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Wisin & Yandel concert coming to San Antonio
Whatever Happened to Felipe Rose of the Village People?
Whatever Happened to Felipe Rose of the Village People? Part 1
By Ramón Hernández
Rather than wait to give you the answer at the end of this article, the spoiler alert is that after a nasty, legal messy battle with another original Village People co-founder, Felipe Rose went solo in 2013 and is now riding high with “Dance Again,” his fourth single as a solo artist.
By the way, this kick-butt tune also features Ada Dire on backup vocals.
“I wrote this song while struggling through PTSD over losing his producer (Frosty Lawson) last fall. And on my birthday (January 12, 2021), I went into the studio with my young producer, Tyler Sarfert, who loves disco. So yes, this production has a deliberate touch of my past disco roots,” Felipe excitedly said during a 43-minute telephone conversation.
“After the 15-month pandemic lockdown, we’re coming back to life again. It’s about now. We’re back, we’re coming out and now it’s time to dance again. So, when I sing the song, I yell out ‘locked up’ because we were locked up. The words are powerful. So, enjoy my brand-new single, my new rebirth, new attitude, and new rebooted me with this, my latest offering with my team – Benny Harrison, Khadijah aka Kiki, Estela Crespo of MBQ Productions. She’s my comadre and social media director, Then there’s Jimi Carter of Act Now Promotions.”
Now, given the fact that “Macho Man,” the tune that launched the Village People’s musical career was released in 1977, allow me to educate our young readers who are not aware of the group that changed the face of disco with “Y.M.C.A.” – a gay anthem that the Library of Congress inducted to its National Recording Registry in March 2020. This registry honors tracks and albums that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.” The Latin connection is that a conga and a timbale were included in its instrumentation.
My favorite was “In the Navy” because I was at the midway point of my 23-year Naval career.
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 12: A general view of atmosphere at Cartier Juste un Clou After Party at Skylight Studio on April 12, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/WireImage)Long story short, this group, which was assembled through a series of auditions and really didn’t have much in common, sold more than 100 million records, had three top ten hits, four top twenty dance/club hits, toured the world, and sold-out New York’s Madison Square Garden twice. Furthermore, they were the subject of a biopic – “Can’t Stop the Music.”
In 2008, Rose received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and a month later, he was inducted into the Native American Music Hall of Fame.
Most importantly, the Village People catapulted Felipe’s talent into pop music’s stratosphere. For starters, this singer, songwriter, and dancer is also a movie/television actor, a culinary enthusiast, a motivational speaker, an ordained minister, a visual artist/painter who continues to embrace his history while remaining contemporary; and let us not forget he was the title character in “The Adventures of Swift Arrow,” a true Native American superhero in a comic book.
Combined, this makes Felipe a true renaissance man.
Now the former loin cloth-wearing Lakota Sioux/Puerto Rican with a bespangled war bonnet is also hosting “The Disco Chronicles” podcast on his YouTube channel.
As an actor the disco icon was in a soap opera, made some appearances on television hit series “Fame,” “Love Boat,” “Married with Children,” plus two movie musicals, he was in ‘Tu Me Tien Por La Barbachette,’ a French comedy, and he played the part of Bernardo in “West Side Story.”
FELIPE’S CULINARY TALENT
Another side few people are aware of is Felipe’s culinary expertise and how he almost landed his own cooking show on ABC. And after viewing one of Felipe’s cooking episodes on his YouTube channel, I was curious about what sparked his interest in cooking when he has the money to eat out and never has to cook a meal at home. Also, if he shared his Puerto Rican heritage as a part of his show.
“Of course,” he answered. “There’s one episode where I do a monfongo de platano with rice and black beans. I learned watching my mother because she was so bad at it. And with nine kids, she hated to cook. Her ideal dinner was to open five cans of Chef Boyardee and a loaf of bread. So, I said, ‘no, no, no, I’m going to learn how to cook.’ Thus, at 13 or 14, I learned to clean, wash, and cook rice because I would see my aunts and sisters cooking roast pork. But I would experiment and drench meat in beer as I cooked my tostones.
“However, I really haven’t shot many episodes that feature Puerto Rican dishes because it depends on what I really want to make.
“My cooking show has had three incarnations, me cooking in celebrity homes and I pitched it to ABC, but they wanted the Village People and I kept saying no. We worked together, but we never set out to become a band. We were put together as young adults through auditions and that’s how we got to know each other. We would do our show, then everybody would go their own way. We’d go here, we’d go there, then I would go back to my own world and catch up with friends or whatever. Therefore, we would never be in the kitchen cooking together.
