While attending Mizuumi-Con 3 at Our Lady of the Lake University, I was attracted to the First Storm Manga table to ogle at their art and comic samples on display. Attending the con with an eight-year-old doesn’t leave a lot of time for jawboning so I had unanswered questions about FSM…questions I knew Missions [Read it all...]]]>

While attending Mizuumi-Con 3 at Our Lady of the Lake University, I was attracted to the First Storm Manga table to ogle at their art and comic samples on display. Attending the con with an eight-year-old doesn’t leave a lot of time for jawboning so I had unanswered questions about FSM…questions I knew Missions Unknown readers would share. I dialed up these manga maniacs and FSM writer and organizer Eduardo Soliz answered the call.

We’ll let him handle the introductions: By day, Eduardo “Randomizer9“ Soliz is another code monkey banging away at a computer for a living. Once night falls, though, his creative side wakes up from the monotony and wants to have some fun, so he blogs, podcasts, writes short fiction and poetry, plays drums for The Loliholix, is currently taking voice-over lessons, and admins FirstStormManga.com.

Eduardo Soliz, as drawn by "My Cage" artist Melissa DeJesus

What is First Storm Manga, a publishing company or an artist/writer collective or some of both?

First Storm Manga is what I like to call an “artist’s group.” While we do put things in print, we have no intention of ever becoming a full-time publisher. Our main focus is getting creative people together so that they can collaborate and learn from each other to create new original manga. We also promote our members by distributing printed copies of member works and posting them up at firststormmanga.com

Being a Trekkie, I do like your use of the word “collective!” We are anything but, though; most of our members are fiercely independent.

How many members are in the group?

We have a total of 31 members spread across three branches in San Antonio (the “home office”), Houston and Austin. We do not focus simply on numbers; we would rather have a small number of dedicated people than a lot of people that never participate. In line with that philosophy, we do occasionally prune inactive members from the group.

Continue on after the jump for more…including the super secret (until now) origin of First Storm Manga!

A staple of many comic books is the secret origin story. Can you share with us the FSM origin tale?

“First Storms” by Eduardo “Randomizer9” Soliz

It was a dark and stormy night, and The Council was preparing to meet. The meeting promised to be different, as The Council had let it be known that they were seeking artists and writers. The Grand Hall echoed with the excited chatter of those who had responded to their call. They came from far and wide, seeking audiences for their work. Silence quickly filled the hall as The Overseer walked up to the podium and began to speak.

“The Council thanks you for coming to hear our proposal!” he started. “We seek artists and writers to create manga for us. Join us, and your works will be seen by hundreds, nay, thousands of people across the land!” The Overseer said, prompting a cheer from his audience.

The Overseer continued: “In exchange, we will take ownership of your work. You will receive no compensation for your efforts save for the pleasure of being a member of The Council.”

As a hush fell over the audience, a bespectacled gentleman stood up and said, “I do not wish to give up my creations to you!” His friend, who was wearing a jaunty cap, also stood up and said “Why should The Council alone reap the benefits of our work?” A third artist, a burly man who worked for a local merchant, stood and asked: “What good reason is there for us to join The Council?”

The Overseer smiled a condescending smile and said: “You should join us because we are the largest Council in the land, and you have no chance of success without our blessing!”

“You may be large, ‘tis true, but what feats has The Council actually accomplished?” asked a fourth artist; a rather large fellow who sported a red beard.

The Overseer briefly struggled to find an answer for his accusers, and soon became furious: “BEGONE FROM OUR MIDST, TROUBLEMAKERS!” he angrily bellowed. The four were already making their way to the exit as disgruntled murmurs began spreading among those who remained.

As the Great Hall’s heavy wooden doors locked behind them, the four stood facing each other in the rain.

“How churlish of them, demanding we surrender our work,” the burly one said.

“We should form our own council, one where people can work freely and share ideas amongst one another!” the bespectacled one replied.

“A grand idea, but first, we should seek shelter and a warm drink.“ the third one said as he removed his jaunty cap, shook the rain from it, and placed it in his coat.

“Aye, let us take our leave of this horrid place,” added the red bearded one as he began walking away from The Grand Hall.

The four soon found an inn. As they entered, a stout gentleman wearing a large ring on his right hand beckoned them. “You are here much earlier than I anticipated, friend,” he said to the burly one. “Did the gathering not go as you had planned?” he asked as everyone sat down around a table.

“The Council is corrupt and not worth our effort, so we have decided to band together and proceed on our own,” came the reply. As they shook hands, the bespectacled one said, “You are more than welcome to join us if you wish.”

“I would be honored to, sir. Does your newfound venture have a name?” the stout one said. “Not as of yet, that should be our first order of business,” the red-bearded one answered.

“A good idea, and we have time to think. The first storm of the season is fierce, and will keep us here for some time,” the stout one said as he looked through a nearby window.

As he placed it back onto his head, the gentleman with the jaunty cap smiled and said: “First Storm…interesting…”

And thus, our story begins…

Image by Man on a Commission from the Crux Project

Why Manga as opposed to traditional American or European style comics?

There are two reasons: the first is that the manga style is something we all enjoy reading and creating. I think it would be fair to say that everyone at F.S.M. enjoys comics, regardless of where they happen to come from. The second is that there are not very many places for creatives interested in creating manga to find like-minded individuals. Our goal is to be that place.

What kind of publications (print or online) do you have coming up?

We recently distributed about 350 copies of our second compilation, Manga Madness 2.0, at Anime Matsuri and O-Conn, and plan on debuting our third compilation at San Japan 3. I’m hoping we can have a new mini-manga ready for Realms Con in Corpus Christi later this year.

As for online: Naki is currently working on his Crux Project which is a series of intertwining stories featuring a variety of characters. I am currently developing a comic myself called Just Another Day At The Office which I would like to put online. The “origin story” for it was published in our second compilation.

Are meetings held in person or online? Where do most of the collaborations happen?

Meetings are held both online and in person. To get all of the benefits of being a member, we do require a small amount of in-person attendance. That said, it is possible to be considered an “active” member by only attending online meetings. Collaborations are usually done at our Saturday meetups, though we do have a members-only forum where folks can put up works in-progress if they are looking for feedback.

Who likes toast?

Seeing as I put together Toast Vol. 1, that certainly makes me a fan and then there’s Angela Zavala over in Houston who drew the first two Toast comics. Austin Rogers hates it with the fire of a thousand suns, and Chris Holm had Toast ‘guest star’ in a recent comic…and blew him up, so I’m not sure what side of the fence he’s on.

FSM has a presence at many of the area cons including San Japan, Mizuumi-Con, Anime Matsuri and more. What do you get from participating in these events? What do you think of the area conventions? Which are the best ones to attend?

Conventions give us an opportunity to distribute our works, promote ourselves and recruit. It also gives our members a chance to network and seek opportunities. As an example: it was recently announced that Austin Rogers is going to be collaborating with MegaRan on a project for his next album, I believe they first discussed it at last year’s San Japan.

My convention experience is fairly limited, as I have only been attending them for just over a year. That said, I think our local cons (Mizuumi-Con, O-Conn, ChimaeraCon and San Japan) are doing a great job. The best local one that I have been to so far would have to be San Japan, followed by Mizuumi-Con.

What con is First Storm going to be at next?

