Daily Inspiration: Meet Javier

Today we’d like to introduce you to Javier.

Hi Javier, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I had wanted to make comics, but I didn’t want to be the 537th person to draw Batman. I wanted to create my own characters, own my own IPs.

Also I was keen on creating a character steeped in Mexican culture. Growing up a kid who read tons of comics, there weren;t a lot of Latino characters to be found.

So I came up with the idea of a youg man whose born on Dia de Los Muertos, and on his 21st birthday he seemingly gets killed in a car accident. But he’s subsequently resurrected by the Aztec god of death.

The real learning curve was figuring out the ins and outs of self-publishing. Luckily though there were many examples out there, and early on I was fortunate to befriend several other Latino creators who were also self-publishing their own work.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I think a unicersal struggle across all creative fields (all entrepreneurial ones, in fact) is financing the initial operations. Printing costs are your number one obstacle, but if you decide to hit the comic convention circuit then you have to figure in travel costs and related expenses.

Of course built in to the creative individual is the self-doubts that must be confronted. Sometimes over and over again. There were times, early on, where I wondered if it was worth it. The struggle, the financial difficulties, etc. etc. We can be really good at placing these doubts in front of ourselves. But the artists role is to look inward, reexamine what and why you’re doing what you’re doing, and vanquish those doubts and move forward. The old line “You’re your own worst enemy” is all too true.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’ve been creating my own comics through my own imprint since 1998. That’s a solid 28 years of pressing forward on my own steam. Of course part of that equation is the fan base who’ve been receptive to the characters and stories. If no one reads them then they’re just being stockpiled in your garage.

And of course there are the allies you encounter along the way. Fellow creatives who have their own paths but share with you their experiences. The there are the comics and bookstore owners who host you and carry your books. The convention organizers who give you a table to set up for a weekend. There are literally scores of people who assist you along the way.

But as a self-publisher you have to be the driving engine of it all.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I think the biggest risk you take as a creative, first and foremost, is putting your work out there. Creative visions can be very personal. Your bare you soul onto the paper in creating the work, and to expose that to the world can be daunting.

But the inverse has proven to be true: Putting out my creative vision has been rewarding beyond what I ever imagined.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://elmuerto.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/javierloscomex/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Javier.F.Hernandez
• Twitter: https://x.com/JavierHernandez
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LOSCOMEXTV

Image Credits
Javier Hernandez