ComiCentric

What a new year means to me? Nothing. Just another day in the books. I understand that we need a reset of the calendar and it’s nice to know how many times we been around the sun. A sun spiraling in the vast void of emptiness a bajillion mile an hour.  A prolific ride with no end in sight...

… oh, but this is about new year!

A time that a lot of people use as an excuse to make and break speculations on their own person. The wishes we have upon ourselves are nice. But only the few and the determined get to their own finish line.

"Take control of the narrative one panel at a time "

You can’t know what love is if you don’t truly love yourself. So, check yourself and love yourself just a little. You got the whole year to work on one thing. And its not you. Then there and only after then can you go out and help others.

Comicentric still trying to answer: 

Do comics make you an eccentric or do eccentric people read comics?

XoXoxO

Cruz

Well folks we made it to the end of the calendar year. Things have changed so much since I have started this podcast. But this isn’t the end more of a mid-point for me. Over half a year of weekly podcasts and I can’t thank every guest that i have hosted and you the listener enough. I kind-a sort-a maybe see what the appeal of podcasting. Great way to reach people.

With this next year, while I don’t see it as a new beginning, I see things as continuing and developing. With hopes of maybe expanding the audience. And getting more ears, and possibly eyes, on the podcast. That should include more fun times with friends and guests, from all spices of life who read and are into comics.

So what will next year bring?

What will be the outcome of all this work?

Can there be more fun to come?

Only one way to find out…  see you next year, same comicentric time… same comicentric channel~!

I Look forward to looking forward

XOXO

CRUZ

Happy Holidays. No matter what you celebrate one thing is for sure the holiday movie is a staple of the holiday season. Without it we would not know of love that comes only around that season. Or how to take care of bad guys who want to ruin the holiday fun. These movies serve as a template for people who wish to understand more about the holiday. And yes, I am including the slasher holiday films. That server more of a purpose since they server as a template of how to survive the holidays.

And as always XOXOX From your pals at ComiCentric!`

You ever wonder how comics are made? No not the big corporate ones. I'm talking about the smaller creator owned independent comics. Back in the day you had to have some sort of hustle that paid well enough to fun your own investments or you would need to have a rich uncle with deep pockets.

But as things go, times change and the way to fund your imaginative investments has become much easier. Bring on Kickstarter, a peer-to-peer donation funding website. That started with as a way to help fund old ladies Hawaiian vacation dreams.

Now utilized as a platform to fund anything from video games to comics books. Several people including celebrities have taken to the platform to fund their passion projects. The sky seems the limit with this as long as you have something worth investing in.

Two such projects are by previous guests have ventured forth and started their own kick starters and where generous enough to relay their experience with the crowd funding platform. Javier Hernandez and Peter Mellini talk about their experiences in starting a Kickstarter.

So its nice to know, in this day and age, there are place online where people can help each other, no matter where on earth, reach their dreams. if you have a strong idea and are willing to put that idea out there, to be judged by the masses and still think the idea is a good idea. Then shoot your shit. 'You miss 100% shoots you don’t take'.

XOXOXO 

CRUZ

I want you guys to meet Lisa Vasquez she plays on a freaking rad band called Pizza Stains. Taking on the persona of Lisa Pizza she plays with her with her what a do nephew Ian Stains the other half of the band.

And while music has been a part of her since she was she was young. The dream of being a musician looming longingly.  Even when slanging floppies and studying she had the music itch. She dreamt of playing in a BASS and DRUM band. Not to be confused with DRUM & BASS. This was a total new genre when she was growing up.

Getting inspiration from such bands as 'Coheed and Cambria' and 'Death from Above 1979'. She put her best bass forward and pizza stains started playin several venues. It wasn’t for the pandemic that slowed everything down. But, The Pizza Stains are back!! Playing little shows here and there. So keep an eye out

XOXOXO

~CRUZ

Namor was created in 1939 by Bill Everett for Marvel, then Timely Comics. One of the original 3 characters to come out from marvel. Setting the stage for what could be mutants since the other one was a super powered weenier and the other an android who lit himself on fire. A mutant son of a human fisherman and princess of Atlantis, you know that old story, Namor possess super strength and agility and the ability to fly with his lil’ tiny adorable wings on his feet. (Seriously! I’ve always thought they were adorable!)

Starting off as a defender and a crusader of the world’s oceans, a place he calls home.  this character seemed off putting to several people, so he was often used as a bad guy trying to do good. An anti-anti-hero. He just wanted people to leave his kingdom in peace and not throw they Milky Way warper into the oceans. This and several misunderstandings would often let Namor down the wrong paths for the right reasons. Except for the time he tried to steal Sue Storm from Reed Richards… that was just a flex. But this new Namor we got in Black Panther: Wakanda forever can’t hold a trident to the classic version.

Namor came off strong. And we all loved him for that gave us something to cheer for. But after being the top champ for years and having nothing to challenge him. Once he was beaten, its high time to hightail it? I mean as soon as he gets a bit scraped up, he retreats and sulks? Even his cousin Namora tries to call him out on this. But he with his serpent tongue sort of convinces her that he is is biding his time. And will somehow take over the surface world with Wakanda’s help. Delusional much? This is not befitting actions of a Imperius Rex.

I love that we as a brown skinned people are getting some representation with characters that are supposed to be predominantly white. But if you’re going to represent, please don’t make us look bad at the end.

