Today I'd like to share with all of you my depiction of the pride and joy of my hometown of Utuado, Puerto Rico... Adriana Diaz and Melanie Diaz! "The Golden Girls" as they've been nicknamed by the people of Puerto Rico have been representing our island all over the World with dignity and honor. They  each recently won Gold Medals in Peru and the future looks bright for these two young table tennis superstars. 

   Hoy quiero compartir con ustedes mi ilustración de el orgullo de mi ciudad natal Utuado, Puerto Rico... Adriana Diaz y Melanie Diaz! "Las Chicas Doradas" como fueron apodadas por la gente de Puerto Rico han representado nuestra isla con dignidad y honor. Receientemente las dos ganaron medallas de oro en Peru y el futuro se ve muy brillante para estas dos jovenes super estrellas del tennis de mesa. 

​-MC

   Today I'm going to kill three birds with one stone, first I'm going to give a spotlight to those podcasts that shine a light on the many incredible indie comics out there, this will help any indie creator who might have a book they need reviewed and last but not least; comics fans can find a podcast (or podcasts) that they can listen to and learn more about the many indie comics that exist and they can read. I do this because I feel we're all in this together, this isn't about me making it big; it's about ALL OF US MAKING IT! With that said, here's a list of the podcasts I listen to on a regular basis because they discuss indie comics amongst other geek topics.   

