Chispa Comics and Mucho Mas Media, along with partner Scout Comics, have just announced they’re preparing to embark on a groundbreaking project: launching a shared universe similar to those of DC or Marvel, featuring heroes solely of Latin-American heritage, in comics written and illustrated by Latinx creatives.
The brainchild of Mucho Mas Media, in partnership with Scout Comics, which will distribute, Chispa plans to unveil this ambitious fictional universe with The Thirteen, described as “an elite league of super-powered humans with Mesoamerican roots.”
The Thirteen will debut in 2023 through a series of one-shot origin stories: the first six set to premiere at San Diego Comic-Con, the last seven to drop at NYC Comic-Con.
The one-shots will be followed by an ongoing series in 2024 featuring the entire line-up, as well as three other spin-off series featuring smaller teams of heroes.
Super-powered humans in this universe are referred to as “chispas” (sparks), a term that reflects a Latinx perspective on heroism. They arise from inside, not outside the community. They don’t fight evil just as vigilantes or powerful police, but as defenders of their people against the systems that foment crime, evil and injustice. Doing so, they inspire others, sparking a fire in the hearts of common people to work together in solidarity to effect real change in the world.
The origin stories of The Thirteen are being crafted by a group of talented writers, some of whom are represented by Mucho Mas subsidiary Inclusion Management: Zopilote by Hector Rodriguez III, The Wake by Jasminne and Lupe Méndez, Pyroclast by Frederick Luis Aldama, Cloudbreak by Leticia Urieta, Florescent by Héctor González, Dragonthrall by Veronique Medrano, Vendaval by Ire’ne Lara Silva, Shaper by Angelo Bowles, Gila Girl by Henry Barajas, Molt by Laura Galán-Wells, Revive by Oscar Garza and Rolando Esquivel, Blue Deer by David Bowles, and Coneja by Kevin García.
Negotiations with illustrators and writers are underway. The company is still lining up illustrators … so if you’re interested, reach out.
“What makes these heroes unique is not just their ethnicity, but the fact that their powers emerge from their Mesoamerican day signs,” explains co-publisher David Bowles, an award-winning Chicano author, translator, and college literature professor. “In other words, there’s a cultural and spiritual element to these mutations that is specific to their Indigenous heritage
“With 62 million Latinx consumers in the US, comprising 25 percent of the US Gen Z and Millennial population and growing, our community is a huge consumer of entertainment,” said Chispa Comics co-publisher Hector Rodriguez III, an award-winning Chicano comic book creator and co-founder of Texas Latino Comic Con.
“We want Chispa’s new superhero universe to reflect the full diversity under that umbrella, with the ability to organically expand into every niche.
Chispa’s first published title, Attack at Acapulco: A Black Demon Tale, debuted at the 2021 New York Comic-Con. The comic from writer Sebastian Martinez-Kadlecik and artist Bruno Oliveira is centred on an ancient megashark from Mexican mythology, guarding the waters near the Baja peninsula.
The Black Demon, an independent feature film thriller adaptation starring Josh Lucas, directed by Adrian Grunberg (Rambo: Last Blood) and produced by Javier Chapa and Jon Silk, will be released next year by The Avenue Entertainment and Amazon.
While planning the release of an anthology series to tie in with The Black Demon film, Chispa is shepherding other projects toward the second quarter of 2023, including the horror anthology Catrina’s Caravan, edited by David Bowles and Hector Rodriguez III; Thanks! from Romina, from writer Giulie Speziani; a graphic novel follow-up to the first issue of Oscar Garza and Pablo Esquivel’s Mashbone & Grifty, which dropped at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con; and the graphic novel series The Dusk, from Alex Segura. Among projects in development is the Richard Ortiz-drawn series The Fantastic Flame, written by Alex Segura and Chantel Acevedo.
With the mission to tell ethnically vibrant stories from established and emerging talents, Chispa Comics is the first direct-to-market Latinx comic label with full national distribution. Established in 2021 as a partnership between Los Angeles-based production company Mucho Mas Media and Scout Comics & Entertainment, headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida, the imprint is overseen by co-publishers David Bowles and Hector Rodriguez III, alongside Mucho Mas Media founder and co-CEO Javier Chapa and company creative director Phillip Braun.
Mucho Mas Media is a Los Angeles-based media company focused on the development and production of content, for today’s domestic Latinx and global audiences. Dedicated to creating media content across all platforms, Mucho Mas is also the parent company of Inclusion, a premier management company focused on representing people of color on both sides of the camera. At its core, Mucho Mas is dedicated to showcasing and empowering talent to tell stories from a Latinx perspective in film, television, and streaming – to both inspire and entertain audiences around the world.
Scout Comics & Entertainment was founded in 2015 and has over 300 titles in their catalog. Scout books have sold to Disney, Amazon Studios, FilmNation, State Street, and Rooster Teeth, among others.
If you’re an artist interested in this project, the best way to contact Chispa Comics is to email co-publishers David Bowles (bowlesdo@gmail.com) and Hector Rodriguez III (hector@chispacomics.com). Be sure to include links your portfolio and/or social media
• Chispa Comics on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
• Mucho Mas Media on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
• Scout Comics on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, US Comics
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