“As I told one of the attorneys, ‘It’s not real. It’s not believable. So why am I going to compromise my artistic ideas?’ So, I shelved the show.
“Then I revamped it with the late Chef Lou Petrozza, a Hell’s Kitchen runner-up. That one was called ‘Rose and Petrozza, the Art of Food and Music’ and we shot an episode at Gloria Gaynor’s house. But producers kept on wanting to bring in the Village People, so I said, ‘forget it.’
Next, Felipe did two pilots of “No Feathers in the Kitchen” with the concept of bringing Native American artists to the show to share some of the cooking dishes that had been handed down through the generations.
Today, he continues to cook on his YouTube channel.
MEANWHILE, FELIPE ROSE BEGAN TO CREATE HIS OWN MUSIC
From 2000 to 2008, while still a member of the Village People, Felipe wrote and recorded “Trail of Tears,” “We’re Still Here,” “Red Hawk Woman” and “Going Back to My Roots” – four singles that were a blueprint of who he was and that garnered him four Nammys (Native American Music Awards) for outstanding achievements in the Native American music industry.
After Felipe went solo, in 2011, he released “Soul of a Man,” an album that contained and those four tunes,
More facets of this many-sided artist will be covered in ‘Part Two’ of this feature article in the August issue of StreetTalk. That’s because this month we want to highlight “Dance Again,” his most recent musical gem as a solo artist that was released in LGBT Pride Month.
FELIPE ROSE’S LATEST OPUS
“This really my fourth recording as a solo artist,” Felipe resumed. “But it’s more commercial because I think they’re calling it neo disco.
“I guess that’s because I come from disco, but now I’m doing dance and because of the way it sounds thanks to my 24-year-old producer, it’s a fresh sound and it does not sound like something from a guy that is trying to hold on to his past. Instead, I wanted to learn from him. I wanted him to show me how I was going to sound. He said, ‘this is the music we’re going to do and it’s going to sound like this.’ So, I’m excited about that journey, about the process because I love collaborating with people.
“I hope I did the job right because I’m getting emails from people around the world telling me they are incredibly surprised about the production and of the way I sound because a lot of people really never got to hear me sing and now, I’m singing full voice, aloud and out front with vibrato.
“I’m happy about how big the reaction was and incredibly surprised that ‘Dance Again’ caught on so quickly when it came out four weeks ago.
“A music colleague of mine recently said, ‘After all the things that happened and then the pandemic. How did you come out with such a fantastic song? That’s not supposed to happen. Who does that?’
“That’s not supposed to happen, but it did because I knew that as soon as there was distance from the Village People split, plus the 15 months at home. I told myself, ‘Sitting down, pouting, and drinking wine is not in my cards. I don’t want to write about sad or negative stuff. I want to lift spirits because isn’t that what music is about. And the result is ‘Dance Again.’”
“I think the fantastic reaction has been a combination of things, like the way I’ve treated my fans, how I’ve treated people along my journey, with respect and kindness. So, you get that back when they appreciate good work and they come back to you.”
Felipe’s new dance single is now available on all music websites and at www feliperose.com where you can satisfy your musical appetite with a 30-second sampler.
In closing, next month is the continuation of a few very revealing sides of the Felipe Rose few fans know.
‘Bean & Chisme’ web show tells it like it is, San Antonio style
Two savvy media professionals in San Antonio have built the perfect platform for entertaining and educating fellow Latinos about their culture. All it took was unleashing their inner hoodrat.
That platform is “Bean & Chisme,” a live web show by Nina Duran, former publisher of the bilingual newspaper La Prensa, and Samantha Najera, CEO of the creative marketing firm HeartFire Media. It features raucous sketch comedy and unfiltered talk about all things Latino.
As for the so-called hoodrats, meet Lil’ Frijolita and Lil’ Chismosa, Duran and Najera’s alter-egos. They embody chola subculture from their bold black eyebrows to their long white tube socks, with the attitude and street-smarts to match.
The “Bean & Chisme” mission: Spoof and spotlight the topics Latinos relate to no matter how taboo. Or as Lil’ Chismosa and Lil’ Frijolita put it, they “call you out on your (expletive) and enjoy teaching la raza a thing or two about life.”
“The whole goal of ‘Bean & Chisme’ was to not just draw attention to the Latino culture but to the San Antonio South Texas vibe, living as a Mexican American. All of that,” Najera said. “We want to celebrate that and bring attention to it.”