Our next con is San Japan 3, and we can’t wait, because their new location should make it even better than it was before! Realms Con in Corpus Christi is next stop; we are looking forward to their new and improved location as well.

You are a writer with the group and function as a team leader for some of the projects. What sort of challenges do you face in working with this sort of ad-hoc group?

The biggest challenge, in my opinion, is making sure that I give the artist(s) more than enough story to work with. It is always easier to leave things out than to add things in that might not work. At one point while working on San Japanic, an artist told me after I gave him an outline: “You know this isn’t going to all fit on one page, right?” I replied by saying that was okay, because my goal was for him to get the gist of what I wanted to happen. The artists also greatly add to the story by thinking of different visual ways to tell it that may not be apparent to me as a writer.

The second challenge is in juggling everyone, because each artist has their own style, their own opinion on how to tell the story, and work at their own paces. I would best describe it as herding cats. Luckily, I like cats.

Who has the harder job: the artists or the writers?

I would say the artists, because let’s be honest, anyone can write. Not everyone can write well, mind you, but anyone can write words with a pen or keyboard and they will still be recognizable as words. If I were to draw something, on the other hand, people would probably look at it and think it’s a Rorschach test.

We always ask for a top five list or two. Wanna give us your top 5 manga or comic titles?

Here are some Top 5 comics/manga lists from some of our organizers:

Writer/San Antonio Organizer Eduardo “Randomizer9” Soliz

1. Maus
2. Watchmen
3. Ghost In The Shell
4. Sky Doll
5. Death of Superman

Artist/Founding Member Chris Holm

1. Law Dog (Epic Comics)
2. The Jaguar (Impact Comics)
3. The Real Ghostbusters (Now Comics)
4. Gold Digger (Antarctic Press)
5. Cherry (Last Gasp/Cherry Comics)

Artist/Austin Organizer Chelsea “Illuminesce” Hostetter

1. MPD Psycho by Sho-u Tajima
2. DMZ by Brian Wood and Ricardo Burchielli
3. Angel Sanctuary by Kaori Yuki
4. Maus by Art Spiegelman
5. Saiyuki series by Minekura Kazuya

Artist/San Antonio Organizer Austin “Redbeard” Rogers

1. Watchmen
2. The Walking Dead
3. Batman: Year 100
4. Akira
5. Lone Wolf and Cub

Artist/Houston Organizer Angela “Coffeebeat” Zavala

1. Video Girl Ai by Masakazu Katsura
2. Dragon Half by Mita Ryuusuke
3. Inubaka: Crazy for Dogs by Yukiya Sakuragi
4. Battle Angel Alita by Yukito Kishiro
5. Bastard! by Kazushi Hagiwara

Carlos Pina's "Blood Rivals" sucks up the Gold Kahuna Award

Carlos Pina took his vampire movie Blood Rivals: Santos El Vampiro to the Honolulu Film Festival to go head-to-head against some heavy hitters with big budgets. That didn’t stop the plucky film from Haunted House Studios [Read it all...]]]>

Carlos Pina's "Blood Rivals" sucks up the Gold Kahuna Award

Carlos Pina took his vampire movie Blood Rivals: Santos El Vampiro to the Honolulu Film Festival to go head-to-head against some heavy hitters with big budgets. That didn’t stop the plucky film from Haunted House Studios from bringing home the coveted Gold Kahuna Award.

Pina’s feelings on getting the award and then discovering the high-dollar talent he was up against: “It’s like winning a bar fight and then finding out you were fighting the Champ!”

Haunted House Studios is hard at working making a series of hour-long sequels to Blood Rivals and will be starting a new feature film called Cult of Nothing soon. The studio expects to have a screening in May to show the next three episodes of Blood Rivals.

Check out our interview with Pina for our Made in SA series so you can find out what this busy filmmaker is up to.

Congratulations from Missions Unknown to all involved with this project!

JASON LIMON is a painter and one of San Antonio’s best-kept secrets. Personally, I think he’s so secret that even his own town doesn’t know about his paintings. On the international art circuit, it’s a different story though. [Read it all...]]]>

COLONY. Acrylic on canvas, 18" x 24". ©2009 Jason Limon. Used w/ permission of the artist.

JASON LIMON is a painter and one of San Antonio’s best-kept secrets. Personally, I think he’s so secret that even his own town doesn’t know about his paintings. On the international art circuit, it’s a different story though. He’s a rising art star and galleries from Los Angeles to Berlin are discovering his work. I first stumbled across it a couple of months ago via Twitter and felt an immediate kinship with him in that we’re both San Antonio artists making a full-time living trying to make art, while living under the radar here in SA. The current local art scene proclaims that SA is best when artists “Keep San Antonio Lame.” These days, the local art scene certainly lives down to that phrase, in my opinion. All too often, it champions ironic posturing, loose rhetoric, and tired cliche over solid draftsmanship, craft, and vision. In this climate, Jason’s work is a breath of fresh air. Is it science fictional? Is it fantasy? Is it horror? It’s all of it, and yet none of the above. I’m grateful that he took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to share a few words with MISSIONS UNKNOWN.

Artist’s bio: Jason Limon was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1973. He first showed his artistic expression at a fairly young age doodling characters and sceneries inspired by his bustling neighborhood and surroundings. He studied fine arts and graphic design at the Visual Arts & Technology Center at San Antonio College and entered the field of commercial graphic design in 1995 acquiring comprehensive knowledge of type, color and composition. Following twelve years of commitment to producing award winning logos and designs he then turned his focus and concentration to where his heart truly began: developing artwork by hand and brush, no longer by the clicks of a mouse. He is currently creating gallery work and commercial illustrations, some of which can be seen in COMMUNICATION ARTS, SOCIETY OF ILLUSTRATORS OF LOS ANGELES, AMERICAN ILLUSTRATION, PRINT REGIONAL DESIGN and GRAPHIS.

Favorite painters, comic book artists, and genre things include:

Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Bruegel, Salvador Dali, Chet Zar, Chris Mars, Peter Marcek, William B. Hand; Chris Ware, Frank Miller, Frank Frazetta, Alex Ross, Daniel Clowes; listening to lots of podcasts including MYSTERIOUS UNIVERSE and MYSTERIES ABOUND as well as watching zombie movies (Jason: “Just watched DEAD SNOW –that was a good one!”)

Visionary San Antonio painter Jason Limon.

When did you know it was time to leave graphic design and begin your career as a painter? Was there a single event that was the final straw or was it a slow burn?

I can’t say that there was a final straw or that it was a slow burn. I had enjoyed it for a very long time. I was always learning something new on the computer and from those around me. What had caused me to start feeling worn down was sitting day after day in front of a computer. Towards the end of that career, I was feeling stifled by the computer itself. I missed being creative with just my bare hands and had a serious craving to begin painting again to get myself out of digital mode. So when the time felt right, I jumped right on in.

How long did it take for you to build a stable living as a painter once you decided to take the plunge?

That’s a good one, because I’m still in the stages of figuring out how to survive financially. I’ve only been painting full-time for two years and one of those years (2009) has been very rough with the economy being bad and all. But as I continue onward, I learn a lot from my mistakes, explore new ways to create opportunities from my art, and have tons of faith that things will turn out well.

How do you approach marketing your work? Do you consciously make efforts to do this, or have the opportunities just come your way?