XOXOX

CRUZ

When Reading comics can be a thrill, you can get lost in the pages and when the characters come to life. It become more than ink on paper. Your mind gets involved and becomes part of that moment. Getting lost in the characters struggle. Privy to their world, the narrative takes root, and the fun begins.

What do you see? Do you see the characters world come to life? Does that include the sounds of the metropolitan city. The smells of a dystopian alley, in a world maid of your own mind. Then if these worlds have sounds for the narrative to play out. When we hear the explosions in our head, the sounds of the cars and people of that world. The voices of the heroes in our heads help shape the fun we have with comics.When you hear Batman Who do you hear?

So, what voice do you hear when you think batman? Are you old enough to hear Adam West voice? Or you so young that it is Affleck (eeeWWW ) that you hear? and you a mid  and just do Michael Keaton? These are the voices we give the pages we read. We can make up our own of course but we always start somewhere.

Mr Conroy entertained me, and several children across America, every afternoon for weeks! Little that he knows that he was getting paid to baby sit and not getting paid. Crouched around the television screen it didn’t matter if it was a rerun, there he was fighting crime with that unique bat man voice on the late and great Kevin Conroy could provide.

Mr. Kevin Conroy had a great career in performing from TV soap operas to staring rolls in videogames. But what he really brought to life was several iterations of batman. In looking him up I even found he did Shakespeare on Broadway.

This is my little thank you on the internet for our fallen hero. We know he was fighting all the way to the end. And it is with my sincerest heart that Kevin Conroy’s legacy live on even after we are all long and gone.

Kevin Conroy was... is... and will continue to be my Batman.

ComiCentric Issue 31:  A sit down with Professor Miguel Angel Acedo

There are tons of comicentric people in this world but none like the professor, Miguel Acedo who elated by what comics have become has himself dabbled in the genre himself. A storytelling wordsmith who dabbles like a wizard with his spells being the written word. Besides all that cool stuff the professor is also the 3rd member of the Gordo: The Teenage flying saucer crew.

Miguel Angel Acedo is an English Professor of English at Cal State LA where he sometimes adds comic spice to his curriculum. He has been writing creatively for quite some time. Teaching screen writing and story telling is a joy for Miguel his passion for story telling is only the start. He loves to listen to othes stories.

Miguel has written several notable comics. POE NOIR: An antology of murder, madness, and mayhem that is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. HORRORHOUSED; Horror Anthology inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe. CRIATURAS; A Latino Horror, Folklore, & Fantasy Comic Book Anthology. CHANO COMIC: about a rocker dad who uses the power of music to fight against “them”! and not to forget the latest in his repertoire, Gordo the teen age flying saucer; this high-flying space adventure comic is a culmination of teamwork and dedication.

And now has a KICKSTARTER.

When Miguel and his partners Peter Mellini and Valeria Ontiveros started on Gordo The Teenage Flying Saucer They had a plan to do a crowdfunding earlier in the year but the campaign to get their book to blast off took a bit of a delay. BUT now they are back and they need our help to make their dream a reality. There are several tiers available from single issues to stickers and blank variants Including some with original art by Valeria Oliveros.

xoxo

CRUZ

Welcome to a very special issue of ComiCentric. On this episode we try something a little different. We woke up early morning in 2022 to join our friend and Local Legend Javier Hernandez and record a little commentary for the 2007 adaptation of his 1998 comic book EL MUERTO: The Aztec Zombie ! Who celebrates its 25th anniversary next year.Celebrating 25 years of tears, fears and cheers

El Muerto: The Aztec Zombie is a self-published comic book by Javier Hernandez, who brought his character to life in 1998 via the comic media. In 2005 Javier was approached by Hollywood to make his property into a motion picture, He like anyone with bit of brain lawyered up and jumped at the opportunity to make it happen.

Starting Wilder Valderrama EL Muerto: The Dead One was released in 2007, this little independent movie had some real star power behind it. Starting Maria Conchita Alonso, Joel David Moore, Tony Plana, Tony Amendola, Billy Drago, Michael Parks, (who plays a sheriff in this and in the movies of  Robert Rodriguez and Quinten Tarantino). Angie Cepeda who plays the love interest, also co-stared with Wilmer Valderrama again as Agustin and Julieta Madrigal on Disney’s Encanto.

OK now that the formalities are taken care of lets play the game:

We watched the DVD movie for this audio commentary, so if you want to start with us. Go about a minute in the commentary track and use the peninsula films logo at the beginning as the starting point to follow along:

And if you don’t have a copy of the movie its free on the YouTube (Transmitido en Espanol en SAP, donde disponible ), you can just follow with us there.

Start the podcast (we got a lil’ intro). Wait for 1:08 mark and start the movie via YouTube.

Thank you very much to Javier Hernandez this was a bit of surreal experience making an audio commentary. I’m used to making the commentary and no one listening. Now everyone will listen to our musings. And thank you the listener you are Great!!

XOXOXO

~CRUZ

HALLOWEEN SPOOOKTACULAR

As the door opens you are greeted by the CruzKeeper a deplorable despairing decadent divulging despondent derived of dirt and dust deprived and devoted to death. welcomes you as it pulls a polybag comic out of his cloak,  and begins to recant:

Story tellers: