The Art of Manuel A. Carmona - Blog

The Art of Manuel A. Carmona

#BLACKOUT757

5/30/2020

On May 29th, 2020 Manuel and his family joined #BlackLivesMatter757 along with hundreds of Virginians in a peaceful protest against police brutality, demanding justice in the aftermath of George Floyd's death at the hands of 4 police officers in Minneapolis. This is the latest in a long list of African Americans who have been brutalized and/or killed at the hands of the very same people who are opposed to serve and protect them, when Mr. Floyd drew his last breath... millions around the World said enough is enough; change is coming peacefully or by force!

Protests have sprung throughout the United States, some peaceful like the one Manuel and his family were a part of; some like in the city of Minneapolis and Atlanta have turned violent. Now a certain part of the population is trying to shift the focus on the riots, looting and such claiming that violence is not the way to get the change needed, I beg to differ and here's why...

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. tried marching peacefully. The result? He was beaten, persecuted and eventually assassinated because of it. Fast forward to 2016, Colin Kaepernick kneeled in peaceful protest against police brutality. The result? Kicked out of the NFL, attacked by the Right, even the so called President called him an S.O.B. and to this day has never played in the NFL again. Fast Forward a few years later, more police brutality. Eric Garner choked to death by a police officer, Sandra Bland killed in custody of the police, Philando Castile killed in front of his girlfriend and her daughter for reaching to get his wallet and the list goes on and on and on... nothing changes. Athletes peacefully protest, no result. Celebrities peacefully protest, no result. The people peacefully protest... no result.

Now here we are, May 2020 in the middle of a Global Pandemic, cities burning, property destroyed, more innocent lives lost and we're still at war with the worst virus on the face of this Earth... RACISM!!! But this time change will come, because this time we're not asking for change, that time has past; we're taking it... by force if necessary! Now it's not Blacks against Whites, nah... now it's US against Racists; and we're going to WIN! Love trumps Hate and trust me, there's more of us than there is of them; we'll stand side by side with our Black brothers and sisters till the end.

Keep it Truthful!

-MC

Exhibición Virtual: Los Puertorriqueños en el Mundo del Cómic

5/27/2020

Hace unas semanas me informaron que me habían incluido en una exhibición de arte virtual que destacaba a los puertorriqueños que dejaron una marca en la industria del cómic, no solo localmente en la isla de Puerto Rico; pero en el extranjero también ¡Me sentí extremadamente honrado de ser incluido con tantos creadores talentosos como George Perez, Kenneth Rocafort, David Alvarez, Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez y muchos más! La exposición se llama Puertoricans in the Comic Book World: A Virtual Art Exhibit y está comisariada por Manuel Miranda-Nazario. Pero dejaré que te lo explique mejor ...

Esta exposición fue concebida inicialmente como una de las actividades de la Tercera Feria del Cómic del Sistema de Bibliotecas del 24 al 26 de marzo de 2020. Antes del cierre de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras, debido a la cuarentena por el coronavirus, y decidí hacer la exposición virtual.

El propósito es dar a conocer a la comunidad académica de la Universidad de Puerto Rico, el campus de Río Piedras, y a la comunidad en general, la producción de este género que ha sido muy popular en todo el mundo. Consiste en cómics creados por puertorriqueños, tanto en Puerto Rico como en los Estados Unidos. Además, se han incluido obras creativas de escritores o artistas no puertorriqueños inspirados en personajes, eventos o lugares en Puerto Rico. Además, se han incluido cómics con personajes puertorriqueños, como: Miles Morales / Spider-Man (Bendis y Pichelli), Leticia Lebrón / LAK6 (Miranda Rodríguez) y Julia / Caliente, entre otros. La diversidad temática y los elementos narrativos y artísticos son algunos de los componentes presentes en esta exposición.

La presencia de cómics populares como Turey: El Táino, Pepito y Tato y Kenepo es sorprendente. Además, la exposición presenta cómics de superhéroes (Doctor Tomorrow, Wildfly), fantasía (Guerra del Edén), detective (Lowie Mortem), histórico (1898, Tai y Los Caribes), político (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), niños (Capitán Miau) y crítico social (Luna Ricans y Pepito). Probablemente estamos frente a una exposición única, dedicada al talento local de Puerto Rico y la diáspora, como: José Vázquez, Pedro M. Cortés, Eliana Falcón, Tommy Villarreal, Juan Lapaix, Rafael Serra, Manuel A. Carmona, David Martínez, Armando Mendoza, Jason Ayala, Marín Gaudier, Ricardo Álvarez, Ángel Fuentes, Álvaro Cortez Ortiz Jr, Gabby Rivera, Miguel Sanjurjo, Alejandro Arbona, Edgardo Miranda, Carla Rodríguez, Rosá Colón, Will Cabrera, Enoc Pérez, Kenneth Rocafort y George Pérez, entre muchos otros artistas. Mi admiración y respeto como homenaje.