So far “Bean & Chisme” has captured the attention of more than 90,000 followers on their Facebook page (@beanchisme). And a handful of original videos by the duo have racked up more than half a million views.
Now after a pandemic-forced hiatus from their live online shows, the self-described “two chismosas doing hoodrat things” are back with “Hoodrat Cumbia,” a nalga-shaking new song and music video to mark their return and the return of Fiesta.
“Hoodrat Cumbia” drops Thursday on iTunes, Spotify, Tik Tok and other music streaming and social media platforms, just in time for the first day of Fiesta.
Duran and Najera credit their growing audience to their “crazy chemistry to play verbal ping-pong” and their willingness to take on any topic Latinos can relate to, no matter how taboo.
“We talk about everything from finances to why do you line up for Selena bags but you don’t vote,” Najera said. “How come tios and tias die with no money and we have to have plate sales at the funeral?”
Najera and Duran launched “Bean & Chisme” in October 2017, at first just to have fun with live streaming.
“People kept telling us, ‘You guys are hilarious together,’” Najera said. “And Nina would say, ‘Oh, if only there was a fly on the wall.’”
So the longtime friends decided to share the kinds of conversations out loud that most people wouldn’t dare have in public. But that blunt talk didn’t really take off until a few months later, when Lil’ Frijollita and Lil’ Chismosa came along.
In April 2018, Duran and Najera unveiled the characters at the old Image Shots photo studio in Ingram Park Mall, where they rocked their finest Claire’s dark lipstick and gaudy earrings as a jokey throwback to when they wore such so-called chola gear in the 1990s.
When they posted the photo online, “it went ridiculously viral,” Duran said. “And just like that, in the bathroom of Ingram Park Mall in April of 2018, the hoodrats were born.”
The likes and looks really blew up when the duo started appearing in “Bean & Chisme” spinoff videos, such as “Hoodrats at Fiesta” and “The Real Hoodrats of San Antonio.”
On Facebook alone, “Hoodrats at Fiesta” has more than 367,000 views, while “Real Hoodrats of San Antonio” has 184,000.
On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio rapper Southside Hoodlum making waves beyond his hometown (expressnews.com)
Some of the duo’s edgier satirical clips really raise eyebrows and view counts.
“Interview with The Cucuy: Episode 3, Yolanda Saldivar,” a 2019 mock sitdown with the convicted killer of Tejano star Selena, remains “Bean & Chisme’s” top YouTube video with more than 200,000 views. The faux “Frost/Nixon” has Lil’ Chismosa grilling the Saldivar stand-in (San Antonio comedian Joanna Estrada) until Lil’ Frijolita rips off her curly wig and fights her.
Then there’s their 2019 “Frozen” parody, “Do You Wanna Make Tamales?” More than 67,000 have seen the decidedly not-for-children video on Facebook, which stars Duran as a pot-smoking version of Elsa who spikes the tamales for her kid sis and family.
“We want to be like Cheech & Chong,” Najera said, “or like (the Spanish-language entertainment show) ‘El Gordo y La Flaca.’ Maybe if Cheech & Chong and Selena had a baby?”
“Bean & Chisme” may be about two crazy Latinas, Najera said, but their hoodrat humor can shed light on real topics, which can lead to frank conversations that influence change.
“We’re just embracing who we are,” Duran said. “We can embrace and educate our Latino population with a little humor.”
“And we’re educating people just by being ourselves,” Najera said. “Not everybody is just one thing. We’re also business owners and single moms.”
On ExpressNews.com: The first Texas rap record likely was made by a San Antonio DJ better known as radio personality Alberto Alegre
All jokes aside, Duran and Najeda pack some serious media credentials.
Before launching her San Antonio-based marketing and public relations firm in November 2012, Najera spent about a dozen years on both sides of the television camera. While earning her communications degree from the University of the Incarnate Word, she interned at Turner Studios in Atlanta as a production assistant on series such as TBS’s “Movie and a Makeover” and “Dinner & A Movie.” She parlayed that experience into production assistant work at KSAT-TV news and then reported the news for the ABC affiliate in College Station.
Duran’s own behind-the-camera work includes associate producer work at the KENS-TV morning show “Great Day SA.” She later worked her way up from sales to managing partner and then publisher of La Prensa, which her father Florentino “Tino” Duran founded in 1989 as a sort of relaunch of the original La Prensa, which dates back to 1913. Duran closed La Prensa in 2018, about a year after her father’s death.