1. The ComixCentral Podcast Network features Indie Comics, creating, selling & marketing comics, interviews with industry insiders, reviews & more! www.comixcentral.com
2. Escapist Comics Podcast features weekly comics news and reviews! Hosted by Jessica and Jesse, produced in association with The Escapist Comic Bookstore 3090 Claremont Ave. Berkeley, CA.
3. Indie Alley An amalgam of Independent Comic Books and Indie Wrestling. The combination you never realized you needed. with co-hosts, Andrew G. & Fred E. joined weekly by special wrestling commentator Joey Bag of Doughnuts.
4. The Comics Alternative A weekly podcast focusing on the world of alternative, independent, and primarily non-superhero comics. (There's nothing wrong with superhero comics. We just want to do something different.) New podcast episodes become available every Wednesday and include reviews of graphic novels and current ongoing series, discussions of upcoming comics, examinations of collected editions, in-depth analyses of a variety of comics texts, and spotlights on various creators and publishers. The Comics Alternative also produces "special feature" programs, such as shows specifically dedicated to creator interviews, webcomics, on-location events, and special non-weekly themes and topics.
5. NERDSoul The Audio feed of the NERDSoul YouTube Show. NERDSoul, is that intangible fresh--that 70's soul mixed with comics, some sci-fi fantasy, movie geekery, topped off with the Golden Era of Hip Hop. Loving Wu-Tang, Justice League, Star Wars, Stevie Wonder and playing D&D after school. NERDSoul comes from that StreetGEEK that can chop it up with the best, while being up on game around the block and Pop Culture's Movies, TV Shows, Comic Books & more!
6. For the Love of Indie is your #1 podcast for creator owned, independent and small press comics! Delve into some titles you may know little about, discover some incredible creators, and find out about excellent titles heading your way! Additional info and show notes can be found at www.fortheloveofindie.com!
7. Zero Issues Comic Podcast A weekly podcast series hosted by three bald indie comic artists who get together to discuss, analyze and obsess over comic books and all things pop culture over a few beers.
8. COMIC BROS Podcast Join indie comic creators Mark Wise, Jin Wicked, and Root Bradford every month to chat about comics! Reading 'em, making 'em, conventions, business, interviews, comics news, and more!
9. Page Turners: A Comic Book Podcast A twice weekly podcast that discusses comic book story arks one issue at a time. Marvel, DC, Indie, or any other publisher, The boys at page turners will discuss it all.
10. Hey Kids, Comics! is a semi-regular Internet Radio Show in which your hosts, Father and Son Andrew & Micheal Leyland, will pick an issue, story arc, creator or character from the myriad of comics available to talk about and dissect. It can be old or new, a major publisher or an indie, Superhero or Vertigo, heck, a TV show or novel - the sky's the limit as long as the Father & Son duo can find something to argure about. What makes us different from all the other comics podcasts? Glad you asked. We are 2 British people looking at an almost exclusively American art form with love, affection and with just a dollop of irreverance. New episodes appear ONLY on TWO TRUE FREAKS.com
11. Indie-Credible Podcast is the weekly indie game podcast from indie-credible.com, covering news, previews, interviews and more from the world of indie gaming.
12. Imaginary Worlds is a bi-weekly podcast about science fiction and other fantasy genres. Host Eric Molinsky talks with novelists, screenwriters, comic book artists, filmmakers, and game designers about their craft of creating fictional worlds. The show also looks at the fan experience, exploring what makes us suspend our disbelief, and what happens when that spell is broken. Fantasy worlds may be set in distant planets or parallel dimensions, but they are crafted here on Earth and on some level relate to our daily lives. Employing his years of experience in public radio, Eric brings a sophisticated, thoughtfully produced voice to the far-out and fantastical.To access the full archive of Imaginary Worlds episodes, go to www.stitcher.com/premium and use the promo code Imaginary.
13. Making Comics A podcast about making and publishing comics (and yes, reading comics). Your podcast hosts Keith (215 Ink, Kodoja) and Mike (215 Ink) talk with guests and cover a wide range of topics under the comic and graphic novel spectrum.
14. Diversity Issues Podcast We are a podcast that talks about diverse characters, themes and content in indie comics.
15. Comic DNA Indie comic writer Aaron Walther discusses his favorite comics with other comic writers and artists.
16. Comics Obscura Podcast is less a news and review cast and more a locus of ideas. We want to talk about comics in a critical way to spark interesting and enlightening conversations about the medium. We use our platform to celebrate comics of all types--from the mainstream superheroes to the indie darling--and hope to create engaging podcasts that inspire readers to approach comics with a critical eye.
17. Tour De Cons Martha and Rob discuss various comic and pop culture conventions with guests and friends. Artists, superheroes, indie comics, comic books, writers, books, movies, TV, video games, tabletop games, anime, and music are all topics that are covered. Please rate us and subscribe to help more fans find our show. Learn more, contact us, and check out our other podcasts at www.southgatemediagroup.com.
18. Four Color Commentary Comic Nerds and Newbies Assemble! Deep in the Four Color Fortress, The Four Color Comrades meet bi-weekly to chat all about comics for your listening pleasure! Alan loves Hal Jordan, Manga, and the technical side of comics. Chewie is a comic newbie with a love of horror and the dark side. Ian wants super powers, is way into Batman, and is easy to please. Ryan is our indie guru, comics historian, and geek father of two. With our powers combined, we are... Four Color Commentary: The continuing saga of four comic nerds and the books they love!
19. Undercover Capes Podcast Network the BEST Comic Pop Culture Podcast's EVER!
20. Creator At Large Every week on the Creator At Large podcast host Jeremy Melloul speaks with creators and other professionals working in the comic book industry. He digs into how they’ve built their careers, as well as their thoughts and feelings on the industry’s trends and changes. Through these conversations, listeners will not only learn about the industry itself, but also get advice and information on how to build an independent living working in comics.
21. The Awesome Comics Podcast The podcast where the best in the small press comics scene make one hell of a big noise!
22. Talking Comics A weekly comic book podcast by fans for fans. Reviews, discussions, news, contests and more.
23. So Wizard Podcast is your weekly home for nerd news, arguing and random tangents! Three friends unite to discuss the world of nerd! Join Markellus, Aubrey and Joey on a podcast that is SO WIZARD!
24. The Comics Experience: Make Comics podcast provides ~15 minutes of advice per episode on all aspects of creating comics and breaking in to the industry.
25. The MotherF**cker In A Cape podcast series is an informal chat moderated by R. Alan Brooks (writer & co-creator of The Burning Metronome comic book) and Jordan Froelich (the comics guru at Mutiny Information Cafe). We talk with comic book creators, nerd activists and key figures from areas of geek culture that aren't often explored. Geek culture is everywhere! MFIAC looks at where we can all fit into it.
26. Dave Talks Comics A podcast on the subjects of comic books, cartoons, and comic book conventions
27. Discussing Comics is a podcast covering the latest in the worlds of comic books, TV, and movies. We discuss our favorite comic book characters from Marvel, DC, Titan, IDW, Boom!, and more! No hero or villain is off-limits from the printed page to the big screen. Hosted by Kyle Jones, Clarence Brown, Lee Shackleford, and other guests hosts. Discussing Comics is a part of the Discussing Network.
28. "Do You Speak Geek?" is a platform designed to bring the latest and most exciting content from the geek/nerd realm. Covering topics such as comics, TV shows, movies, books, technology, gaming and any other topics of interest from a fan’s perspective.

