Los Dos Mujeres de las Islas

I am proud to say that there are two comic properties that star Puerto Rican's that are making noise. One is La Borinquena and the other is my series, "A Reason to Smile!" I've been able to cultivate a decent little following due to my series starring this little Puerto Rican girl named Luiza Brillante, but I aspire to have her be as culturally relevant as Marisol Rios de la Luz.

Edgardo Miranda Rodriguez created her as a comic representation for the Puerto Rican Parade and as a comic book character named La Borinquena. She has the powers to help people due to her connection to Atabey, the creation mother of Boriken, Puerto Rico's original name, and goes back and forth to from PR to NYC to help people on both island. Sadly, I do not have as close of a connection to Puerto Rico, but my roots there have inspired my character, my series and being that I am from NYC, I aspire to make her relevant to this island's inhabitants. Through the stories I tell here, I hope to one day create stories where Luiza tries to see why Puerto Rico is important to her, in more than name. 

I've created this image to show solidarity with my Boriqua brother and his creation, and show others that we can all coexist in the same market. I decided that since both ladies have connections to Manhattan and Puerto Rico, joining them in a setting that shows both, showcasing my new animated cell style as well,  would be a great way to show some love and spread the word about both of our creations. The more people see us doing the same things they do in their daily lives, the more they may come to understand us and see us as they see themselves.

If you'd like to order any of my books, you may email me at thelearningcurv@gmail.com, go to www.etsy.com/shop/thelearningcurv or click here, and https://www.la-borinquena.com/#Store, or click here to buy La Borinquena!

Chupacabra

Presents:

Luiza Vs. the Chupacabra!

"Luiza Brillante loves to help people using her creativity and imagination.

Sometimes, her imagination gets away from her and she finds herself 

immersed in a new adventure or an tunexpected conundrum! Hearing 

stories about Puerto Rico and the Chupacabra caused Luiza to daydream

about hunting the monster that instills fear in human and animal alike! 

Though a machete might not be enough, Luiza never shys away from 

a challenge!"

This illustration was inspired by my graphic novel series "A Reason to Smile!" in which a little Puerto Rican girl from New York City always tries to find the bright side of life. I am bringing the series to Emerald City Comic Con and though this image did not get published in their Monsters and Dames book, I am proud to have made a illustration that I believe was good enough to be within it. 

Chupacabra's were first made aware to me in 1996 when I visited San Sebastian, Puerto Rico to meet mi Abuelo's hermano. The people in the neighborhood began speaking to me about how many locals were fearful of being outside at night because of this creature they were calling the Chupacabra, the goat sucker. It was said that many of the farmers were finding their livestock bled dry while having what appeared to be two puncture wounds on their necks. I always found the story to be an interesting piece of modern folklore but within the next year, I began to hear similar stories from other countries in South American and the Caribbean. We now have a modern day Bigfoot or Lockness Monster!

It was this story that inspired me to create an illustration where Luiza saves the day and stops the dreaded monster of La Isla Borinquen from further harming the animals of the island. Monsters and Dames obviously focuses on women and monsters, but Luiza will eventually be a woman, 

so... why not?

If you'd like to check out the slice of life story of Luiza Brillante, check out these links:

Volume 1: http://www.thecurv.com/2014/12/a-reason-to-smile-previews-and-orders.html

Volume 2: http://www.thecurv.com/2016/10/a-reason-to-smile-volume-2-is-here.html

and if you'd like your very own copy, email me at 

thelearningcurv@gmail.com 

and we'll get you your very own signed copy!

2005

2005 was a year in which I was still trying to transition from the education I received at Lynchburg College and S.C.A.D. and applying that to portraiture and illustration. I wanted to be a comic artist since I was a child, but I loved being able to capture a sense of life and realism in the faces of the people I drew. My only comfortable experience with color was with traditional media, so I  wasn't comfortable with using the computer and having Photoshop be a tool I could use properly (due to lack of knowledge and experience), so I tried coloring every chance I got.I wasn't comfortable inking at that point either so I generally tried to create very clean line art in order to have an easier time translating my work into color. I've always loved drawing superheroes so I wanted to try to bring them to life as much as I could.