Much as Najera and Duran enjoy channeling their inner cholas, they said a lot of hard work goes into making their on-screen personas look so easygoing.
“We wrote it, we did everything from the ground up,” Duran said. “We’ve done a good job at parodying, but I hope this also helps people see us as artists.”
Duran and Najera are working on new online shows and skits, and they hope to take their humor to the comedy club now that Fiesta and other large social gatherings are coming back.
In the meantime, the duo hopes that “Hoodrat Cumbia” helps score their San Antonio-based web show a larger national audience. They already have a #HoodratCumbiaChallenge planned for Tik Tok to really get the kids and cool abuelitas shaking and sharing what their mamas gave them.
And there’s nothing like a citywide celebration to get that party started.
“We wanted people to be able to play it wherever. And what better time to do that than Fiesta?” Duran said. “Yeah, our eyebrows are going to be melting this year.”
rguzman@express-news.net | Twitter: @reneguz
Alamo City Comic Con Halloween Edition 2017
Story by: David A. De La Rosa
Photographs by: Joseph Martinez
This past weekend I went to the Alamo City Comic Con Halloween Edition event (October 27th – 29th) at the Alamo Dome. The obvious proximity to the holiday had people attend this event dressed up as some of their favorite monsters and ghouls (i.e. Freddy Kruger, Pennywise, or garden variety zombie). Convention goers were exposed to the usual fare at such an event collectibles vendors, artists, and special celebrity guests (available for signing autographs and photo ops).
I like attending these shows for a couple of reasons; one is to see the creativity people have when it comes to making their own costumes. The second reason I like going to these events is I have an opportunity to meet some of my favorite television or film stars that are scheduled to appear at the event. This year there were actors in Q&A panels from cult classic films/television such as Nightmare Before Christmas, Nightmare On Elm Street, The Warriors, The Exorcist, The Monster Squad, and American Horror Story.
This event was held at the Alamo Dome, in the area where the field would be, there was a great amount of room for vendors which took up 2/3rds of the available space while the rest was setup as the celebrity section Alamo City Comic Con Halloween Edition 2017
. The rear corner adjoining the celebrity section was a stage and seating area for the panels. The panel area utilized one of the Alamo Dome’s jumbo-trons, so from most vantage points where ever a convention attendee was on the floor they could see and listen to each panel.
Overall I would say that this event was great family entertainment, at a reasonable price a three day pass could be bought for $50 at your local HEB supermarket. I did not see anyone walking away from this convention displeased, this event was very child friendly. I did see a few issues regarding this comic con.
First of all I think a lot of people thought that this event would have been bigger being held at the Alamo Dome as a venue. The issue here was the way that this event was marketed, because it was competing against another similar event (Rockula Horror Expo). Convention goers believed that this con was going to be on the same scale as the regular Alamo City Comic Con. To me I would have marketed this show as being a snack before dinner (i.e. the annual Alamo City Comic Con).
Another issue that may seem trivial was the restrictions regarding the kind of bags (backpacks, mesh bags, and clear bags were not allowed) convention attendees could bring. I know that these restrictions were put in place by the officials overseeing the Alamo Dome facility, and not the comic cons organizers. I think that this might have hurt the convention vendor’s bottom line; when I go to an event like this I need to take a backpack to hold all my heavy purchases. I know a lot of people posted on the comic cons Facebook page their displeasure about these baggage restrictions.
I also thought that there needed to be more comic con personnel (volunteers) present to help direct people in and outside the facility. The people that were there that did most of those duties were Alamo Dome employees. I think that the line to enter the dome could have ran more smoothly if there was some comic con personnel directing people to get into the proper line.
My final thoughts on this event are in regards to the Alamo Dome as being a great venue for any kind of convention. There were plenty of restrooms with hardly any lines, throughout the facility, as well as two major concession areas. As I’ve said before overall this was a great family event and it was held at a family friendly venue.
Alamo City Comic Con Experience 2017
Story by: David A. De La Rosa
Photographs by: Joseph Martinez
Alamo City Comic Con Experience 2017
This past weekend I attended San Antonio’s fifth installment of our local pop culture festival known as the Alamo City Comic Con (May 26th – 28th at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center). Convention goers’ have a chance to cut loose and let their inner geek out. This event allows the attendees the opportunity to dress up in costume and in makeup as their favorite superheroes or villains. It’s very common to see a whole family; mom, dad, and the kiddies dressed as their favorite hero’s.