   I'm sure there are many more indie focused podcasts out there, these are just the ones I listen to; maybe you listen to a few different ones. If you do would you be so kind as to share them with us and everyone else? We're going to update this list with the podcasts you guys share with us. In the meantime listen, enjoy and create; maybe they'll be talking about your comics in their newest episode. 

-MC

   I imagine you all know this by now but if you don't, I was born and raised in Utuado, Puerto Rico. As a result my native tongue is Spanish, I just happened to learn English at a very young age because I loved cartoons and movies and hated the Spanish dubbed versions. If you're wondering why I'm telling you this it's simple, starting next week I'll be posting content on the website in both Spanish and English. It'll take me some time to make the whole website entirely bilingual but I'll get there before the year ends. Not only that, we're going to be doing the same thing to our Truthful Comics website as well!!! 
   The reasons why we're doing this are many but mainly, Spanish is our native tongue and we've neglected that fact for way too long, we have a lot of people who follow us but can't read our blogs or our comics because they don't speak English and obviously there's a HUGE Spanish speaking market out there that we're not reaching and there's no reason why we shouldn't. Our main goal is to have all our products be bilingual come 2020, especially our books! So, stay tuned and thanks for your support. 

​-MC

​   Me imagino que todos ustedes saben esto a estas alturas, pero si no lo hacen, nací y crecí en Utuado, Puerto Rico. Como resultado, mi lengua materna es el español, acabo de aprender inglés a una edad muy temprana porque me encantaban los dibujos animados y las películas y odiaba las versiones dobladas en español. Si te preguntas por qué te digo esto es simple, a partir de la próxima semana publicaré contenido en el sitio web tanto en español como en inglés. Me llevará algún tiempo hacer que todo el sitio web sea completamente bilingue, pero llegaré antes de que termine el año. No sólo eso, vamos a hacer lo mismo con nuestro sitio web de Truthful Comics también!!! 
   Las razones por las que estamos haciendo esto son muchas pero principalmente, el español es nuestra lengua nativa y hemos descuidado ese hecho durante demasiado tiempo, tenemos un montón de gente que nos sigue pero no puede leer nuestros blogs o nuestros cómics porque no hablan inglés y obviamente hay un ENORME Sp anish hablando mercado por ahí que no estamos llegando y no hay razón por la que no debimos. Nuestro principal objetivo es que todos nuestros productos sean bilingues 2020, especialmente nuestros libros! Por lo tanto, manténgase atento y gracias por su apoyo. 

-MC

   If you've followed my career for a bit you probably know this already but I like a good challenge, it gives me the fuel to push myself beyond my limits;; especially when it comes to my art! The first Saturday un October the art world celebrate something called 24 Hour Comics Challenge. If you have no idea what in the World is 24 Hour Comics Day I'll let it's founder explain it to you all:  

   Needless to say, drawing a full comic book in 24 hours straight is a heck of a challenge; that's why I'm planning a 12 Hour Comics Day. Hear me out... I've participated in the 24 Hour Comics Challenge twice already, both times I failed to finish inking and lettering the book. No shame in that, I tried my hardest and I found out an area I still need to work on; speed. But, before my first 24hr challenge I participated in a 12 Hour Comics Day which was basically a practice round before the big day a month later. It was a great experience for me (and for everyone who participated I think) because there were like 30 people inside a comic book shop and they were all there for the same reason... to have a great time! We watched movies, ate, drank, laughed; it was one of my fondest geek experiences to this day. Here are some pics from that wonderful day... 