Advertencia: Esta exposición no incluye todos los cómics producidos en o sobre Puerto Rico. Sin embargo, si desea donar o vender uno que no aparece aquí, contácteme a través de la aplicación "Mensaje".

-Manuel Martínez-Nazario
Curador de exposiciones de arte

Ahora sería casi imposible para mí encontrar todos los cómics que haya hecho un puertorriqueño, pero al menos me gustaría darles una pequeña muestra del tipo de trabajo que mis colegas y yo hemos estado produciendo en la isla y en el extranjero. . Estos son solo algunos títulos, si desea presenciar la visita virtual completa de la exhibición: Exhibición Virtual: Puertorriqueños en el Mundo del Cómic.

Hay muchos creadores puertorriqueños increíblemente talentosos, algunos de los cuales quizás conozcas y otros que quizás no hayas escuchado, esa es una de las razones por las que esta exposición de arte es tan importante, porque no solo muestra los libros que se están produciendo, sino que también Una referencia histórica desde el comienzo del arte secuencial en Puerto Rico hasta hoy. Estos son solo algunos de los creadores mega talentosos nacidos, criados o con linaje puertorriqueño.

1. George Pérez ha trabajado como artista y escritor en títulos como The Avengers, Teen Titans, Superman, Wonder Woman y muchos otros. Ha ganado los Premios Eagle por Mejor historia continua en 1979, Mejor portada en 1980 y Artista favorito (dibujante) en 1986, así como innumerables otros premios. Hasta el día de hoy, George Pérez es uno de los artistas de cómics más respetados del mundo. Para obtener más información sobre George visite: George Perez en Facebook

2. Rubén Moreira fue un artista / escritor de cómics puertorriqueño mejor conocido por su trabajo en Tarzán y como artista de DC Comics. Se le atribuye la creación de al menos tres personajes: Black Terror, Puzzler y Beggar King. Se hizo cargo de la página del domingo de Tarzán de Burne Hogarth en 45 'y fue su único artista / escritor hasta los 47', usando el seudónimo Rubimor. Para obtener más información sobre Rubimor, visite: El Grupo de Apreciación Ruben Moreira en Facebook.

3. Ernesto Colón Sierra fue un dibujante de cómics puertorriqueño en los Estados Unidos, conocido por su amplia carrera ilustrando cómics infantiles, de superhéroes y de terror, así como la no ficción convencional. Su carrera abarcó más de treinta años trabajando en Harvey Comics, Marvel Comics, DC Comics y muchos más.

4. Kenneth Rocafort tiene y está trabajando actualmente para DC Comics y Marvel Comics, así como para Image Comics haciendo diseños de personajes, portadas y arte interior, conocido por su trabajo en títulos como Superman, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Astonishing Tales: Wolverine / Punisher, Teen Titans y The Ultimates. Para mantenerse al día con Kenneth visite: Mitografia en Tumblr.

5. Ricardo Álvarez-Rivón es el creador de Turey el Taino, la serie de cómics producida localmente más exitosa de Puerto Rico de todos los tiempos. Ricardo también es un músico consumado. Para obtener más información sobre la visita de Turey: Turey El Taino

6. David Alvarez ha trabajado para Warner Bros y Disney. Actualmente realiza trabajo independiente como artista de guiones gráficos, ilustrador y diseñador de personajes. Es el creador de Yenny, una serie de dibujos animados de comedia sobre una voluptuosa chica boricua que se encuentra en las situaciones más precarias. Para obtener más información sobre los proyectos de Dave, visite: dascomics.com

7. Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez ha trabajado para Marvel Comics, es el creador de la súper heroína puertorriqueña La Borinqueña. Edgardo también es editor en jefe en Darryl Makes Comics. Para obtener más información sobre La Borinqueña, visite: www.la-borinquena.com

8. Manuel A. Carmona ha trabajado en personajes como Captain Action, Phazer, Black Terror, El Gato Negro y muchos más. También ilustró Life with Zombie, una tira cómica divertida sobre un zombie que intenta vivir una vida normal y también colaboró en la Antología Ángeles de las Siete Luces. Actualmente está trabajando en su creador, Project: New Wave, publicado bajo Truthful Comics.

9. Alvaro Cortez Ortiz Jr. ha trabajado como escritor para varios editores en diferentes títulos. Actualmente es el Editor en Jefe de Truthful Comics y todavía realiza trabajos independientes entre sus propios proyectos. Para mantenerse al día con los proyectos de Alvaro, visite: trueful comics.com

Y la lista sigue y sigue ... estos son solo algunos de los talentosos creadores que Puerto Rico ha producido. Si conoce a algún creador (s) puertorriqueño (s) que haya publicado trabajos de cómics, comuníquese con: Manuel Martinez-Nazario y no olvide consultar Puertorriqueños en el Mundo del Cómic: Una Exhibición Virtual.