When I first started approaching a variety of galleries that I felt might be interested in showing my work, I emailed a bit of info about me and a few sample images of my art. Fortunately, a handful wanted to work with me. Since then, things just kind of snowballed and other galleries contacted me on collaborating. Looking back, I’ve been very blessed to have the yearly schedules fill up with all sorts of exhibits and events.

I’m always promoting my work wherever possible, but mainly on the internet. I’m on all the social networking sites and connect with monthly newsletters. (Here’s Jason’s Twitter feed and his Facebook page.)

You seem to prefer doing personal work over commissioned work. Is that so? And if it is, why?

Yes, you can say that. Unless the commissioned piece gives me free range to paint whatever I want to paint. In the past, I found it hard to illustrate someone else’s thoughts or ideas. But as my style and goals have become more stable, I believe creating illustrations that go with the right kind of story or article will flow out easier. As it is right now though, I’m really happy to be releasing my own thoughts and visions.

Your work has a growing international presence. You live and work here in SA. Does the city impact your work in any way?

I don’t feel like this city itself has a huge impact on what I do. The only real connection I see is my love for old buildings from our past, and nature. San Antonio has quite a few old buildings. My favorite would be the Missions, excluding the Alamo. I can be inside these places or sitting out in their open fields, and feel ideas start coming to life. I enjoy being alone out there for long periods of time. San Antonio still has that “small town” feel and the good thing about the city is I’m not really distracted by so much activity around me. That does have it’s negative side though because there are not a whole lot of artists here working in the same vein nor any galleries exhibiting that type of work.

How much attention has the local art scene given to your work? Will any of your work be showing locally any time soon?

Zero. But then again, I haven’t tried real hard to get local attention. Maybe because I know that there will be very few here that would be interested in what I do, or would commit to purchasing something. The good news is other cities have asked for my presence, and in these places, the art has done well.

What’s your favorite part of the creative process?

That would be the initial sketch, where the visions first come to life and then the moment where I get to pause, step back and take a good look at the completed piece.

What’s been your proudest achievement thus far in your painting career?

It’s being a painter itself. Though it’s been somewhat of a struggle, I’ve got to say that I feel proud when I’m sitting in the home studio, painting for a living.

What are you currently working on? What’s next for you?

I’m finishing up a few pieces for a shared exhibit over in San Francisco this November. I’ll have ten new paintings and will be exhibiting with three other artists (Jeremiah Ketner, John Bergeron, and Ken Keirns). November is a big month. I’ll also be a part of large group exhibits in L.A., Berlin and Hamburg. In December I’ll begin preparing for my solo exhibit in Chicago in April of 2010. I’ve been thinking of somehow formatting the work so that I might be able to produce some sort of book from the art. Not sure yet. The main thing for me is that I continue growing and exploring as an artist. Every new painting is a step closer to where I belong.

Favorite food, drink, or restaurant that can be found nowhere else but SA?

Oh man. I love snow cones in the summer heat, but you can find snow cones anywhere. Rolando’s Super Taco is pretty delicious – carne guisada con queso. My wife and I enjoy The Guenther House. I dig into those biscuits. Pastor tacos from those little mobile taco vendors — those are tasty too!

Enjoy more Jason Limon art here, as well as his blog.

For twenty years now, there’s been one address for Halloween horror in San Antonio — 201 East Grayson Street. Not that you need to be told, if you live in this town, but that’s the home of Nightmare on Grayson, San Antonio’s longest-running, and still the best, haunted house. Director of Operations [Read it all...]]]>

Nightmare on Grayson's Gordon Wise...and friends

For twenty years now, there’s been one address for Halloween horror in San Antonio — 201 East Grayson Street. Not that you need to be told, if you live in this town, but that’s the home of Nightmare on Grayson, San Antonio’s longest-running, and still the best, haunted house. Director of Operations Gordon Wise gave us the inside dope on what’s inside your favorite Nightmare.

Missions Unknown: What has made Nightmare on Grayson the best for so long?

Gordon Wise: The employees make it the best. Unlike some haunted houses across the country, Nightmare on Grayson is an actor- and theatrical-driven experience. You won’t find any animatronics or high-tech scares here, we rely on an actor’s skill and timing to terrify you. Nothing beats the timing of a real, live actor.

MU: When did Nightmare on Grayson start?

GW: We’ve been in San Antonio under this name for around 20 years. Not a lot of people know, but it actually started out in 1989 as Nightmare on 6th Street, in Austin. The partners who ran that went their separate ways, and one came to San Antonio and Grayson Street. I’ve been a part of it for fifteen years. I was driving from Savannah to San Diego and happened to stop in San Antonio in October. They needed a security guard and now I’m a partner.

MU: How do you keep people coming back year after year?

GW: Nightmare on Grayson has become a staple. Ask a San Antonio twelve-year-old what Halloween means to them, and Nightmare on Grayson will be one of the top three things listed. We do this by marketing every year like it’s the first year. We are always working to get the word out and remind people of the event. It is all due to the hard work of the dedicated staff and employees.

We have children on our staff whose parents worked at Nightmare. And there are people who bring in their kids, whose parents had brought them in years before. We’re on our third generation of customers, and a second generation of staff.

Each year we change about thirty percent of the attraction, usually a little at the beginning and little at the end, changes designed to give maximum impact. The interior of the facility is about a third size of a football field, and we work year-round to maintain it and improve it. We all have to take second jobs to support ourselves off-season, but we’re still working here all the time.

MU: Who designs the creatures and costumes?

GW: Me and Oscar Martinez, full-time. Others come in for short stints to help out. Off-season there’s never more than three or five, but come showtime, we have close to 100 employees, fifty or sixty of them actors. The rest handle tickets, support the staff and crew, sew costumes, handle money…we’ve got runners and people handing out water (it gets hot in there). Virtually any position you can imagine in a movie theater, we have that position in the haunted house. We’ve gotten more and more elaborate over the years, due to the exceptional artists coming through. I learn a lot from every year’s staff, very talented people.

MU: What can people expect to see while waiting in the line to get in?

GW: We don’t have lines anymore. Used to be we’d have a line four city-blocks long, but we’ve got online ticketing now, people get in fast. Very streamlined, when it’s your turn, you just show your ticket and you get in. But we do have some character monsters outside who will give you a scare if you get there early. And there’s card readers and vendors and face painters, we still have that carnival atmosphere.

MU: Is there an age limit? Do you turn anyone away? How do you deal with the faint-hearted?

GW: The show really is not recommended for children under 10, but I’ve seen all ages inside. Some kids can handle it, some can’t, just depends on your willful suspension of disbelief. We even get senior citizens in there. There’s always some who just can’t handle it. Someone will cry, wet their pants or throw up every night, but only a small percentage, probably about the same as for any scary movie. We escort them out and try to make it as dignified as possible, but it’s obvious they’re upset.

MU: What are everyone’s favorites?

GW: For some reason, everyone freaks out on puppets and dolls. Oh, and clowns. Not sure why. I think it might be because of the painted face, and parents force them to get close when they’re young. And anyone’s creepy when they’re always happy.

The Spurs Coyote and Freddy Krueger

MU: Spurs Coyote vs Freddy Krueger: who wins?