   I know that I'd like to try to tackle 24 Hour Comics Day again this October BUT I know I'm still not fast enough and I KNOW I don't want to doit alone. One thing I absolutely loved about Buy Indie Comics Day is that I got to meet in person and spend time with a few of the local comics creators here in my neck of the woods and in the spirit of camaraderie I'd like to extend my hand and invite each and every one of ya'll I met, and anyone out over the interwebs who wants; to join me on this 12 Hour Comics Day Challenge! A tentative date would be the first Saturday in September but I'll give you a more concrete date in the next few days.
   I'm thinking that instead of putting together 24 pages, the 12 Hour Comics Challenge would consist on illustrating a complete short story. It can be 4-12 pages and it can be black and white or fully colored, it's up to the creator. It's hard to find a venue for a 24hr comics challenge because... well... the establishment would have to be open 24 hours and also allow a bunch of nerds to stay in said establishment. A 12 hour challenge is far less difficult since most establishments are open more than 12 hours and it could even be at a local Starbucks or maybe a random coffee shop, I'm sure they'd appreciate the business. So let me know if you're in?

​-MC

​   Si has seguido mi carrera por un tiempo probablemente ya lo sabes, pero me gusta un buen desafío, me da el combustible para empujarme más allá de mis límites;; especialmente cuando se trata de mi arte! El primer sábado de octubre el mundo del arte celebra algo llamado 24 Hour Comics Challenge. Si no tienen idea de lo que en el mundo es 24 Hour Comics Day dejaré que su fundador se lo explique a todos:  

   It's progress report time so I'm happy to announce that Project: New Wave #2 is fully inked, scanned and ready to be colored by Frank Rivera! The story was written by Alvaro Cortez Jr. with me handling the art. This story will delve deeper into the dynamic of the team, their upbringing on a military base and we'll be able to understand why some of the characters behave the way they do. It'll (hopefully) give you a better understanding of who our heroes are and where they stand. The story is twenty (20) pages long and we're expecting to put it out either late 2019 or early 2020 exclusively through Truthful Comics. Stay tuned for more details on the release date and the extra material we're putting together exclusively with issue #2. 

​-MC

   Es hora del informe de progreso, así que estoy feliz de anunciar que Project: New Wave #2 está completamente entintado, escaneado y listo para ser coloreado por Frank Rivera! La historia fue escrita por Alvaro Cortez Jr. conmigo manejando el arte. Esta historia profundizará en la dinámica del equipo, su educación en una base militar y podremos entender por qué algunos de los personajes se comportan de la manera en que lo hacen. (esperemos) te dará una mejor comprensión de quiénes son nuestros héroes y dónde están. La historia tiene veinte (20) páginas y esperamos sacarla a cabo a finales de 2019 o principios de 2020 exclusivamente a través de Truthful Comics. Manténgase atento para obtener más detalles sobre la fecha de lanzamiento y el material adicional que estamos armando exclusivamente con el número #2. 

-MC

   Taking that HUGE compliment from Agent: S.O.L.O. creator Raymond Leonard calling me "The General of Indie Comics" (which I don't think I am but thank you anyway brother, means a lot coming from you!) and putting it to the test, here's another initiative to shine a spotlight on Indie Creators from all over the United Stares and the World.
We'd like to spotlight as many Indie comics creators on the Buy Indie Comics Day website as possible. Here's how you can be featured: 
1. Copy and answer the questions.
2. Pick a few illustrations that best showcase your style/abilities and/or your book.
3. Like the Buy Indie Comics Day Facebook page.
4. Send the questions and images via PM to the BICD page and we'll take it from there.
We'll inform, tag and post your social media info on the spotlight post. #buyindiecomicsday

The questions are the following:
1. When did you came up with the idea for __________ ?
2. What is the creative team behind your comic?
3. What's the premise behind ________ ?
4. How many issues do you have planned to produce?
5. Is ___________ going to be a long running series or a mini-series?
6. Why self-publish?
7. How do you separate yourself from the thousands who self publish their books every year?
8. So where can fans get their very own copy of ____________ ?
9. Are you working on any other projects at the moment?
 
Bonus - Anything else you wanna share with us?

Looking forward to finding out more about each and every one of you. We got this! 