Como siempre ... ¡Mantenlo Truthful!

-MC

Puertoricans in the Comic Book World: A Virtual Art Exhibit

5/27/2020

A few weeks ago I was informed I'd been included in a virtual art exhibit highlighting Puertoricans who've left a mark in the comic book industry, not only locally in the island of Puerto Rico; but abroad as well. I was extremely honored to be included with so many talented creators like George Perez, Kenneth Rocafort, David Alvarez, Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez and many more! The exhibit is called Puertoricans in the Comic Book World: A Virtual Art Exhibit and it's curated by Manuel Miranda-Nazario. But I'll let him explain it better for you...

This exhibition was initially conceived as one of the activities of the Third Comic Fair of the Library System from March 24 to 26, 2020. Before the closure of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, due to the quarantine by the coronavirus, I decided to do the virtual exhibition.

The purpose is to make known to the academic community of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, and to the community in general, the production of this genre that has been very popular worldwide. It consists of comics created by Puerto Ricans, both in Puerto Rico and in the United States. In addition, creative works by non-Puerto Rican writers or artists that were inspired by characters, events or places in Puerto Rico have been included. Also, comics featuring Puerto Rican characters have been included, such as: Miles Morales / Spider-Man (Bendis and Pichelli), Leticia Lebrón / LAK6 (Miranda Rodríguez) and Julia / Caliente, among others. The thematic diversity and the narrative and artistic elements are some of the components present in this exhibition.

The presence of popular comics such as Turey: El Táino, Pepito and Tato and Kenepo is striking. In addition, the exhibition features comics of superheroes (Doctor Tomorrow, Wildfly), fantasy (War of Eden), detective (Lowie Mortem), historical (1898, Tai & Los Caribes), politician (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), children (Captain Meow) and social critic (Luna Ricans and Pepito). We are probably in front of a unique exhibition, dedicated to the local talent of Puerto Rico and the diaspora, such as: José Vázquez, Pedro M. Cortés, Eliana Falcón, Tommy Villarreal, Juan Lapaix, Rafael Serra, Manuel A. Carmona, David Martínez, Armando Mendoza, Jason Ayala, Marín Gaudier, Ricardo Álvarez, Ángel Fuentes, Alvaro Cortez Ortiz Jr, Gabby Rivera, Miguel Sanjurjo, Alejandro Arbona, Edgardo Miranda, Carla Rodríguez, Rosá Colón, Will Cabrera, Enoc Pérez, Kenneth Rocafort and George Pérez, among many other artists. My admiration and respect as a tribute.

Warning: This exhibition does not include every comic book produced in or about Puerto Rico. However, if you want to donate or sell one that does not appear here, contact me through the “Message” application.

-Manuel Martinez-Nazario
Art Exhibit Curator

Now it'd be nearly impossible for me to find every comic book ever made by a Puertorican, but at least I'd like to give you a small sample of the type of work me and my colleagues have been producing in the island and abroad. These are only a few titles, if you'd like to witness the full virtual exhibit visit: Exhibición Virtual: Puertorriqueños en el Mundo del Cómic.

There are many incredibly talented Puertorican creators, some of whom you might know and some you might not have heard of, that is one of the reasons why this art exhibit is so important, because not only does it show the books being produced but it's also a historic reference from the beginning of sequential art in Puerto Rico until today. Here are just a few of the mega talented creators either born, raised or with Puertorican bloodline.

1. George Perez has worked as an artist and writer on titles such as The Avengers, Teen Titans, Superman, Wonder Woman and countless others. He's won Eagle Awards for Best Continued Story in 1979, Best Cover in 1980 and Favourite Artist (penciller) in 1986 as well as countless other awards. To this day George Perez is one of the most respected comic book artists in the World. To find out more about George visit: George Perez on Facebook

2. Ruben Moreira was a Puerto Rican comic book artist/writer best known for his work on Tarzan and as a DC Comics artist. He is credited with creating at least three characters: Black Terror, Puzzler and Beggar King. He took over the Tarzan Sunday page from Burne Hogarth in 45' and was its sole artist/writer until 47', using the pen name Rubimor. To find out more about Rubimor visit: The Ruben Moreira Appreciation Group on Facebook.

3. Ernesto Colón Sierra was a stateside Puerto Rican comic book artist, known for his wide-ranging career illustrating children's, superhero and horror comics, as well as mainstream non-fiction. His career spanned thirty plus years working on Harvey Comics, Marvel Comics, DC Comics and many more.

