Valderrama (El Muerto DVD link), and shares his advice for people wanting to break into the comics-writing world.

- Interview with Javier Hernandez -

What what were the first comics you remember reading?
My older brother Albert gave me stacks of his comics, which include late 60s/early 70s runs of AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, FANTASTIC FOUR, DAREDEVIL, INCREDIBLE HULK, BATMAN, etc. A great sampling of classic Marvel and DC comics.

Who are your main artistic influences?

From comic books it’s artists such as Jack Kirby, Ross Andru, Go Nagai and Steve Ditko. From across the various mediums I’d list Jose Guadalupe Posada, Edvard Munch, Ed Wood, Dr. Suess, Clint Eastwood, Bill Bixby, Peter Sellers, Mil Mascaras, Ennio Morricone, The Smiths, The Beatles and on and on. As an artist, I can’t help but look at other works and learn and be inspired.

When did you make the first comic strip that you were proud enough to show off and what was it?
I made some back in elementary school. It was only a couple of pages, but it featured Spider-Man fighting some of his major villians (some of it was quite gory, too!).

What cool things happened with the publication of your last comic?
Back in May, I debuted WEAPON TEX-MEX VS EL MUERTO at the first-ever Latino Comics Expo (which I co-founded with Ricardo Padilla). It was great getting responses from people later on how much they enjoyed the story. And some artist friends I admire complimented me on the storytelling in the book, which is something I always try to approach with a fresh, innovative eye.

What is it like to have your comic turned into a movie?
Well, it was a true once-in-a-lifetime experience (but I’d do it again!). A month or two ago I saw a photo online of a teenage Polish girl wearing El Muerto face-paint! She was a fan of the movie (as we had a DVD release over there) and I wrote her a quick note to thank her for being a fan. She responded with a ‘OMG!’. I thought that was pretty cool.

It’s nice to see things like that come up every now and then. I always realized that once the movie had it’s release on DVD, eventually it would just end up in that great whirlpool of non-stop entertainment that plays on all over the world.

Tell me about this new comic, The Coma.
It’s about a guy, Damian Arkadian, who’s plunged into a coma after an encounter with an ancient demonic evil. Damian awakens in his mind, and discovers that he must prevent that demon from invading and conquering our universal, collective unconscious mind. I wanted to create a character that dealt with surrealism in a way that involved the dream world and the subconscious thoughts we all have and share. Ultimately, our bad thoughts are our worst enemy, so I spun a tale out of that involving an ancient evil, an elder tribe of space gods and The Coma.

Why did you choose to have this release party at this shop in Whittier?
I’ve had a great relationship with GEEKS, our local comic shop in Whittier, for a few years now. So it seemed like a natural to have a release party at my ‘home base’. It’s a great store, with a very spacious, welcoming environment to it. And they’re great supporters of independent comic creators like myself.

What should we expect at your release party?
Well, I’ll not only have THE COMA available, but also a companion art book called THE ART OF THE COMA. I’m finishing up a special full color print for the event as well. And I’ll even be selling original comic book pages, among other collectibles like buttons and such.There will be light snacks and refreshments, and I’m badgering my sister to make me a Coma cake. Also, LA poet Christopher Luke Trevilla will be debuting the first-ever public recital of his poem…’The Coma’!

Uptown Whittier has some great shops, plenty of restaurants and even a movie theater, so I invite your readers to visit us in Whittier, just East of the Eastside!

Lastly, for the kid that is constantly doodling in his notebook with dreams of one day sharing his scribblings with the world, what would you tell him? How does one start on the road towards comic success?
Well, they could take my comic book workshops which I teach at Pico Park in Pico Rivera! Or, they can continue to develop their drawing abilities. And more importantly, be creative and daring in their storytelling skills, because that’s what really defines one as a comic book creator, in my opinion. Tell compelling stories with imaginative characters, and stand strong in your belief that you’re doing exactly what you were meant to do.

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GEEKS is located at 6747 Greenleaf Ave, Suite A in Whittier, CA 90601

Learn more about Javier Hernandez at his blog, Javzilla.com

There will be an interesting talk at  Los Angeles County Museum of Art ‘s Bing Theater this weekend. Sandra de la Loza, Louie Perez of Los Lobos and Tomas Carrasco of the Chicano Secret Service comedy group will be discussing the influence of Chicanos and countercultural production in the Art Scene.

This will be a free talk. No reservations necessary.

LACMA is located at:
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90036
tel 323 857-6000
publicinfo@lacma.org

Dia de Los Muertos 2011

Have you made plans for Dia de los Muertos? This is a fun, yet reverent Mexican holiday that dates back hundreds of years. On this day, a National holiday in Mexico, people remember loved ones that have passed. Like Halloween, it is celebrated with costumes and candy. You will see many people who have painted their faces like a fanciful skulls. At many of the events, they will sell skulls made of sugar that you may decorate and eat.

Need some suggestions on where to go? Then, check out LA Taco’s incredibly comprehensive list of events in the LA area at http://www.lataco.com/taco/2011-dia-muertos-day-dead-los-angeles. As this is LA, there are some interesting offshoots from the traditional celebrations.

Among the highlights of the 30+ events listed on LA Taco’s guide are:

• Carnaval De Los Muertos in South Gate
• The LOS ABANDONED Reunion
• Mercado La Paloma’s 10th Annual Event
• MUERTOMANIA!
• MorrisseyOke™ @ Eastside Luv

It seems to get better each year.