I have always loved creating art with a pencil due to the control you have with it and the values that can be seen with it's use, so I gravitated towards it heavily. I could take it anywhere and felt as though I could do almost anything with it and it became my best friend on the road. The piece with the man sitting on the radio (hip hop legend Rakim) is a testament to my love of sketchbooks, pencils, and NYC, as that piece was drawn on the train on the way to my grandmother's house as I traveled from Manhattan to Queens. Many people and things I was involved with were my subjects, from my brother and my godkids, to celebrities I admired and respected, on to political statements and social commentary. I look forward to revisiting some of those subjects again in the future.

 

A Reason To Smile!

I present my first cover for  my book, "A Reason to Smile!" I can't wait to send this to the printer and have it in my hands to get into yours!  Once that happens I will have another post about the book in print, along with the merchandise (t-shirts, bookmarks, buttons and so on...) be on the lookout!

If you haven't ordered your copy through the kickstarter, shoot me an email to thelearningcurv@gmail.com and lets get you "A Reason to Smile!"

Mr. Cellophane shoulda been my name....

I have been a comic collector since right around 1990.  I remember my father taking me to the Big Apple Con in New York City and seeing X-Factor #1 and being astonished that I could afford to buy a #1 issue, which back then was a big deal (all of my comic book heads remember those days).  From then on I was trying my best to get as MANY comics as possible.  I remember going to  St. Marks Comics AND Forbidden Planet before they both changed locations (and FB yet again this year) and I remember as an adult having to put my 27th long box of comics into storage to make more room for more in my life than JUST comics.

I recently picked up Issue #0 of Green Lantern produced by Dc Comics.  It introduces a new human Green Lantern into the DC Universe mythos.  We have three White human Green Lanterns, one of African descent, and now, one of Middle Eastern descent.  I am happy for those of the Middle East who have come over to this country that have found a new way, and maybe a better way of life here in the States.  I congratulate them on the achievements that have been made here and appreciate the struggle they are going through.  Blacks and Latino's have gone through those same issues for hundreds of years here. I completely understand it being of Puerto Rican descent myself.  What I don't get is this: Why to this day are Latino's still left out and not taken seriously.

Just recently DC Nation, the animated segment of Cartoon Network that showcases the DC Universe in animated form, debuted an animated short featuring Vibe, a Puerto Rican character from Chicago.  It is a innaccurate simply caricature of our people. There is nothing within that animation of substance in depth or quality at all.  This was a perfect opportunity to revamp the character, get a Latin or even mroe specific, Puerto Rican writer to write the segment and bring Vibe our of obscurity and start him fresh.  they dropped the ball again..... I and other viewers posted about how offensive the short was to us and how disappointing it. Why did DC feel that this representation was okay to air?  It is extremely strange that they finally have good acting and writing for Blue Beetle (who is a perfect candidate to become a top tier character in their universe, who can represent Latino’s) and would show this offensive representation of Latin and inner city people.

Those of Middle Eastern Descent have had to deal with similar things in their own lands as we have in ours. Coming to this country feels as though it is an escape and new chance at life. Many times it is. What this may boil down to more than anything specifically for me, is jealousy..... My people have been going through what we have gone through for over 200 years.  To this day we still are fighting to be seen.  Granted, we've made strides and are more public than ever, but that is extremely hard fought and earned through everything that we have had to endure for so long.  To this day, Marvel only has one character in the spotlight of Latin descent, and he’s only half, and DC has yet to put any emphasis in making that happen.  I have worked in the elementary school systems and have seen just as many if not more books about the Middle East than I have about South America and the Caribbean. We are still not taken seriously.

At the end of the day, I’d love to see more representation of everyone, so NO one feels this way.  I would love to see everyone have a potential role model who looks like them, who comes from what they come from, and with whom they can identify with.  Some people see President Obama as a sham president and that he only won the election because he was Black….. thankfully that man was able to do more than simply be a Black man, because he showed that there is more to this world that what has been fed to us. Demand better from everything around you…. No one should be made to feel left out.