4. Kenneth Rocafort has and is currently working for both DC Comics and Marvel Comics as well as Image Comics doing character designs, covers and interior art, known for his work on titles like Superman, Red Hood and the Outlaws, Astonishing Tales: Wolverine/Punisher, Teen Titans, and The Ultimates. To keep up with Kenneth visit: Mitografia

5. Ricardo Álvarez-Rivón is the creator of Turey el Taino, Puerto Rico's most successful locally produced comic book series of all time. Ricardo is also an accomplished musician. To find out more about Turey visit: Turey El Taino

6. David Alvarez has worked for Warner Bros as well as Disney. Currently doing freelance work as a storyboard artist, illustrator and character designer. He's the creator of Yenny, a comedy cartoon series about a voluptuous Boricua girl who get's in the most precarious situations. To find out more about Dave's projects visit: dascomics.com

7. Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez has worked for Marvel Comics he's the creator of the Puerto Rican super heroine La Borinqueña. Edgardo is also the Editor-In-Chief over at Darryl Makes Comics. To find out more about La Borinqueña visit: www.la-borinquena.com

Manuel A. Carmona has worked on characters such as Captain Action, Phazer, Black Terror, El Gato Negro and many more. He also illustrated Life with Zombie, a funny cartoon strip about a zombie trying to live a normal life and also collaborated in the Angels of Seven Lights Anthology. He's currently working on his creator owned Project: New Wave published under Truthful Comics.

9. Alvaro Cortez Ortiz Jr. has worked as a writer for various publishers on different titles. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief over at Truthful Comics and still does freelance work in between his own projects. To keep up with Alvaro's projects visit: truthful comics.com

And the list goes on, and on and on... these are just a few of the talented creators Puerto Rico has produced. If you know of any Puertorican creator(s) that has published comic book work please contact: Manuel Martinez-Nazario and don't forget to check Puertorriqueños en el Mundo del Cómic: Una Exhibición Virtual

As Always... keep it Truthful!

-MC

Friday Flashback!

4/24/2020

For my first #FridayFlashback on the website I'm going back to the time I got a first look at my inked pages for Phazer #6 featuring Captain Action and Action Boy. I remember vividly how excited I was at the chance to work on a character like Captain Action and so many public domain characters like El Gato Negro, Black Terror and many others.

What should've been the beginning of my art career in comics, working for other publishers quickly evaporated and I realized the grim reality of the comic book industry; that many people are in this business to take advantage of creators. What sucked the most to me was that the person in charge sold me on the idea that they were gonna do things the right way because like me, they hated what Marvel did to Jack Kirby throughout his career; so they were gonna make sure creators were treated fairly. Yeah... right. Lesson learned though.

Regardless, it was a valuable experience and the main catalyst for me to go out on my own and make Truthful Comics a reality alongside my brother Alvaro Cortez Ortiz Jr.; so for that I'll be forever thankful... in a messed up kind of way. Now I'm curious, from the creators that are reading this blog; do you remember your first professional work in comics? Which comic book series was it? Was your experience more enjoyable than mine or was it a nightmare? What lessons did you learn from working with a creative team compared to working solo on a project?

As always... keep it Truthful.

-MC

My Money Goes To Indie Comic Books

4/20/2020

So here's where I'm at with my comic book collecting, I've decided to focus exclusively on buying and collecting independent comic books; be it from small publishers or indie publishers as big as Dark Horse or Image Comics. There will be a few exceptions though, I’ll keep buying/collecting a small percentage of "Big 2" titles/characters like Miles Morales (aka Spider-Man), Lady Sif, Valkyrie and/or The Mighty Thor. These are some of my favorite characters in any form of media and I’ll always have a soft spot for them. My reasons for doing this are many, but I’ll try to list my Top 5 for why I’m changing my comic book collecting habits moving forward:

1. My interests have changed- More and more I find myself loving independent books and disliking Marvel and DC Comics books, I just don’t see the point in giving them my money anymore.

2. Price Point- Paying $4.99 for twenty pages of an extremely decompressed story, inevitably taking 6 - 10 issues to wrap up and have a more than likely disappointing conclusion; it just isn’t a good proposition for me anymore.

3. Not MY Characters- At least not the characters I’ve followed for years, those aren’t the ones I see on the page today. I know characters should evolve, but when you retcon incessantly and continue to disrespect the legacy of those who created these characters just because you think that’s what fans want or you’re trying to appease a section of society that just doesn’t buy comic books; I’m out.

4. Indie Comics Rock!- I shouldn’t even have to say this but in case you reading this haven’t noticed, indie comic books are not only on par with the "Big 2" in every sense of the word; a lot of them have surpassed the "Big 2"! There’s a difference when you buy a book by someone who just doesn’t care about the characters they’re working on and/or who only see a paycheck, compared to someone who’s writing and/or illustrating a character they created and they’ve put their heart and soul into; it shows when you care about a property and when you only care about a paycheck.

