Miles Morales, the alternate universe Spider Man
Comic Con in San Diego – the ultimate paradise for comic book fanboys – had a decidedly Latino bent to it this past weekend with some of the most popular attractions being Hispanics.
According to Fox News Latino,”The Latino creators – cartoon artists, editors, actors, directors, and comic and graphic writers – are fewer in number. But behind the scenes, these creators are actively inventing future worlds and characters more brown than their predecessors.”
Comic Con is a spectacularly huge event that draws more than 130,000 attendees over four days. Studios have begun to premier their latest movies during the convention.
The event kicked off with the creators of the “alternative universe” Spider Man. He’s not the white Peter Parker who dealt with great power and great responsibility. In this universe, he is a mixed Puerto Rican/African-American named Miles Morales.
Creator artist David Marquez of the new Ultimate Comics Spider-Man series, (called one of the hottest artists in comic books), led a panel on how to break into the business.
Other Latinos who participated, according to Fox News Latino, were:
• Carlos Guzman, a Hasbro editor revealed secrets and upcoming plans for Transformers, G.I. Joe, Dungeons & Dragons, and Magic: The Gathering. Mattel’s director of marketing Enrique Ruvalcaba presented a question-and-answer session.
• The New Crusaders artist Alitha Martinez and her team discussed the formation of the digital-first New Crusaders comic book series, upcoming print initiatives, and new storylines.
• Celebrated cartoonist Sergio Aragones of Groo the Wanderer told about what’s up with Groo and other projects—promising to entertain folks with anecdotes and silly stories.
• Artist Angelo Torres of MAD and Creepy discussed Creepy and Eerie, a recently re-launched book at Dark Horse in hardcover.
• And, Mattel toy designer Ruben Martinez talked about new toy product development.