GW: Funny you should mention the Coyote. He came out this year and put on the Freddy outfit, still dressed as the Coyote. It’ll show on the screen at the Spurs game Halloween night. If you see it there, come out and visit the haunted house afterward, we’re open until at least midnight.

MU: How have people in the area reacted to Nightmare on Grayson becoming such a fixture?

GW: When we first got here, the neighborhood was derelict, really a disaster area. We’ve been cleaning and fixing the area for twenty years, cutting grass and removing graffiti. Now our new neighbor, the Pearl Brewery, has moved in, and they’ve really done a lot to upgrade the area. We’re trying to update our façade to match. People are really surprised to see the place now, it looks very nice.

MU: What are your favorite sci-fi and horror movies?

GW: I’m kind of embarrassed to admit them, because they’re mostly so silly. One was a drive-in movie I saw as a little kid, The Gruesome Twosome, about a woman who takes in girls to board in her house and gives them to her afflicted son in the basement to scalp with an electric carving knife. That really stuck with me. Another is Trilogy of Terror, with Karen Black being chased around the house by a voodoo doll, that scared the crap out of me! I didn’t see The Texas Chain Saw Massacre until I was an adult, and anyone who pooh-poohs that movie doesn’t know what they’re talking about, it’s great. Can’t stand the remake, though, I love Gunnar Hansen. I far prefer the happy-go-lucky fat guy with a chainsaw to the angry guy with the chainsaw.

Alien is great, hit me at just the right time. And I’ll probably catch some heat from my friends, but The Blair Witch Project really disturbed me. I think it might’ve been the camera-work, though, I was nauseous walking out of the theater.

No one will believe me, but it’s the gods-honest truth — I love big musicals and Bollywood — Grease, Rocky Horror, Hair, anything where people break into dance numbers.

Frank Zieglar is the mastermind behind KiDD AND GEEZER, a humorous Web Comic produced right here in the Mission City. The strip is about when an old Geezer provides room and board for a college Kidd…The Generation Gap is Guaranteed! Zieglar has been producing the strip [Read it all...]]]>

Frank Zieglar at work on KiDD AND GEEZER

Frank Zieglar is the mastermind behind KiDD AND GEEZER, a humorous Web Comic produced right here in the Mission City. The strip is about when an old Geezer provides room and board for a college Kidd…The Generation Gap is Guaranteed! Zieglar has been producing the strip on a regular three-day-a-week schedule since March of this year. We’ve been enjoying the comics so I thought we would dig below the surface and find out more.

Tell us about the secret origin of your web comic Kidd and Geezer? Why did you start it?

I’ve always loved comic strips and comic books. I knew that my cartoon style leaned more towards a comic strip, but never thought I could come up with a joke 365 days a year. Even doing three a week is challenging. We all know that the newspaper market isn’t what it used to be, so starting a webcomic let’s me follow a lifelong dream. I would still love to be syndicated, it’s just very unlikely.

As for Kidd and Geezer specifically, that started with a throw away comment by Scott Kurtz of PVP during a Webcomics Weekly podcast. Scott said that there had never been a good college comic strip. I took that as a challenge and came up with a senior citizen going to college and wanted to call it ‘Old School’. That bounced around in my head for about a year and went through some changes to become ‘Kidd and Geezer’.

I’m a big Web Comic fan, evolving out of a life-long love of comic strips in the newspaper. What traditional strips have you found to be the most influential in your work?

I don’t know if they influenced me as much as I would like but I’ve always been a big fan of newspaper comics. Peanuts, Calvin and Hobbes, Foxtrot, Bloom County (original), Farside, Garfield, and Crankshaft are all on the top of my list. But I liked them all. Little Orphan Annie, Henry, The Lockhorns, Marmaduke, Dennis the Menace, Blondie, Hagar, Broom Hilda, B.C., The Wizard of Id, Hi and Lois, Rose is Rose, Beetle Bailey, Zits, Luann. A lot of these get snubbed by web comic people, but I still love them and will read the comic section before anything else in a newspaper.

Which comics artists do you most admire?

Charles Schulz and Bill Watterson are the top. For me they set the standard. Schulz of Peanuts made simplifying an art form. Watterson of Calvin and Hobbes showed us what we could do with that.

Is there an autobiographical component to Kidd and Geezer? Which one are you?

A lot of the events are loosely based on things happening around me so there is an autobiographical aspect sometimes. Kidd is my young, fun loving, silly side that still reads comics and watches cartoons. Geezer is my mature, responsible side that has an opinion about everything – cranky opinions.

What do you like about the Web Comic format? Does the format have any special requirements that you would not have in another medium?

It keeps coming back to a standard format because a lot of web comics would like to print a book collection. That’s really the only limit – making it printable. If you don’t plan to print then there are lots of ideas – from the ‘infinite canvas’ theory to motion comics.

If readers are new to Web Comics, what ones should they seek out to get up to speed quickly? Which Web Comics are essential…aside from Kidd and Geezer of course?

I’m really the wrong person to ask that. RSS makes it so easy to follow a comic that I have over 200 comics in my reader. It’s easy to give a new comic a chance using RSS.

Some of my favorites though are Air Force Blues, inkdick (a journal comic), Menage A 3 (blue humor, maybe NSFW), PvP, Rip Haywire, Sheldon, Sinfest, Thog Infinitron, xkcd.

You work as a caricaturist. Where can people find you plying your trade?

Bus Driver Frank

I drive a school bus for my ‘real’ job; so I usually draw at Six Flags in the summers and weekends. I didn’t go back this year though so I’m looking for a place that I can set up regularly. Someplace with a lot of foot traffic and money to spend… uhh I mean money to invest in an original work of art.

How do you find caricature affects your Web Comic? Would you recommend caricature to somebody looking to get into comics?

I recommend it to anyone who wants any kind of art career. It’s a good skill to add in your arsenal and not alot of artists can do it. Many of the theme park artists move onto to animation, comic books, webcomics, children books, and graphic arts. You learn alot when you draw faces for 6-8 hours a day, five days a week, all summer long. Too many comics have faces that look the same and only the way to tell them apart is the hairdo. Knowing the face helps avoid that.

Are you available for private events? How do interested people get ahold of you?

I do as many parties and events as I can, which is never enough, which is why I drive a school bus. I be reached by email (zieglarf@kiddandgeezer.com) or phone (210-601-1555). Samples of my caricatures can be seen on my blog.

Is it difficult to come home after driving or drawing all day and then create a web comic? How do you stay motivated to keep the comics coming three days-a-week?

This hasn’t been an issue so far, since I didn’t go back to Six Flags this year. At work though you are drawing for others, whereas at home you are drawing for yourself. Three a week hasn’t really been too difficult, so I’m considering jumping to five days-a-week. As long as I can come up with the jokes.

You have been mentioning Draw San Antonio on Facebook, Twitter and your blog. Tell us about the group. How often do they meet? Who’s the organizer? What goes on at the meetups?

Frank Zieglar by Frank Zieglar

For a long time now, local caricature artists have been meeting occasionally to hang out and draw. It’s been random though. I’m trying to get it going on regular basis and have other artists or interested people join us as well. We’ve been meeting every Wednesday night at Northstar Mall food court from 6-9PM. That will probably change in October because everybody seems to busy already on Wednesday nights.

