Mexicasa!

Amingo by Bengus, link via fightersgeneration.com

I was showing my early design work for my endlessly expanding next comic project to a friend whose likeness I want to use for a pretty cool character and he said 'A [japanese comic] style' (as well as an amusing rendition of 'Dreamweaver' even more amusingly directed at a copy I'd done of a Michael Turner picture which seemed fitting).

Which I guess, yeah it is intended to be a parody of Japanese comics, and will be black and white (or possibly grayscale, I'm trying to figure out shortcuts) and I am aiming for 16-20 pages per week! crazy Japanese workaholia style until either the carpal tunnel or whatever gets me.

But curiously if I had to pinpoint the country that is having the most influence on my style it is... Mexico. Who new? But my major influences are Humberto Ramos and Francesco Herrara in developing my style.

I've seen somebody suggest they were influenced by Bengus (CRMK) from Street Fighter II, Darkstalkers and Street Fighter III fame who incidently is Japanese, but A) I'm not sure how authoratative the claim is/was. B) Bengus isn't a japanese comic or animation artist but character designer for Capcom games. C) Japanese comics are most commonly linked to Tezuka 'the beatles' of Japanese comics who in turn was heavily influenced by none other than Walt Disney.

And these Mexican/Mexican American guys seem heavily influenced by the Disney 'cartoony' tradition. Having been to Mexico, it is one of the highlights of my world tour, with the significant disadvantage of being the last country of my world tour after 8 months and 13 countries of physical and mental exhaustion. That's really saying something.

Who can't be influenced by Mexico. Whilst I'm glad I don't have to live in abject poverty servitude to latifunda's, or deal with light skinned politicians stealing all the international aid. The colours, the music, the language, the food! Oh the food! As my good friend the Butcher said 'what you call a taco, is not a taco.' or thereabouts and its true. I live in fear I will never eat the deliciousness of taco again. Not even in the sexual euphemism sense, I mean really give me a 20peso taco in place of a $10 souvlaki everyday, I don't care what they do to the pig.

Mexico doesn't really get enough credit for producing almost pure awesomeness, often to the detriment of its own people. Zombrero's, Charro's, Mariachi, Ponchos, Calevarras, El Santo, Lucho Libre, Mexicas (Aztecs to you), Olmecs and a bunch of other ones. They produced Frida Carlo and Diego Rivera.

I'm just saying, there is so much about Mexico you don't know. But what's more it hasn't been fetishised like Japan. Nor do the locals tote pretentious Euro-trash handbags around in a desperate attempt to prove their own sophistication to themselves. It could happen. Pray I get married and force someone into a honey moon there before it happens.

If you want to see some examples of Mexican comic artist styles I shall be trying (and failing) to emulate check out Humberto Ramos and Francisco Herrera