5. Creator's Egos- I don’t mean that every creator who’s “made it” has an inflated ego because that just isn’t the case, but more often than not I see creators talking down and even disrespecting fans; which is crazy to me since the only reason they find themselves in the position they’re in is BECAUSE of fans! I’d rather help out an up and coming indie creator who appreciates the fans than creators who "made it", think they’re “celebrities” and look at everyone over their shoulder like they're better than them. You aren't getting my hard earned money acting like that.

The truth of the matter is that comic books are too expensive for me to justify buying them consistently, especially when I KNOW many creators couldn't care less about these characters and even if they do, they have to follow the direction and agendas of higher ups; ruining our favorite characters in the process. At least when I buy an indie comic book I know the story, good or bad; it's exactly what the creator(s) intended it to be. That's something I can get behind. I'll always buy comic books, the only difference is that from now on I'll be buying 90% indie comics and 10% from the "Big 2"; oh and 7% of that 10% will be back issues to fill out gaps in my collection. Yeah, this is the way I'll be buying comics from now on; I know this because I'm smiling as I type these words just thinking about it.

My suggestion, buy what makes YOU happy; don't buy only because you need to support your LCS or because you can't let the industry you love so much die. You can support your LCS buying many other things like indie comic books, buying back issues, trade paperbacks, hardcovers, action figures, statues or clothing; don't buy comics you know won't satisfy you and you'll eventually end up getting the trade paperback because it just makes more sense. Same thing goes with supporting the "Big 2", don't buy like a zombie just because you think they'll go out of business if you don't; they won't. Marvel is owned by Disney and DC Comics is owned by WB, comic books are nothing more to them than promotional material to keep these properties alive in the public's eye; whenever they want comic books gone they'll go away... no matter how much we love them. For that reason alone... SUPPORT INDIE COMICS!!!

PS. The one publisher/group I'll NEVER support is Comicsgate, I'm sure you all know why but if you don't go do a quick Google search; basically they go against everything I stand for as a creator and as a human being and I'll give the a dime of my money. The End.

As always... keep it Truthful!

-MC

Respect Indie!

4/18/2020

Indie Creator Spotlight
Keith Gleason

I've been meaning to write an Indie creators series of articles that spotlight the many talented creators that are out there making comics against all odds and I feel deserve our attention. A few people have asked me "why would you give another artist a spotlight on your website? They're gonna take your readers!" My short answer: No they won't. My long answer: It ain't about me, it never was about me and it never will be about me; we're all in this together. Hopefully creators see me writing about them and their books and we'll get to know each other, hopefully become friends and hopefully help each other out. There's room for everyone. With that said, I'd like to introduce to you one of the best people you'll ever meet in this industry and life in general, the organizer of Plastic City Comic Con and the creator of The Mighty Mascots; Mr. Keith Gleason!

Me- When did you came up with the idea for Mighty Mascots?

Keith Gleason- The idea came to me from a t-shirt that had a group of cereal mascots hanging out together on it. The image struck me as something fun and cool, I didn't immediately think of it being a super hero book; but that's how it ended up. It's a love letter to Saturday Morning Cartoons and super hero team books from the eighties.

What is the creative team behind your comic?

I handle the storyline, script, and lettering of the book. Pencils and Inks are done by the massively talented Ian Waryanto and colors are done by the equally talented Anton Bandi.

I have to say, the book looks beautiful! What's the premise behind Mighty Mascots?

For people not familiar with this series, its about a bunch of cereal mascots who were brought to life by a 3D printing formula and have banded together as a super hero team.

Ha! Brilliant! How many issues do you have planned to produce?

Right now, I have the next three mini-series mapped out; but this could easily be an ongoing series.

Is Mightt Mascots going to be a long running series or a mini-series?

Right now it is coming out as a series of mini-series.

That's also smart, it's easier for fans to pick up three books and have a full story than picking up one book and not knowing if the story will ever get resolved. No let me ask you this, why self-publish?

The book has been released by Alterna Comics, I had already started self publishing it on my own prior to them picking it up; and would have continued to do that if a publisher hadn't come along. My desire to tell this story would have compelled me to self publish it.

How do you separate yourself from the thousands who self publish their books every year?

Hmmm... that is a good question, super hero books are a dime a dozen nowadays. I think what I've put together is a fun merging of an over the top Saturday Morning Cartoons concept that is cleverly disguised as a super hero book. The fan feedback has been amazing for it so far!

So where can fans read or get their very own copy of Mighty Mascots?

You can get the first mini-series several ways. First, I would say check your local comic book shop. The first mini-series was available through Diamond Distribution and a bunch of shops ordered it. If you can't find it there it is available through Alterna's website -- https://www.alternacomics.com/ or you can get it directly from my website as well -- RecklessSidekick.com

What's next for Mighty Mascots?