There might be talk about business related stuff like marketing, the latest find in a new marker, conventions, or just about anything really. We hang and shoot the bull and draw mostly. Sometimes we draw the people around us and give away the caricatures.

Do you have any events coming up that our readers should know about?

The Internatonal Society of Caricature Artrists, of which I am a member, holds an annual convention which is really one week long draw party. This year’s is in Sandusky, Ohio and is special because there will be four guest speaker/artists from MAD Magazine.

Locally we are going to have CrippleCon in January of 2010. This is the extreme caricature convention. It’s the most rowdy and raunchy caricaturists in the nation. If you like caricatures or parties then this is the place to be. Leave the kids and easily offended at home for this one.

Franks Favorites:

SF/Fantasy Authors:

1. Stephen King (The Stand, It)
2. Isaac Asimov (Foundation and Empire)
3. Piers Anthony (Xanth)
4. Douglas Adams (Hitchhikers Guide)
5. C.S. Lewis (Narnia)
6. Mary Stewart (Merlin Trilolgy).

Movies/TV

1. The Matrix
2. MiB
3. Dr. Who
4. Star Trek
5. Timerider
6. A.I.
7. Battlestar Galactica
8. Firefly

Your best chance to see Doctor “S” Battles the Sex Crazed Reefer Zombies on the big screen is Saturday, August 29, at the Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes as part of the San Antonio Horrific Film Fest. Movies are showing continuously from noon until midnight, with Dr. [Read it all...]]]>

Dr. "S" Battles the Sex Crazed Reefer Zombies Poster

Your best chance to see Doctor “S” Battles the Sex Crazed Reefer Zombies on the big screen is Saturday, August 29, at the Alamo Drafthouse Westlakes as part of the San Antonio Horrific Film Fest. Movies are showing continuously from noon until midnight, with Dr. “S” hitting the screen at 7:30. This movie is the work of the crew at Film Classics Productions. In advance of Saturday night’s screening we put the questions to writer/director Bryan Ortiz and writer James Hartz to find out what’s behind the zombies.

Doctor ”S” is a crazy blood-soaked romp. What was the inspiration for this project?

Bryan: My love of exploitation films of the 30′s -70′s and the horror films of the 80′s. The movie is a mash-up of all those genres in an iconic surrealist world. It’s blend of genres which we call Action Camp.
James: Yeah, we are the remix of horror, comedy, and the MST3K B-movie.

You’ve shown Doctor ”S” at several film festivals. What kind of reception have you gotten?

Bryan: An extremely surprised, excited, and positive response. Most audiences have a good time. They’re all very supportive and have a lot of laughs.
James: People seem to be really surprised by how much the end up loving it, which is great for us.

A movie like Doctor ”S” is clearly a labor of love, but I cannot imagine it pays the bills (yet). What does Film Classics Productions do, together or individually, to keep the cameras rolling for the kinds of projects you enjoy doing?

James: We whore ourselves out…j/k.
Bryan: We survive purely on the graciousness of individuals.
James: We’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers.
Bryan: People giving us their loyalty, time, energy, and general excitement. People like us and what we do, so they want to work with us. And we’re damn handsome men.
James: We chop down trees of ugliness.

You went to the Cannes Film Festival this year showing your short film Four Minutes Till The End. What kind of reception did you get?

Bryan: Audiences were on the edge of there seats during screening. They were excited and surprised to see something like that come out of San Antonio. They were left breathless.

You recently competed in the San Antonio 48 Hour Film Project. What were your impressions of the event and the San Antonio film scene in general?

Bryan: The 48 Hour Film Project is a challenging experience. the San Antonio Film Community is up of made very supportive individuals, but is like a family. We bicker but mostly love each other. People are always willing to lend a hand.
James: I think everyone wants to help make San Antonio a place known for producing quality films.

Are these sorts of tight-turnaround competitions useful to you as a filmmaking exercise or is it just cine-candy or something else entirely?

Bryan: Yes, it is definitely a useful exercise. It allows us to hone our skills. We get meet new people, actors, and crew. It gives us a chance to compete and strive to be better filmmakers.
James: It a very useful exercise because it condenses the filmmaking experience down to two days. It forces you to make tough quick decisions. You can’t second guess yourself. The competition part of it is wonderful because it brings everyone together and they have to show what they got.

What kind of support do you get from the community in San Antonio?

Dr. "S" at Cinesol Poster

Bryan: All kinds of support from all kinds of people. From the emerging actor to SA Film Commissioner Drew Mayer-Oakes. People are always willing to pick up the phone and and willing to help in any way possible.
James: The biggest reason why our local film community is expanding so quickly is because of the high quality people involved.

You both graduated from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. How was their program?

Bryan: I majored in Theatre with a Video Production minor.
James: I majored in Theatre there and the program is one of the best around.

What or who inspired you the most there?

Bryan: Professor Dora Fitzgerald. She inspired me to commit to my dream and see it all the way through. She taught me to look at the world very differently and, in turn, help make films in my own way.
James: Dr. Doug Gilmour who encouraged everyone to have a sense of wonder and therefore enthusiasm for the world.

Would you recommend the UIW program to other aspiring filmmakers?

Bryan: Yes, because small environment teachers have the time to give you more attention which allows you to explore yourself as filmmaker.
James: The theatre program there is great because you learn all aspects of putting on a show. You will be an actor, running crew member, techies, and all things in between.

Who would you cite as your biggest filmmaking influences?

Bryan: Sam Raimi, Steve Sodenberg, early Gerorge Lucas, and Edgar Wright.
James: Sam Raimi, Steven Spielberg, early George Lucas.

What films did you see as a kid that made you say, “Hey, I wanna do that!”?

James: ET and Jaws had really profound effects on me. Indiana Jones and Star Wars.
Bryan: As a kid, Ghostbusters directly lead to me making movies. Evil Dead 2 blew my mind.

With Doctor ”S” making the rounds, what’s your next big project?

Bryan: Myself and my creative team are bouncing off ideas. We had a lot fun with Dr. S. We would love to create another over-the-top huge character like Dr. S.
James: Whatever we end up doing next, I can guarantee you it won’t be like anything else out there.

There are lots of places you could be working, why San Antonio? What makes you want to create films in South Texas?

James: We live here, for one. South Texas has wealth of resources available for filmmaking that probably go unnoticed by the nation at large. We have a wide range of people and businesses willing to commit themselves to making a movie. There are great locations, from dense forests to wide plains and deserts. It truly is a wonderful place to film.
Bryan: The people. San Antonio has a wonderful back drop and the people that make me want to be here.

What’s the one thing in San Antonio that you could not live without?

James: The kolaches form Joseph’s Bakery.
Bryan: Whataburger

Film Classics’ Classic Picks:

Top 5 Movies:

Top 5 Books:

Favorite Horror Villains:

There are two more screenings of Dr. S Battles the Sex Crazed Reefer Zombies coming up. On Sept. 12th in the valley for the Cinesol Film Festival and Sept. 26th for the Chicago Film Festival. For more on Film Classics please go to www.filmclassicsproductions.com. For more on Dr. S please go to www.doctorsthemovie.com.

