About two weeks ago, on the eve of San Francisco’s Open Studios in the Soma area, inspiration struck. I was out shopping for some art supplies in the Mission and came across what would become the materials for the work you see below. Somehow I connected the dots to use sticker books and crucifixes together and was very happy with the results. They got a good reaction during my open studio at SomArts, I priced them at $25.00 each and sold a Spider-Man crucifix on the second day to a school teacher. My first batch consisted of only 3, I’ve since sold or given away others and have now remade them.
With my wares - photo by Lex Leifheit
Since my open studios presentation I’ve made more crucifixes and am now contemplating what direction to go with them. My current body of work is below.
Hello KittyHigh School MusicalSpider-ManHannah MontanaBetty Boop
There are more in the works, a Disney Princess crucifix and a Batman crucifix are both on their way. To purchase one of these sacrilicious artworks please email me. They are ready to hang and each of them has a design on the back as well.
When I ran into artist Mona Caron at the last Illusion happening at the MCC she mentioned that she had just unveiled her latest mural that very same day. She cryptically said that there was a surprise for me contained in the mural. I was intrigued and wanting to see the mural with great anticipation.
My photo of Mona at Illusion
Because of my crazy Day of the Dead schedule, I wasn’t able to check it out as quickly as I would have wanted to. To my shock, I learned that I was actually in her new mural a few days later Mona tagged me in an album of mural images on facebook. I was floored when I saw myself strolling down 24th & Mission next to Rene. I was honored to be included with a who’s-who of Mission characters. I could run a whole long list of all of the real people and details Mona has included but I was most excited to be keeping company with my peeps Guillermo Gomez-Peña and Meklit Hadero. The mural is located at 24th and Sanchez in Noe Valley, visit out this link for more details.
Detail from the mural, I'm all the way to the left. Click on the image to see more of the mural.
Check out the strip of tortilla art in Rene’s hand, Mona got it right! What actually touched me most is that we’re walking past El Trebol, my favorite Central-American restaurant. Mariela and I bonded over El Trebol and we often talk about it with great sentimental wistfulness.
Mona, you have humbled me and made me so grateful for our friendship. Thank you.
Amidst the the profound event of our election there has been another something on my mind. I occasionally go through phases where I am obsessed with zines, whether making my own or collecting them by others. I have hundreds of zines since I started making and taking them in 2002.
This past Sunday I went to APE (the Alternative Press Expo) in San Francisco to buy comics and zines from small and independent publishers. I brought along 10 copies each of my recently published zines hoping to give some away. I never would have guessed that I would have gotten so much mileage out of them.
I totally dorked out and gave a set to Jaime Hernandez. Jaime is one of the artists of Love and Rockets and the single largest artistic influence I’ve ever had. I actually chickened out the first time I went to give them to him; just asking him to sign my Love and Rockets graphic novel instead. I finally ended up working up the courage to do it and confessed my shyness as I handed them over to him. Jaime was totally cool and happily took my zines. I dorked out similarly with Keith Knight but I was able to play it cool and have a great conversation with him. I’ve been reading Keith’s comics and listening to his group The Marginal Prophets since I was a freshman in high school. I never actually mentioned to Keith that the very first sentence of Peligroso Pop lists his autobiographical comics as the primary inspiration for its creation. Hopefully it’ll be a nice surprise to him if he reads it.
Keef!
I was totally shocked that I was able to trade my zines for other people’s zines and comics. While wandering the many tables at APE my eye was caught by a zine called Tortilla. Being a Tortilla Artist myself, I quickly chatted up its creator Jaime Crespo. We hit it off and I was able to trade my zines for copies of his books Tortilla and Slices.
Sometime later I ran into Marcy Voyevod, one of the artists in the Day of the Dead exhibit I curated this year at SomArts. It turns out her daughter Sophie Elliot was at APE with a table for her latest work A Door in the Swamp. Sophie’s art in the book is amazing and if anyone come across a copy of the comic I hope you snatch it up. I scored again when Sophie traded me the first two issues of A Door in the Swamp for my zines.
A blurry Sophie Elliot
A few minutes later I ran into my homegirl MariNaomi on the floor of the expo. I’ve always met Mari when I never have any zines so I was excited to finally share my work with her. I gave her my last copy of Peligroso Pop and she was totally kind and ran over to her table and gave me the fourth issue of Estrus Comics.
MariNaomi
I left APE with a new sense of confidence about my work. I had gone through a three year dry period of not producing any zines and these two books were my chance to get back in the game. So far the reaction has been really great, especially with the Ghetto Frida Reader. There’s an energy of renewal in the air and it’s motivating me to work on more zines and comics. More to come!
Despite all the clichés and catchphrases, last night will be forever about one thing to me: hope. Our gathering at SomArts was a success; artists, activists, and onlookers embraced, danced, and celebrated as the results came in. We alternated between live music and election coverage on our stage. Once a decisive victory was announced we danced until Obama was ready to give his acceptance speech. I’m a Green voter but there was no denying the collective energy in the room last night. I thought his speech was brilliant, the best by any major politician in my lifetime so far. It was the moment of our national redemption and rebirth.
Welcome to my new blog. After leaving myspace for facebook I decided I needed a more formal presentation of my work and thoughts. My homegirl Cindylu actually helped me set up my wordpress account more than two years ago but it has lied dormant until now.
I’m filled with nervous energy tonight. The Day of the Dead art exhibit that I curated is having its closing reception and our country is deciding its future. There’s many great things to come so please check back soon.
Graphic Art, Tortillas, Comics, and Troublemaking 