Latinx Comics
Javier Hérnandez is a Latino comic who created “El Muerto” to finally see a Mexican superheroe. Photo by Marlon Villa
While comic books have been popular among people of all ages and backgrounds, very few of these stories feature, let alone star, characters that look and share the cultural background of Latinx readers. However, Latinx comics like Javier Hernandez and Kayden Phoenix are breaching these gaps and sharing stories that mean as much to them as the people they represent.
An Aztec Heroe
Javier Hernandez, creator of the comic series “El Muerto: The Aztec Zombie,” is a Latino comic hoping to give back to his community through the stories he creates.
He became a big fan of the genre in his early childhood by reading his older brother’s comic book stack. Characters like Spider-Man caught his attention, as the struggles that Peter Parker went through resonated with his own as he grew older.
Hernandez drew inspiration from comic writers creating characters such as El Gato Negro and Burrito Adventure to create his own Mexican hero.
“I also want to tell my own stories of action, adventure, slash and supernatural superhero stories of my own characters,” Hernandez said. “Yeah, there's good guys and bad guys, but a lot of it was definitely ‘okay, it's gonna be a Mexican identity,’”
One of Hernandez's struggles has been to get readers to acknowledge him as many don’t typically pick up independent writer comic books.
“For the most part, at least back then, people were not as interested in the independent black and white comics,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez is also the co-founder of the Latino Comics Expo which has grown exponentially over the last 12 years. The expo is an event held every September intended to connect Latin American comic artists, animators, and fans at the Museum of Latin American Art.
For its 25th anniversary, Hernandez has launched a campaign to raise $2,000 to release a special anniversary edition of “El Muerto: The Aztec Zombie.” This edition would include 17 stories, short stories, one-shots, and autobio strips of the character over the years. The campaign has already reached 40% of its goal.
The 25th anniversary edition of “El Muerto” is expected to be released in November with the exact date yet to be determined.
“El Muerto” is a superhero who was revived by the Aztec gods. Photo by Marlon Villa.
Latina Princesses and Superheroes
Kayden Phoenix is a third-generation Chicana writer, producer and director based in Boyle Heights changing the roles of gender through her comic books.
Phoenix, started her comic series “A La Brava” back in 2019, starring a group of Latina superheroes from diverse backgrounds.
Teen suicide, child trafficking and domestic violence are some of the real-world problems personified in Phoenix’s stories, each tackled by a Latina superhero of its own, making this the first Latina superhero group in history.
Phoenix’s stories and characters stem from the comic’s own observations of the industry. She started to see a trend that lacked many girls or women, so she created these Latina superheroes as a response.
The women fighting in these comics were made to empower women and younger girls within marginalized groups and show how they too could be protagonists of their own story.
According to Amanda Shendruk’s 2017 study, of 34,476 comic book heroes in Marvel and DC, only 26.7% are female. Shendruk’s study also revealed that of the around 2,500 teams across these universes, 30 % have no women, and only 12 % have more female team members than male.
Phoenix pointed out how animated movies and shows with women on screen typically have male mascots. These figures are often depicted as necessary to guide the princess to safety or to discover their sense of purpose.
She made these comics to give girls a sense of feminism and the strength that each woman carries inside of her and how being a woman should be something people are proud of and something to embrace.
“A La Brava” and “The Majestics” are two different series that cross over at the end to fight the big boss of Congress. According to Phoenix, these superhero chicas were made specifically for people to look up to and feel inspired since there are not too many people of color in comics.
“Phoenix Studios' mission statement is to create a superhero mindset in every marginalized individual regardless of age, demographic, socio-economic class, etc,” said Phoenix.