People come to this convention for the spectacle of the event, to purchase limited edition artwork and collectibles. People go to be seen in their costumes and freely welcome people to take pictures with them if asked. There is also a contingent of professional cosplayers there who have awesome costumes and sell their pictures or offer to pose with attendees for a small fee. For me I like going to this event for a chance to meet some my favorite film and television stars. Whatever the reason people come to this event it all boils down to fun at a reasonable price.
There were many opportunities for the attendees to meet their favorite television or film stars that were scheduled for this event. Either directly by obtaining an autograph at a booth, or a free meet & greet or photo ops, also being able to ask some these celebrities in a panel setting, questions about their lives and television/film work. I attended no less than eight panels in the three day period, each one was very interesting.
The panels that I attended broke down into two groups. The first group, were panels dealing with actors connected to movies and television I grew up with from the ‘80s (i.e. The Goonies, Cheers, Star Wars, & Rocky IV). The second group of panels that I attended were concerning more current pop culture involving television/film and comics (Karl Urban, Kristin Bauer, Frank Miller, & Rob Schneider).
The first panel I attended was The Goonies panel. The panel was comprised of some of the key child actors of that film Sean Astin, Corey Feldman, & Ke Huy Quan. Seeing these actors speak about one of my favorites films growing up, made me get nostalgic for the ‘80s. They were all charming and were fully engaged with the panel audience’s questions. One question posed by the audience was why they never made a sequel; basically there wasn’t a quality script or idea that the three producers (Spielberg, Donner, and Columbus) of the film could agree on in order to make a sequel.
The next panel I went to was the Cheers panel. Two of the main characters of this very talented ensemble cast made it to this panel, George Wendt (Norm) and John Ratzenberger (Cliffy). Growing up, I never missed a Thursday night episode of this classic NBC sitcom. Both of these gentlemen were laid back and very charming, answering all the panel audiences’ questions. For me it was another trip down memory lane.
The main panel of this convention in my opinion was the Star Wars panel. I love anything dealing with Star Wars, and I eagerly awaited this opportunity to see these two actors. The actors that attended were Ian Mcdiarmid (the evil Emperor Palpatine) and Peter Mayhew (everyone’s favorite Wookie, Chewbacca). To begin this panel Mr. Mcdiarmid was escorted to the stage with red imperial guards on either side, with John Williams Imperial March being played in the background, a great entrance. Each gentleman gave interesting anecdotes, about their experiences working on these epic films. One funny anecdote was one in which Mr. Mayhew discussed his displeasure working in the Pacific Northwest filming forest scenes for Return of The Jedi. Mr. Mayhew was informed by the director that this was Bigfoot territory, and to not wander off, the idea being that someone might take a shot at him with his Chewbacca costume on. On a sad note, Mr. Mayhew informed the audience that Carrie Fisher was scheduled to attend this event, and she was sorely missed due to her untimely death.
A panel that I almost missed entirely was the Rob Schneider (Saturday Night Live, Duce Bigalow: Male Gigolo) panel. I really enjoy this comedian’s work, on the small/big screen. He spoke about the current political environment in this country as it pertains to stand up comedy. His speaking on this topic was very serious and thought provoking, it made me think of this man in a different light. He said the worst form of censorship was self censorship. He doesn’t believe in the way students are protesting their views in college campuses, and refuses to perform his act in any college campus, due these students’ activities.
Another panel that I really wanted to go to was the Rocky panel, which was comprised of Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed), and Dolph Lundgren (Drago). I am a very big fan of the Rocky movies and both these gentlemen were important to the Rocky film franchise. These two actors were very funny, charming and friendly rapport with the audience. If anyone has a chance to see these two men at a convention do it, you will leave very satisfied you did.
The Kristen Bauer was one panel, I wanted to attend. For those people who don’t know this actress she played Pam in the True Blood series and also played Maleficent on ABCs Once Upon a Time. This lady is very sweet, honest and down to earth. She is everything a Hollywood actress should be, but almost never is. I was walking by the autograph section of the convention center and a volunteer by Ms. Bauer’s booth said that a free meet and greet was fully acceptable, by Ms. Bauer. So my party and I went up to her shake her hand and say hello. Ms. Bauer couldn’t have been more gracious. If anyone has an opportunity to meet this actress please do it you won’t be disappointed.