LEA HERNANDEZ is a San Antonio-based comic artist and writer who works in a Japanese Manga-influenced style. She is creator of RUMBLE GIRLS and co-creator, along with GAIL SIMONE, of KILLER PRINCESSES. She has also worked for MARVEL and DC COMICS and was the original editor of GIRLAMATIC.COM. [Read it all...]]]>

Comic artist and writer Lea Hernandez

LEA HERNANDEZ is a San Antonio-based comic artist and writer who works in a Japanese Manga-influenced style. She is creator of RUMBLE GIRLS and co-creator, along with GAIL SIMONE, of KILLER PRINCESSES. She has also worked for MARVEL and DC COMICS and was the original editor of GIRLAMATIC.COM. In addition, Lea’s penned short stories for sf and fantasy anthologies and briefly led the U.S. marketing arm of Japanese anime studio GAINAX. She’s suffered through setbacks, including a house fire that destroyed much of her original artwork and lousy treatment from some publishers. But she’s soldiered on and racked up some impressive credits, among those, a story in the recent Eisner Award-winning anthology COMIC BOOK TATTOO: TALES INSPIRED BY TORI AMOS. After taking some time off to deal with family matters, Lea’s back to work on Rumble Girls, and she’s working on another mystery project for an employer she’s “not at liberty to mention.” This interview was edited from two lengthy phone conversations where Lea covered highs, lows and in-betweens of a fascinating career.

So, tell us about Rumble Girls, your current web comic.

It’s a comic I did for a while and resumed again in May. I didn’t do any work on it for a long time because of personal issues — oh, a divorce, for one thing. When I finally served my ex with the papers, I just kind of said, “It’s time to get back to work on it and start earning money.” The Rumble Girls series follows the various stars — and victims — of EnTeCo, or Entertainment Co. EnTeCo is kind of like Disney meets the World Wrestling Federation. The Rumble Girls fight with these robot suits called Hardskins, and they become celebrities. It’s incredibly demanding on them, and the pressures take an incredible toll. Interestingly, as fast as I would incorporate things into the story, it seemed like they would be replicated in real life. For example, the exploitation and the way females are presented in the media. I mean, I actually had an editor tell me once that good comic covers had “a hint of rape.” That was the actual phrase he used. The Rumble Girls series started before reality programming got big, but it deals with some of the things we’ve seen unfold in reality TV. You started seeing the lengths people will go to be seen on television and the way the producers cut up and manipulate footage so it tells the story they want to tell, whether it actually bears any resemblance to “reality.”

How long ago did you start doing Rumble Girls? And how did it go from being a paper comic to becoming a web comic?

It goes back to 1993. I shelved it for a long time after my first two graphic novels came out. I’d done the first six through IMAGE COMICS, and after that experience I made the decision to make it a web comic. The person at Image when I came in was a really good marketing guy, but he left not long after I got there, and I started to have problems. I was doing these stories that dealt with gender struggles and gender flipping, and the new marketing guy just didn’t get them. I’d been working with him for three months, give or take, when he said, “I don’t understand what you’re trying to do. I’m not sure you’re telling a story I can market. Does your husband write? I think he should help you write it.” I mean, he didn’t even know my husband. He just made this assumption that somehow having my husband involved – because he was male – would make it better. I had finished two graphic novels and been nominated for an Eisner Award at that point. I thought, “Uh, OK. I think I’m pretty sure I know how to write and capture an audience.” So, it just kind of went downhill from there. I’ve got to emphasize that this was Image around 2001, not the Image of right now, which is actually a fine company. But, basically, the comic wasn’t making money, and the marketing guy was impossible to deal with. I kept reading these articles about how the Smashing Pumpkins couldn’t reach an agreement with their record company on the CD they’d been recording at the time, so they decided to put it out themselves on the web. And that’s basically what I did. I put it out on the web and did it my way. I set up my own site and released the seventh issue online. I charged a modest subscription and was able to write about what I wanted to write about.

Sounds like sexism is alive and well in the business.

The whole gender issue in the publishing industry is still a very valid concern. It’s something I think you can still mine for material. It’s still something worthy of satire. I like to think of myself as a court jester. I make the people laugh, but also show them the problems our society is facing.

In addition to writing and drawing comics, you’ve penned short stories, mostly for anthologies put together by writer MIKE RESNICK. How did that come about?

This was back in the early ‘90s, and I was on Genie, the online service that was basically GE trying to monetize their Internet investment. It was sort of like AOL but less expensive, and they had expanded their forums to include science fiction and fantasy roundtables. Anybody who was anybody in sf, fantasy, comics and anime seemed like they were on there — all these people who were either geographically or socially isolated or isolated because of their work. You sort of take the faces away and meet people in a forum, and all of a sudden anyone has the chance to be a loudmouth and broadcast their point of view. So, Mike Resnick and Damon Knight were bagging on comics one night, and I’d already been working as a pro for about six years, so I naturally started to argue with them. It turned out that Mike hadn’t read comics in years, so I recommended some for him to pick up. I suggested some that I thought would change his mind. He was impressed that I was able to argue with him on the subject, so we stayed in touch, and the next five or so anthologies he edited, he asked me to submit stories. One of the first was “Al Einstein – Nazi Smasher!” It was this sort of pulp-fiction parody that had some of the most purple prose in it. I was grinning as I wrote this stuff because the prose was so over-the-top, but Mike really liked the idea. He added a few ideas that actually made it a better story, and he ended up using it. I got a lot of confidence in my writing after that. It helped me work on my first graphic novel. The short stories were good practice. They taught me how to finish something, how to tell a good story and how to pitch my work.

You’ve got two kids. How do you balance family life with the creative life?

Yes, I have a daughter who’s 16 and a son who’s almost 14. How do you juggle? With a lot of difficulty. J.K. Rowling addressed that once, and I have to agree with her. She said, “squalor is the only answer” – or something close to that. Something’s got to give. You can create your work, you can raise your kids right and you can have a clean house, but you can only have two of those things, not all three. I’ve been functionally a single parent since I’ve had the children, and I’m not going to give up my work or give up on raising my kids, so I just let the housework suffer. It’s what you’ve got to do.

You’ve obviously covered a lot of ground during your career. What work are you proudest of?

Oh, I’m proud of all of them for different reasons. CATHEDRAL CHILD was my first. It was really difficult. It was a real test of my will. I felt this sense of accomplishment for actually finishing it. I’d gotten fired from jobs before that because I had problems meeting deadlines and stressing myself out. So, it was really a test to see if I could deliver, and I did. CLOCKWORK ANGELS is a favorite too because I was able to do a sequel in the same amount of time it took me to do the first one. It was also my first Eisner nomination, so that was something special too. It was also – at least to my knowledge – the first comic about a lesbian couple done by a woman. There had been some before that, but they’d all been done by men. Of course, Rumble girls came out after that and I’m extremely proud of it.

In a lot of ways, it sounds like Rumble Girls is your most autobiographical work.

Absolutely. The rejection, the getting judged by your looks, having to give up your career because you have kids. It’s all in there. But it’s also about not missing what’s right in front of you, not overlooking the happiness that you find where you can. It’s also about making the right friends, the ones who will stick with you no matter what. You really need to stick with the people who are going to be good to you, not necessarily the people who you look good with.

