If you missed seeing it live, catch the entire LCX “Masks and Monsters of Mexican Golden Age Comics” presentation below.
We ran out of time on the post Q&A so here’s text of what we didn’t get to:
Q: Thoughts on the upcoming Blue Demon/Disney project and how that will impact the whole scene?
A: Finger crossed, ANY successful marriage of an America media company to a generations-old lucha entity will inspire more similar efforts in the future, and we NEED these to include the comics! I’m really hoping Netflix opens up to similar as well.
Q: Why the fotonovela in Mexico? Where in the Philippines there was a group of artistic graphic artists working for Marvel and DC. Why didn’t Mexico develop a graphic art industry for their comics.
A: They absolutely did! Fotomontaje comics were a minority of the country’s artistic output and some superb traditional line work thrived there as well. Seach around for a book called “Tawa: El Hombre Gacela” for some of the most unique layouts I’ve ever seen from any country.
Q: How did you get started being a fan of Mexican comics?
A: I was first blown away by lucha libre, seeing Mil Mascaras when he would tour in the 70s. One Statuday, watching from central New England, there he was for the WWWF, a standout in mask and cape and I was so frustrated more wrestlers didn’t look like him. Finding out decades later the luchador was the go-to superhero model for Mexican media made me that 10 year old kid again and I never looked back!
Q: What’s the lucha mask behind you?
A: EL Dragon Rojo – it’s a bootleg mask of the real-life wrestler who adopted the lead character from the film I wrote, Los Campeones de la Lucha Libre. They say once you’ve been bootlegged in China or Mexico, you’re finally a success!