​-MC

Tomando ese enorme cumplido del agente: El creador de S.O.L.O. Raymond Leonard llamándome "El general de Indie Comics" (que no creo que no soy más que gracias hermano, significa mucho viniendo de ti!) y ponerlo a prueba, aquí hay otra iniciativa para brillar un indie Creators de todas las Estrellas Unidas y el Mundo.
Nos gustaría destacar tantos creadores de cómics indie en el sitio web del Día de Buy Indie Comics como sea posible. Así es como puedes ser destacado: 
1. Copie y responda a las preguntas.
2. Elige algunas ilustraciones que mejor muestren tu estilo/habilidades y/o tu libro.
3. Al igual que la página de Facebook Comprar Indie Comics Day.
4. Envíe las preguntas e imágenes a través de PM a la página BICD y lo tomaremos desde allí.
Informaremos, etiquetaremos y publicaremos tu información de redes sociales en la publicación de spotlight. #buyindiecomicsday

Las preguntas son las siguientes:
1. ¿Cuándo se te ocurrió la idea de __________ ?
2. ¿Cuál es el equipo creativo detrás de su cómic?
3. ¿Cuál es la premisa detrás de ________ ?
4. ¿Cuántos comics tiene planeado producir?
5. ¿Va a ser ___________ una serie de larga duración o una miniserie?
6. ¿Por qué autopublicarse?
7. ¿Cómo se separa de los miles que autopublican sus libros cada año?
8. Entonces, ¿dónde pueden los fans obtener su propia copia de ____________ ?
9. ¿Está trabajando en otros proyectos en este momento?
 
Bonus - ¿Algo más que quieras compartir con nosotros?

Esperamos saber más sobre todos y cada uno de ustedes. ¡Exito! 

-MC

   Last Saturday August 3rd the World of comics celebrated what is now THE OFFICIAL Indie Comics Holiday... BUY INDIE COMICS DAY! What began as an idea a few years back has now become a global movement reaching countries as far as Australia! It's unreal to think about but with the efforts of four desperate heroes and a bunch of creators and retailers who believed in the movement it's now become 'A THING'. But rather than me talking about it I'd rather show you some of this year's Buy Indie Comics Day images from around the World. Enjoy! ​

   El pasado Sábado 3 de Agosto el mundo de los cómics celebró lo que ahora es la fiesta oficial de Indie Comics... BUY INDIE COMICS DAY! ¡Lo que comenzó como una idea hace unos años se ha convertido en un movimiento global que llega a países como Australia! Es increíble pensar, pero con los esfuerzos de cuatro héroes desesperados y un montón de creadores y vendedores que creían en el movimiento ahora se ha convertido en 'OTRA COSA'. Pero en lugar de hablar de ello, prefiero mostrarle algunas de las imágenes del Día de los Cómics Indie de este año alrededor del mundo. ¡Que lo disfruten!

   I love social media for the same reason I hate it sometimes, you can reach and be reached by an infinity of people, some of whom you may end up calling friends; some of them not so much. A few weeks ago I received a friend request from someone who lives relatively close to me and seemed to be interested in the same geeky things I'm into, so I accepted the request. As it turns out this gentleman is the host of a geek related podcast called Do you Speak Geek? “Do You Speak Geek?” is a platform designed to bring the latest and most exciting content from the geek/nerd realm. Covering topics such as comics, TV shows, movies, books, technology, gaming and any other topics of interest from a fan’s perspective. If you're looking for something to listen to on your way to/from work, something to listen to at work or maybe while your kid is at Tae Kwon Do class; give it a listen and I promise you'll get a nerdy kick out of it... I know I did!  

To Listen Do You Speak Geek? Go To: Do You Speak Geek?

​   Me encantan las redes sociales por la misma razón por la que lo odio a veces, puedes llegar y ser alcanzado por una infinidad de personas, algunas de las cuales puedes terminar llamando amigos; algunos de ellos no tanto. Hace unas semanas recibí una solicitud de amistad de alguien que vive relativamente cerca de mí y parecía estar interesado en las mismas cosas geek en las que estoy, así que acepté la solicitud. Resulta que este caballero es el anfitrión de un podcast relacionado con geeks llamado Do you Speak Geek? "Do You Speak Geek?" es una plataforma diseñada para traer el contenido más reciente y emocionante del reino geek/nerd. Cubrir temas como cómics, programas de televisión, películas, libros, tecnología, juegos y cualquier otro tema de interés desde la perspectiva de un fan. Si usted está buscando algo para escuchar en su camino hacia / desde el trabajo, algo para escuchar en el trabajo o tal vez mientras su hijo está en la clase Tae Kwon Do; darle una escucha y te prometo que obtendrá una patada nerd de ella... ¡Sé que lo hice!  