Funny you should ask that, I'll be launching an Indie GoGo in June to help me fund the next three issue mini-series. All three issues are ready to go and I just need some funding to help pay my creative team. We have some exciting exclusives available only on this campaign and we're including a variant cover by the great Chris Giarusso as well!

Mini Marvels Chris Giarusso? Nice!!! Are you working on any other projects at the moment?

I have a couple of other comic book projects dying to get out of my head and onto the comic pages, but right now I'm fully focused on the next Mighty Mascots installment.

I hear ya! Anything else you wanna share with us?

Just wanted to thank anybody and everybody that is willing to pick up an Indie comic book! I truly appreciate it, we could not do this if not for people willing to take a chance on an unknown property and talent.

That's a fact! Well, continued success on all your projects and I'll see you in August at Plastic City Comic Con.

Thanks man!! Really appreciate it!!

Respect Greatness!

4/17/2020

Following my trend of giving respect to those who've earned it, I'll be illustrating people who I respect for one reason or another. They can be a musician, an artist, a soldier, a teacher, a basketball player or even a politician. With each piece I'll add their biography so everyone can learn something about the person I'm trying to present in my work and why I have so much respect for them.
Some of the pieces will be simple sketches, other will be a bit more elaborate and some might even be full on paintings; it depends on the time I have and how the muse strikes. For the first installment I'm going to post a sketch I did a few years back but haven't shown it to the public other than a few close friends. So, without further ado, I present to you my depiction of "Charlie" Chaplin!

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 1889 – 25 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, "The Tramp", and is considered one of the most important figures in the history of the film industry. His career spanned more than 75 years, from childhood in the Victorian era until a year before his death in 1977, and encompassed both adulation and controversy.

Chaplin's childhood in London was one of poverty and hardship, as his father was absent and his mother struggled financially, and he was sent to a workhouse twice before the age of nine. When he was 14, his mother was committed to a mental asylum. Chaplin began performing at an early age, touring music halls and later working as a stage actor and comedian. At 19, he was signed to the prestigious Fred Karno company, which took him to America. He was scouted for the film industry and began appearing in 1914 for Keystone Studios. He soon developed the Tramp persona and formed a large fan base. He directed his own films and continued to hone his craft as he moved to the Essanay, Mutual, and First National corporations. By 1918, he was one of the best-known figures in the world.

In 1919, Chaplin co-founded the distribution company United Artists, which gave him complete control over his films. He became increasingly political, and his first sound film was The Great Dictator (1940), which satirised Adolf Hitler. Chaplin wrote, directed, produced, edited, starred in, and composed the music for most of his films. He was a perfectionist, and his financial independence enabled him to spend years on the development and production of a picture. His films are characterised by slapstick combined with pathos, typified in the Tramp's struggles against adversity. Many contain social and political themes, as well as autobiographical elements. He received an Honorary Academy Award for "the incalculable effect he has had in making motion pictures the art form of this century" in 1972, as part of a renewed appreciation for his work. He continues to be held in high regard, with The Gold Rush, City Lights, Modern Times, and The Great Dictator often ranked on lists of the greatest films of all time.

#RespectGreatness

The Canadian Connection

4/17/2020

Today I'd like to present to you all what can happen when a few creative individuals decide to unify their efforts and leave egos aside. Enter: The Canadian Comic Book Alliance! Now before we delve into this novel idea, I'd like to talk about what I've always tried to do which is basically what these Canadian creators have achieved in a short period of time; stand together under a unified front and face the harsh comic book industry landscape together as a unit rather than every man for himself. On Tuesday I sat down with Canadian comic book creator Jeff Burton to talk about his book and comics in general. One thing led to another and eventually we stumbled upon this great thing some comic book creators got going on in Canada, our conversation went something like this...

Jeff- So tell me about your work!

Me- I'm involved in a few things, Im working on my creator owned series Project: New Wave, first issue came out and issue # is 80% finished, already have issues #3 and #4 fully illustrated, just waiting for them to be colored. Besides that I'm one of the organizers of Buy Indie Comics Day; which btw you and every other indie creator should be a part of.

Jeff- Oh I know about Buy Indie Comics Day! I came across that and shared it around a ton last year.

Me- That's a good thing! Thank you for that. I also run a non-profit initiative with my wife called Comics For Christmas.

Jeff- Oooo... Comics for Christmas sounds cool too! That’s totally awesome man!

Me- And last but not least, I'm the President of Truthful Comics, a small indie publisher through which me and a few friends work and put out various titles. My main thing is trying to establish a fellowship amongst indie creators, through which we can push each others projects, collaborate and be there for each other. Comics can be a very hard and lonely industry for Indie creators, but why does it have to be?

Jeff- Sounds like myself and the Canadian Comic Book Alliance.

Me- Wait, the what now? What's that about?

Jeff- Basically the same idea - a network of Canadian indie creators working together to help promote our work and indie comics in general throughout Canada.