LEA’S LIKES…
Favorite Novels
1. You Suck: A Love Story – Christopher Moore
2. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal – Christopher Moore
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows – J.K. Rowling
4. The Snow Queen – Joan D. Vinge

Favorite Movies
1. Laputa: Castle in the Sky
2. My Neighbor Totoro
3. The Incredibles
4. Ratatouille
5. Rear Window

Favorite Comics
1. Thriller – Trevor Von Eeden
2. Mars – Marc Hempel and Mark Wheatley
3. American Flagg! – Howard Chaykin
4. American Gothic (Swamp Thing) – Alan Moore
5. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, First Series – Alan Moore

Jonathan Joss is an actor and musician who recently moved back to San Antonio from L.A. A graduate of McCollum High School and Our Lady of the Lake University, Joss has racked up an impressive list of small-screen credits, most often playing Native [Read it all...]]]>

Johnathan Joss: There's a little John Redcorn in all of us.

Jonathan Joss is an actor and musician who recently moved back to San Antonio from L.A. A graduate of McCollum High School and Our Lady of the Lake University, Joss has racked up an impressive list of small-screen credits, most often playing Native American characters. He’s probably best known for voicing “Licensed New Age Healer” and former Winger roadie John Redcorn on Fox’s animated sitcom KING OF THE HILL, which recently ended a 13-season run. His musical project, the REDCORN BAND, has released several CDs of “Native American alternative blues,” and even landed a Native American Grammy. Probably of most interest to MISSIONS UNKNOWN readers, however, Jonathan not too long ago wrapped shooting on Warner Bros.’ big-budget JONAH HEX movie, helping bring DC COMICS’ weird-western cult antihero to the big screen.

So, tell us about Jonah Hex.

It’s got a big budget, over $100 million; it’s got great actors, an incredible story line. It was an amazing project to be involved in. Just looking at the storyboards before we started shooting was like reading a really good comic book. In fact, my girlfriend and I looked through some old Jonah Hex comics, and a lot of the settings in them — this Civil War submarine, a church steeple, a mysterious sandy desert — ended up in the movie. I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited about a film. It’s going to attract an audience, a serious following. My character doesn’t appear through the whole film, but he’s got an important part. He’s this sort of mysterious Native American figure who shows up and helps Jonah as he’s trying to stop this ghostly force, these ghostly rebel soldiers who are rising up.

What’s the verdict, does Josh Brolin make a good Jonah Hex?

Josh Brolin was great. He really makes the movie. The makeup, the scar on his face, just his coolness. I mean, he was walking around in 100-degree weather in this full-length duster, and he didn’t even break a sweat. He’s one of those guys where you get the sense that still waters run deep.

Jonah Hex Movie Poster

Talk to him much?

I didn’t talk to him a whole lot. I tend to spend most of my time on the set watching people like him work and learning from them. But when I did talk to him, he was great. Very cordial.

Tell us more about your character and how he fits into the film.

I play an Apache Indian who stumbles across Jonah Hex and leads him to a cave where he can hide out from these bounty hunters. You’re not really sure whether he’s a real character or a ghost or a figment of Jonah’s imagination. I also summon these crows that attack him, so you’re wondering if my character’s a source of strength for Jonah or if he’s someone he should fear. He wasn’t a Dances with Wolves kind of Native American character, where the writers tried to make him authentic and real. It was more of a comic book character — someone fun to play. I got to smile a lot when I played him, which is rare when you’re playing a lot of Native American roles in Hollywood. He was probably the furthest from a true-life Native American character that I’ve played, but in a way he was probably the truest to the Native American spirit.

When does it hit theaters?

August 2010.

You’ve been doing a fair amount of appearances at comic conventions lately, from COMIC-CON in San Diego to the LIVE OAK COMIC SHOW in San Antonio. Are you much of a comic book fan?

I do appreciate comics. Right now, my friend Gerard and I are working on a comic about a Native superhero that we’d like to get that out by yearend. It’s going to be fun to bring a real Native American to the comics instead of a stereotype. A lot of Native American people I know on the rez read comic books. You know, they’re cheap, they let you use your imagination and they let you escape about as far as you can get from the grind of everyday life.

Let’s talk about another one of your comic book connections. You played Marshal Ohiyesa Smith on a time-travel episode of JUSTICE LEAGUE UNLIMITED.

That character was a Native American sheriff who was put on another planet to deal with the unruly populace there. He doesn’t have any real super hero powers. It’s kind of a frontier-type situation, and he’s the lawman who keeps everything under control. The Justice League comes to the planet to help him out because some super villains end up there. To be able to work with Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman was bad ass. I mean, what nine-year-old kid wouldn’t love that? I would like to see that character come back around. It was a fun experience.

Are the roles for Native American actors better now than when you first got into the business?

I would love to say things have changed over that time, that there are more mature Native American characters being written, but I’m not sure that’s happened. I can say that at least Native American characters are allowed to think now instead of being the old sidekicks like Tonto, where the Lone Ranger asks “Are those four men on horses?” and Tonto says, “Yes. There are four men on horses.” Our characters now are a little deeper. They’re allowed to have their own thoughts. Sometimes non-Native American writers have us doing things we wouldn’t do or saying things we wouldn’t say — stuff that’s just not in our DNA — but at least we’re getting to think now. I’m still riding horses, shooting arrows and killing white people, so a lot hasn’t changed since I got into the business, but at least it hasn’t gotten worse.

A lot of people probably know you best as the voice of John Redcorn on “King of the Hill.” Mr. Redcorn must be one smooth operator to keep Dale in the dark all these years. (Note: Redneck character Dale’s wife bore John Redcorn’s illegitimate love child.)

Either that or Dale’s just one really stupid white guy. It’s been a fun character to play, and it’s been a fun show. I like how he’s grown from the early episodes, where he was just this character who climbed in and out of the window, to where he has his own band, his own casino and he even becomes an agent, working with kids to make them stars. He matured and became a self-sufficient character. I tell you, it’s kind of sad the show’s come to an end. With the cancellation of “King of the Hill,” it’s like there’s another dead Indian whose spirit is out there wandering. But there’s a little John Redcorn in all of us. Hopefully a little more John Redcorn in your wife.

How’d you end up back in San Antonio?

I’m basically back here because of my mom. My dad passed away and she needed some help with things. It’s a family thing. And I’m also dating a woman from San Antonio, so that’s another reason. I’ve been in the hustle and bustle of L.A. for a while, so it was nice to get out of it. In a lot of ways, L.A. doesn’t seem real. You don’t see old people in L.A. You don’t see families going out for barbacoa on Sunday mornings. It’s just kind of a fantasy world that you see through rose colored glasses — if you can afford them. It’s a world on a diet, basically.

So what one thing did you miss about San Antonio when you were in L.A?

I missed the people of San Antonio, the families. I just missed seeing regular people in the grocery stores. The kids riding down the aisle on the skateboards they aren’t even going to buy. We’ve got our own culture here, our own way of looking at things, and it’s pretty different from L.A. I’m a Southsider and proud to be from the South Side. I’d like to get some work going in San Antonio. I get some calls from Austin, but that’s Austin. I’ll work on low-budget films; I’ll work on independent projects. I’d like to be able to share what I do, to give back. You know, I’m willing to share with my family in San Antonio.

DAVE HENKIN is not one of us. He’s not a San Antonio guy. So why is he being profiled for “Made In SA”? Quite frankly, because in two short years, Dave has become one of the key shapers of San Antonio’s genre scene. He’s [Read it all...]]]>

SAN JAPAN'S MAN WITH A PLAN: Dave Henkin means business.

