"Comics My Ghetto Ass Likes Pt. 6″
What up, everyone! It’s ya’ boy Danny Loks! Yes, I am typing how I talk it, and if you don’t like it keep on walkin’. With that out of the way let me get this shit rollin’ as I do miss sharing with you all actual comics my ghetto ass likes.
Today I present to you Javier Hernandez’s comic creation, EL MUERTO. It’s a story about a young dude who finds himself dead and in purgatory, only to be brought back to this Earth by the Aztec God of Death, Mictlantecuhtli. Actually, there’s more to this that I can’t recollect at the moment, but only ‘cuz I don’t have the comic book here with me as I type this. And there’s another Aztec God involved whose name escapes me. Anyhow, El Muerto is brought back to Earth to handle some shit, but I never got the chance to read the second issue of this series to know how, or if that shit was handled. It was 2004 when I first discovered this book, and I never saw a follow up issue on the shelves whenever I hit a shop (I didn’t have regular access to the internet at that time to search for it online), so I never did keep up with El Muerto. Needless to say, it is one of the few comics I’ve re-read over and over and over again because I genuinely liked it.
But that’s not the only reason I liked it. When I first saw this book (first cover picture above) it was at a comic shop in Uptown Whittier, CA. And it was on its own display which accentuated the words “created by local artist”. Local. For once in, like, ever, did I feel like comic creators can indeed come from home. I mean, seeing that display I often wondered if Javier, El Muerto’s creator, was actually inside the comic shop as I purchased this book. I felt a bit star struck without even knowing who Javier, or El Muerto for that matter, were. But I felt it. And the excitement lingered, even after I started creating my own comics.
Fast forward to today. It’s been almost 2 years since I started putting my works out and started following indy creators throughout social media in hopes to network one way or another. And through Facebook I bumped into Javier. I immediately sent him a Friend Request and he eventually accepted. Now, I definitely did not jump on his nuts since I only read one of his books once we became online “friends”, but that excitement returned to me. You know, the li’l star truck feeling? And I was happy to learn that his back catalog is available for purchase through his online store. And so I bought a couple more books and was pleased to find out, and to have read, that the story of El Muerto is being re written and re-introduced to the masses. Thus, El Muerto Resurrection is born (3rd cover pictured above). This will let me know whether or not El Muerto handled that shit he was supposed to have handled back in ‘04 when I first read his story. Let the inner geek in me rejoice!
Now, I will admit that my recent connection with Javier prompted me to write a blog about his creation, but that is simply because I was reminded of this gem I have in my collection. The only ones who know about this blog is the few of you who befriended me here on Tumblr who actually like my ish. And I thank you for that. Look, that excitement I kept referring to earlier was more like a glimmer of hope (in the case of comic creating), even when creating comics wasn’t anywhere near my future plans. When I first opened that book you could tell that it was printed in a non-standard comic book printer. It could’ve even been self assembled by hand since Javier has a background in self-publishing through zines and mini comics, and hitting the indy cons. Whenever I re-read this book I would also re-read the editorials, who told the humble beginnings of this man and his little comic who could. I think that shit lingered in my psyche after I started doing my own, and which is why I’m featuring this today.
Look, it’s fuckin’ cold outside, it’s raining! And as soon as I go home I’m gonna dig up my EL MUERTO comics and look for inspiration, or if anything, more like motivation to continue with my current projects. I think I hit a slump. But first I gotta make it home through this stormy weather. If I recall, it was a night like this when El Muer... well, you know what..? I’m gonna shut up now before I jinx myself. Heh heh heh.
Check out Javier Hernandez’s works, which include EL MUERTO, at www.loscomex.storenvy.com
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