Me- That's the goal! man that's my dream for us here in Virginia and my birthplace of Puerto Rico.

Jeff- And in our members-only group we share what we are working on, some collaboration happens, we give each other feedback and advice etc. Fellowship. Cuz you’re right, it is a lonely world in comics; so when we can get tables as a group or close to each other at shows man... what a blast!

Me- It is man! It's cutthroat sometimes and it doesn't have to be. That's what I wish to accomplish, but more times than not people focus only on themselves (understandably so) and forget about everyone else; I feel if we'd all push each other we'd be able to reach a much larger audience than if we just focus on our own bubble. So tell me, how did the Canadian Comic Book Alliance began?

Jeff- Well we started in 2017. A small group of us "prairie" creators talked about something like that, then I talked to a few other creators I had gotten to know and then; I pitched it to them too.

Me- Wow! So it was fairly recent?!

Jeff- Yup!

Me- From the way everything looks and how you guys promote each other's work, one would think this has been a thing for years.

Jeff- The Adventures of Auroraman Annual was a collaboration comic - the characters in the comic come from other CCBA members' books.

Me- I guess great things happen when people put their egos aside and decide to work on a common goal. So, you mentioned attending conventions together or meeting at conventions; do ya'll attend the conventions together as vendors and split the table costs or do ya meet up just as fans?

Jeff- Some of us have split tables, other times we have asked to have our tables close or next to each other; and a couple shows we were guests at and they put our tables in the same area together.

Me- That's awesome man! I'd love to have that same camaraderie here in my neck of the woods. Notice I'm trying to pick your brain to see if we can duplicate your success, because I'm enamored with the idea of helping each other navigate the dangerous waters of creator owned comics. The way I see it, there's enough for everyone to have a piece of the pie; we don't have to kick anyone down for us to get a piece of the action. United we stand; divided we fall. Egos have to be left at the door though, we're all equal partners here; we're not rivals.

Jeff- Bingo! Personalities will be a big part of that.

Me- I totally agree. So, basically the Alliance operates like an umbrella, where many creators benefit from and help each other; but does the Alliance have a monetary structure behind it?

Jeff- No monetary structure. We thought, as soon as we edge close to anything that brings money in; stuff tends to slide sideways a bit. Small things have been ok, but any larger amount of money and things get messy; so we just left that idea alone for now.

Me- That's smart, after all "Money is the root of all Evil" as the say.

Jeff- Bingo!

Me- Can you tell me who the members of the Alliance are?

Jeff- Sure, the members are (in no particular order):

Andrew Thomas
Mark Armstrong Allard
Gary Boyarski
Brayden Martens
Alfonso Espinos
Mart Deschatelets
Elaine M Will
Ryan Howe
Scott W W Sawyer
Kevin Montpellier
Jeff Martin
Gmb Chomichuk
Sharon Gauthier

Jason Sylvestre
Martin Boruta
James Zintel
Nathan Wahl
Davis Dewsbury
Andrew Lorenz
Dan Collins
Donovan Yaciuk
Josh Rose
Jamie Isfeld
Kevin Briones
Justin Shauf
Colin Work

Me- Wow there's quite a few creators in the Canadian Alliance. So, to round this conversation; what advice would you give someone who's trying to create a group like the Canadian Comic Book Alliance?

Jeff- Egos at the door and make sure that everyone is friends going into it. All on the same playing field and page - no one is better or deserves more. You’ll grow better together.

Me- Better words were never spoken! Thanks for taking the time to talk comics my friend, I'm sure it won't be the last. And to you that's reading this, now that you know who the members of the Canadian Comic Book Alliance are, here is some of the work from many talented Canadian creators and as always... keep it Truthful!

-MC

Covid Strikes Back!

4/16/2020

This morning as I browsed through my emails I noticed one from Natalie Sifuentes, the Youth and Family Coordinator at the Morgan memorial Library in Suffolk, Virginia. It was in regards of the status for their upcoming convention Iconicon. I opened it immediately hoping for the best but fearing the worst since the event had already been postponed, needless to say my fears were warranted; but there's a silver lining to all of this.

Hi everyone,

I'm sure you are aware of the COVID-19 situation. Unfortunately, this means we will have to cancel Iconicon. However, we are hoping to put on a virtual program, and would like to showcase your online stores so that library patrons and fellow nerds still have the opportunity to shop at your stores.

Please let me know if I have your permission to show case your store and send a link to your store.

Thank you all for understanding!

Natalie Sifuentes

Youth & Family Services Coordinator
Morgan Memorial Library
Suffolk Public Library
757-514-7326
nsifuentes@suffolkva.us

“Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.” – Abraham Lincoln

It sucks that yet another comic convention has been cancelled because of Covid-19 but at least they're trying to be proactive and reached out to the creators to lend a helping hand. That is much appreciated. I replied with my information and informed them that because of their efforts and being up front about the situation I'd like to be involved with their events moving forward because that type of dedication and responsibility deserves to be rewarded. So, count me and Truthful Comics in for Iconicon 2021... unless we get hit by another Pandemic or life altering event; we'll be there!

As always... keep it Truthful!

-MC

Respect Indie!

4/13/2020

Indie Creator Spotlight
Jeff Burton

I've been meaning to write an Indie creators series of articles that spotlight the many talented creators that are out there making comics against all odds and I feel deserve our attention. A few people have asked me "why would you give another artist a spotlight on your website? They're gonna take your readers!" My short answer: No they won't. My long answer: It ain't about me, it never was about me and it never will be about me; we're all in this together. Hopefully creators see me writing about them and their books and we'll get to know each other, hopefully become friends and hopefully help each other out. There's room for everyone. With that said, let's talk to the creator of AURORAMAN; Jeff Burton!

When did you came up with the idea for Auroraman?

The idea for Auroraman came around in the fall of 2015. A friend and I were talking about ideas around a character loosely based off of a mutual favourite DC comics character but with a Canadian twist. I ran the idea past another Canadian indie creator who liked it and helped me refine it to what it is today!

What is the creative team behind your comic?

I don’t have one set creative team, other than myself writing the book, but rather like to work with a wide range of awesome artists, mainly Canadian and mostly Saskatchewan based artists. It is really cool to see their different takes on Auroraman. I've even written stories geared towards specific artists based on their style and strengths.

What's the premise behind Auroraman?

The Adventures of Auroraman is a fun superhero comic for all ages. Truly based more in the silver age of comics where heroes smiled and had wild and crazy adventures. The pitch line goes like this – “When a father of five and school teacher Jeff Burton finds a staff loaded with cosmic energy in a meteor shower, he does what anyone would do and puts it in the cosmic lost and found box... WAIT; no he doesn’t! He learns how to use it and becomes Canada's newest super hero and the Super Power of the Prairies... Auroraman!” 8 times out of 10, when I'm pitching that line people's faces light up at that "Super Power of the Prairies" tagline and further looking and talking happens; most often a sale of some sort.

How many issues do you have planned to produce?

As many as I can while still having fun doing it!

Is Auroraman going to be a long running series or a mini-series?

I don’t envision a "for sure" end number as I keep coming up with fun new stories to write about!

Why self-publish?

Self publishing has some distinct advantages, the biggest being that I'm able to keep my light hearted, fun superhero stories happening without anyone else trying to change who or what my comic is.

How do you separate yourself from the thousands who self publish their books every year?

I think it’s just my style of non-linear story telling, you can jump in anywhere basically, and my passion for comics in general; but specifically for Auroraman to be something that can provide that relaxed escape from the crush of the everyday. Add to that my day job as a teacher and I use comic books in the classrooms in so many different ways, depending on the grade levels of the kids. It's really a great and versatile tool for educators to use too!

So where can fans read or get their very own copy of Auroraman?

Ok, there are several places to get the actual comics. Locally, the 7-11 in Humboldt, Sk carries it. Online, you can get them through the Auroraman Facebook page or www.bigcountrycomics.com. Digitally you can get it through comiXology. I also have a bi-weekly newspaper style comic strip that is released locally (and digitally now in the current pandemic state of life). I'm offering a PDF collection of the year and half of the comic strips for FREE right now. Last year I also started The Audio Adventures of Auroraman podcast which is an audio comic complete with narration, voice actors, sound effects etc. We have released 3 episodes, please note that episode one was really rough and the newer ones sound a lot better!

What's next for Auroraman?

We just launched issue 7 of The Adventures of Auroraman this past weekend which is super exciting! Issue 8 is probably close to 50% done production, the comic strips are still cruising along every 2 weeks and I have a couple audio comic episodes on the go. Oh and I'm final building The Adventures of Auroraman website!

Are you working on any other projects at the moment?

See above lol. Actually, I'm also dabbling in a bit of a story for a friend's comic – Blackthorne.

Anything else you wanna share with us?

With issue #7 of The Adventures of Auroraman we're teaming up with the organization Creative Kids Saskatchewan – a non-profit organization that provides families with funding for kids to enroll in a variety of different arts based programing. We have a variant cover for issue #7 done by a 15 year old aspiring comic book artist only available through bigcountrycomics.com with all proceeds being donated to Creative Kids. Also, I have the original artwork pages for sale, 18 out of the 21 pages plus the cover of issue #7 and I'm offering them as a bundle pack: $45 gets you the issue and a page of original art from issue #7 and I'll be donating $15 to to Creative Kids for each bundle pack sold!

That is a fantastic gesture on your part and all for a great cause. Much respect! I can't wait to read more of Auroraman as well as listen to the audio adventures. Make sure to let me know when your next issue comes out!