Para escuchar los podcasts vayan a: ¿Do You Speak Geek?

   Today is a day that for the past four years has been considered THE indie comic book holiday in the World... Buy Indie Comics Day! As the co-founder of the event I'm always trying to expand and reach new horizons, places where comics might not even be known; my goal is to have a suit of arm... no wait... to have every corner of the Earth know and read indie comics! This year twenty States participated as well as Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada and Australia! Not an easy feat considering most media outlets don't cover us, a large percentage of indie creators don't embrace the movement for some reason and most retailers don't even know we exist. But we do! 

   I organized, alongside the good people of Slover Library; a combined effort to bring a spotlight not only to indie comics but geek culture in general. The Event was Get Your Geek On / Buy Indie Comics Day and combined indie comics, cosplay, dance, music, art duels, arts and crafts, video games... the works! The crowd was a mixed bag, as all new things usually are; but it gave us a clear idea of which things worked and which didn't. For example, live music next to artists alley didn't quite work, sketch duels TOTALLY ROCKED! Another thing that didn't quite worked was spreading the vendors in different floors (library has six floors... SIX FLOORS!!!), maybe next year we'll keep everything on the first two floors and have volunteers pointing people in the right direction. But all and all the event was a fantastic experience. Best part for me was meeting all these creators I've only known through Facebook, that was the highlight of my day, well that and having my wife and kids in costume! Loved it! 

​   Hoy es un día que durante los últimos cuatro años ha sido considerado LA fiesta del cómic indie en el mundo... ¡Compra el Día de los Cómics Indie! Como cofundador del evento, siempre estoy tratando de expandirme y llegar a nuevos horizontes, lugares donde los cómics ni siquiera se conocen; mi objetivo es tener un traje de brazo... No, espera... para que todos los rincones de la Tierra sepan y lean cómics indie! ¡Este año participaron veinte Estados, así como Puerto Rico, México, Canadá y Australia! No es una hazaña fácil teniendo en cuenta que la mayoría de los medios de comunicación no nos cubren, un gran porcentaje de creadores independientes no abrazan el movimiento por alguna razón y la mayoría de los minoristas ni siquiera saben que existimos. ¡Pero nosotros sí! 

   Organicé, junto a la buena gente de la Biblioteca Slover; un esfuerzo combinado para traer un foco no sólo a los cómics indie, sino a la cultura geek en general. El evento fue Get Your Geek On / Buy Indie Comics Day y combinó cómics independientes, cosplay, danza, música, duelos de arte, artes y artesanías, videojuegos... las obras! La multitud era una bolsa mixta, como todas las cosas nuevas por lo general son; pero nos dio una idea clara de qué cosas funcionaban y cuáles no. Por ejemplo, la música en vivo junto al callejón de los artistas no funcionó del todo, duelos de bocetos TOTALMENTE ROCKED! Otra cosa que no funcionó del todo fue la difusión de los vendedores en diferentes plantas (biblioteca tiene seis plantas... SIX FLOORS!!!), tal vez el año que viene mantengamos todo en los dos primeros pisos y tengamos voluntarios que apunten a las personas en la dirección correcta. Pero todo y todo el evento fue una experiencia fantástica. Lo mejor para mí fue conocer a todos estos creadores que sólo he conocido a través de Facebook, que fue lo más destacado de mi día, así que y tener a mi esposa e hijos disfrazados! Me encantó! 

   So what's my take on the first ever Buy Indie Comics Day at Slover Library? It was ok, but I KNOW next year is going to be EPIC! This was a learning experience for us, there were some things that worked and some that didn't; but we'll sit down in the next few weeks and begin planning next year's BICD/GYGC. 

​-MC