In April, Dark Horse begins publishing Velasco's hard-hitting series Battle Gods: Warriors of the Chaak, which is destined to become a favorite for fans of over-the-top adventure comics. More than a thousand years after a legendary Mayan warrior incurs the wrath of the ancient gods by claiming their power, the secret of that power is about to be rediscovered. As the Battle Gods are awakened and prepare to annihilate their mortal counterparts, a challenge is issued that will determine the world's ultimate warrior and decide the fate of our flawed -- but courageous -- ace.
I recently conducted an interview with Francisco via e-mail to get a feel for how he's been influenced by the rich South American history he details in Battle Gods, and to see where this hot new talent gets his inspiration for the series that's destined to become a favorite for fans of great action comics. Here's what he had to say:
Shawna Ervin-Gore: Your new series begins in the days when ancient Mayan civilization was very strong. Is this an area of special interest for you?
Francisco Ruiz Velasco: Some years ago I didn't like that Mayan or Aztec stuff much at all. When I was working on a project for a food company, involving Mayan motives (three years ago), I began to get more interested in the culture. Then I realized that I wasn't interested in those cultures before because I never saw them the way I wanted to see them. You know, the information you get in school about ancient cultures is soooo boring and the illustrations in textbooks are more educational and aren't generally good art. One reason I think Japanese comics are popular in America is because of the way they dramatize their ancient culture. They portray it in a very interesting way, and that's something I wanted to do with the Mayan culture.
After I did the food company project, I wanted to learn more about the Mayan culture, so I began studying it and researching it. I traveled to southern Mexico and Guatemala to complete my research, and to have a "feel" of what it was like to live back in those days, going to the pyramids and ruins deep in the jungle. In my travels all the ideas I had for a comic book about Mayans began to take a stronger shape.
SE-G: Were the legends you based Battle Gods on part of the cultural stories you heard while growing up in Mexico?
FRV: Actually, none of the legends in Battle Gods are taught in school; in fact, very little is taught about Mayan or Aztec culture in school. (How much do they teach in the US about the Native American history?) All of the legends I used in the comic are told by the locals and natives living in southern Mexico. So I really didn't grow up learning about them -- just discovered all that culture recently.
I find a lot of elements in this culture really mysterious and fascinating and worth keeping them alive to share with the rest of the world.
SE-G: How much of Battle Gods is based on these cultural myths, and how much did you make up for the sake of telling a good story?
FRV: Well, the backbone of the comic is based on real legends; the story starts with a headless statue, which actually exists in an archaeological site in southern Mexico. The actual legend says that if you find the head and place it on the statue, the world will end. So I started from there, creating characters and trying to make a story that would appeal to everyone, not just Mexicans or South Americans.
SE-G: Besides the cool, cultural elements you based the story on, Battle Gods is also full of amazing characters and imagery that is great to look at. Is this pretty indicative of the sort of stuff you're most interested in drawing?
FRV: Well, the comic is filled with little pieces of stuff that I really enjoy drawing, mostly technology. So I guess that'swhat I most enjoy drawing: all the costumes and machines and technology. And that's the main reason the story is set in the future. Of course, I also like to draw girls.
SE-G: A lot of us at Dark Horse think it's really cool that your comic book is bringing so many great South American elements to a mainstream American comic -- there's not a lot of diverse cultural stuff represented in the comics mainstream these days. And some of the best comics creators--including Mike Mignola -- like to interpret folk tales and myths into comics stories, so you're in good company. Are there other South American myths you'd like to tell comics-style?
FRV: I have a lot of projects I'd like to do, including one called Culebra (which I hope Dark Horse has some interest in, hint hint). Culebra is set in the future, and I want to make it very dark and filled with action. It also has a lot of Aztec and Mayan elements mixed with Christian religion.
SE-G: How long have you been a published artist, and what other projects have you worked on?
FRV: In Mexico, I've been in the independent scene for five years (with a little success), and I've been a collaborator with some independent Mexican comics artists. That's how I met my colorist and co-writer, Edgar Delgado, who published an independent comic book called Ultrapato. And for the U.S. market, I've done Ghost #16 and 17, and I did the gray screentones for an X-Men novel pencilled by José Ladronn.
SE-G: I've picked up on a lot of different elements and influences in your art style, and I'm guessing you like manga. What artists and writers would you say influence you?
FRV: My all time favorite artists are Masamune Shirow, and Kenichi Sonoda, and I like a lot of other artists including Mignola, Joe Madureira, and Katsuhiro Otomo. And speaking of comics I currently enjoy, Gunsmith Cats, Crimson, and Blade of the Immortal are some of my favorites. And Spunky Knight (just kidding).
What I enjoy most are action and sci-fi comics, so I guess that's what I prefer to work on, too. For everybody that's reading this interview, I hope you enjoy the series, and support it, for the sake of my career. Just kidding -- I think a lot of people are going to like it.
Don't miss the first issue of Battle Gods: Warriors of the Chaak, the new, nine-issue comics series by Francisco Ruiz Velasco and Edgar Delgado, on sale April 12 at your local comics shop.