DAVE HENKIN is not one of us. He’s not a San Antonio guy. So why is he being profiled for “Made In SA”? Quite frankly, because in two short years, Dave has become one of the key shapers of San Antonio’s genre scene. He’s making such a meteoric impact that we just had to interview him and find out the skinny for ourselves. He’s the chairman of the emerging Japanese culture and anime convention, SAN JAPAN, based right here in San Antonio. He’s been attending fandom conventions for over six years and has been running San Japan for over two years. Read on and find out why this Austinite is one of the rising stars of fandom and why his San Japan show is already one of San Antonio’s annual must-see events.

Favorite authors, books, films, and anime include: Dave Barry, Douglas Adams, Chuck Palahniuk, Douglas Coupland, Neil Strauss, BATTLE ROYALE, FIGHT CLUB, CHOKE, HITCHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY, MICROSERFS, THE MATRIX, AIRPLANE!, MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL, DONNIE DARKO, AZUMANGA DAIOH, INITIAL D, THE MELANCHOLY OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA, REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA, and LUCKY STAR.

You live in Austin and yet you’re the chairman of a booming convention that’s shaping San Antonio’s genre scene. How did this happen?

There is a long story behind how San Japan came to be what it is today, but in essence, the abbreviated version is that a collective group of anime fans that were regular attendees at multiple conventions across Texas assembled to organize an anime convention in San Antonio since it hadn’t been done before. A young woman, who lived in Schertz, thought this was possible based on a crazy conceptual dream on putting a convention together. We started work on this huge project back in Fall 2005. My arm was kind of twisted to help out this group so I ended up backing San Japan and help front the startup costs by signing the paperwork necessary to create San Japan LLC. We were able to secure a hotel to host the convention.

However, before it even happened, it nearly fell apart since our staff was admittedly ill-experienced in the convention business. Some of the original people behind San Japan decided to depart including the young woman who originally created San Japan, but I decided to keep the dream alive, which started by reorganizing the group. I spent a lot of time and energy researching on convention organization, recognized a lot of our internal flaws then overhauled the communication within San Japan so we flowed well as a group. It has been a quite a learning process.

How many people do you expect for this year’s show? How do you get the word out?

This year we are expecting around 4000-4500 attendees. In our first year we brought out over 3500 attendees total, which shattered our previous expectations. Building on very positive word-of-mouth, our group pushed forward to raise the bar which we set for our first year. We continue to advertise at every large Texas anime convention across the state, at local conventions in San Antonio and with the cooperation from several large local stores we were allowed to advertise. We do not rely solely on word-of-mouth as San Japan is setup on many major social networks to ensure that any updates made on our website are also duplicated on different social networks to help spread the word. At the same time, I created Internet advertising campaigns on popular social websites and Google to take advantage of its capability to advertise to key demographics within the state for the same cost of a couple cups of premium coffee each day leading up to the convention.

To create continual interest, we held several mini-events including sponsoring a one-day convention at Our Lady Of The Lake University in March 2009. We also participate at large events around the city to continually promote the convention. In the past, we would receive generous help from people who would participate in street teams to push the word about San Japan. It is a lot of work but as a large collective we never stop trying to turn over every stone to get the word out within our limited budget.

Are most of the con-running committee Austin-based or are they a mixture of SA and Austin-based folks?

Our main staff is spread throughout the state of Texas. We have people based in Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio who are dedicated to helping our group. It makes staff meetings a bit difficult to hold in person but since most of the people on-board are tech-savvy as we are able to communicate efficiently online.

How about the attendees? Are most of them local or are you seeing folks from much further out attending?

About 70% of the attendees are local or within an hour driving distance but we’re pulling in people from all over the state including all of the major cities and even unlikely places like Abilene, El Paso and cities in the Rio Grande Valley. Based on records from our pre-registration in 2008, we had attendees from 15 different states attend our convention. In 2009, we have attendees from 17 states and 3 countries including Australia who are attending this year’s convention.

What are one or two favorite events happening at this year’s San Japan that you’re personally excited about?

Last year when Smile.dk surprised us by accepting our invitation to be our main musical guests to perform in their first-ever North American concert, I admittedly ‘fanboy’-ed when I finally met them in person, as I had been a fan of their music for a very long time after being introduced to them through the dance simulation game Dance Dance Revolution. The musical acts we invited this year have been thanking me for the chance to perform at San Japan but at the same time I have to admit that I’m probably most excited to finally meet some of our musical guests that will be performing at our convention this year.

Are you a big reader of manga and how did you first fall in love with Japanese genre culture? Was it via anime or manga? Any specific faves that you still highly regard today?

At one point I did immerse myself deeply in manga but it has waned over the years due to the high cost of purchasing the books since a series can be an upward of 25 to 35 books which can be a hit on the wallet. While I was introduced to anime while in high school, I was a late bloomer as I was recommended to NEON GENESIS EVANGELION by a good friend while in my early 20’s and fell in love with it immediately. I was local patron of a couple anime & indie movie stores in town picking up everything that I fancied. I went beyond anime to become immense in the Asian pop culture and its different types of music and movies. I decided to check out a local anime convention back in 2003, which lead me to become caught up in the culture. I don’t hold any series in truly high regard or watch it constantly but I do have many favorite series including the five favorites that I listed above.

The influence of manga and anime on American pop culture is completely assimilated into every fiber of today’s American comics, film and fashion. Are you seeing any new Japanese genre trends, products, comics, or films that American audiences haven’t experienced yet, but may be coming down the pike soon?

The real peak seems to have happened back in 2005 when there was an explosion of anime in America and its influence became affluent here. There have been new trends within the genre after it hit its plateau in 2005 but none that will be groundbreaking or likely will be coming to America since they are quite Japanese-centric which would not have commercial success in America.

You’re a big lover of dance video games. How did this come to be?

At one point in my life I was in a big rut after I had ballooned up to 260 lbs and I didn’t have much of a motivation to lose the weight. I was a regular patron of video game arcades when they still flourished so when a local arcade in Austin got a game called Dance Dance Revolution [DDR] back in July 2000, like anime, it was almost love at first sight. It was a fun, challenging game, which you could sweat your behind to catchy songs. I would spend hours a day at it and spent a lot of money at every chance I could get. It was quite a workout and I noticed I was losing a lot of weight as I dropped 70lbs after a year in playing DDR. This would be my gateway to being introduced to other music-rhythm video games and have been a fan of it for almost a decade.

Not just anyone can organize a successful convention. It takes a special drive, passion and skillset. What would you say is your biggest strength as the organizer and chairman of San Japan? Also, what do you most love about your job?

Besides making it an obsession to make it the best convention possible, I think my biggest strength is learning to treat the convention as a business but at the same time be kind and compassionate to my staff and volunteers. I try to keep a high-level of internal communication so my main staff isn’t in the dark but I treat everyone from staff to volunteers fairly. It has a trickle-down effect. If I am able to make my staff and volunteers happy, they in turn will be glad to help out the convention, and our attendees will see it along with having an enjoyable experience. This would be the best part I love about the job. While we still have a core mission to spread the word about Japanese Culture & Anime, I love to see the smiling attendees having a fun time at our convention, due to all of our hard work.