One panel that has great significance, in the comic book world, was the Frank Miller panel. This man in the past 40 years has developed a modern adult content in comic books that has never been totally realized until now, in such titles as Daredevil, Batman, Sin City & 300. His stories are very gritty, and have a film noire visual feel to them. The panel was good but I’m not up par on his current project which is the DKIII limited series. There is one issue left to complete the story arch to be released in two weeks, he and other panel members said to read the last page, meaning something significant ends the storyline. Side note my partner covering this event witnessed a chance meeting between two comic book icons, Neal Adams and Frank Miller each one spoke to the other about their mutual admiration.
The last panel was a great one with Karl Urban. For those of you who don’t know this actor, he is currently portraying Dr. McCoy, in the new Star Trek reboot film franchise. This actor has been in many blockbusters such as Star Trek, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and The Chronicles of Riddick films. He has also had a turn portraying one of my favorite comic book characters Judge Dredd. Mr. Urban was very funny and very interesting. Anyone there in attendance could tell that he was having fun being there answering questions from the audience. This is another actor I must say if you have a chance to see in person at a convention setting make the effort to do it, he’s worth it.
My observations of this event were over all very favorable. I was glad to see the Black Friday promotion was still in effect offering a greatly reduced discount. Also those passes were mailed to the purchaser, that was a great convenience. For the most part there wasn’t any large lines to get into the convention center, people got in right way. All the panels I attended ran on time, with an exception, of a few cancellations.
I did notice that attendance for this event was down considerably. I think two factors contributed to the lower than normal turnout. The first factor was that this event was held on Memorial Day weekend. A lot of people go out of town to visit family, go to the cemetery, or cookout. The second factor that affected the attendance numbers was that on Saturday, The River City Rockfest was held. This festival had 22 bands performing which included the likes of Def Leppard, Godsmack, The Offspring, and Pap Roach. A lot of people attending that event would have normally bought passes to go to the Alamo City Comic Con. I think that in the future the comic con organizers need to schedule, taking into account conflicting concerts/events. Every year is a learning process of what works and what doesn’t work. Each year there is improvement with this event, and the organizers strive for perfection. Next year’s con will be even better learning from these issues.
David A. De La Rosa: River City Attractions
Alamo City Comic Con Experience 2016
Story by: David A. De La Rosa
Photographs by: Joseph Martinez
Alamo City Comic Con Experience 2016
It seems during the fall, in recent years, there is one event that I impatiently look forward to attending, and that is the Alamo City Comic Con (Oct 28th – 30th at the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center). Throughout the rest of the year I miss the spectacle, and festival like atmosphere of our local celebration of pop culture. This year’s addition, the fourth year of this pop culture festival had many highlights, but also a few disappointing aspects, which will be discussed at the end of this article.
Everything that a person has come to expect from a comicon was present at this event. Attendees are openly encouraged to dress up in costume as their favorite superhero or villainess. Anyone attending can go up to a person in their costumes to pose for pictures; these picture opportunities are hardly ever refused if asked politely. This year the most worn costume was a tossup between Dr. Who and Harley Quinn. Surprisingly not that many Deadpool’s at this year’s con.
There are also professional cosplay artists, who dress up in fine costumes, and makeup to take pictures with the convention going public for a small fee. There is also a small contingent of fan clubs represented there (ex. Star Wars, Ghostbusters) that are in full costume that raise money for charity or for their fan clubs by charging a fee posing for pictures. An example of such a fan club was the Star Wars Society of San Antonio (www.facebook.com/SWSofSA/), which raised $2257 for childhood cancer research, benefiting St. Baldrick’s Foundation and Alan’s Hero Fund. On a side note there was a good representation of the Star Wars universe at the con Mr. Billie Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian) was there all three days of the convention.
As in past comicons any attendee has an opportunity to meet with their favorite film or television stars. An attendee can purchase a VIP pass (which includes admission) to attain autographs and photo-op sessions, with their favorite celebrities. For those who cannot afford these passes they can simply stand in line and purchase an autograph. Many people go this route and some celebrities even allow attendees to take selfie pics with them.
Many people as well myself enjoy attending the Q&A panels of these celebrity special guests, which are free to every attendee. This year’s featured panels of popular television series included, Dr. Who, Gotham, Stranger Things, Daredevil. I’m glad that this year the featured panels made use of the Lila Cockrell Theatre, last year that facility was only used for the Alamo City Film Festival. I sat in on five panels all of which were very interesting (i.e. Peter Weller) and entertaining.
There were vendors there with all kinds of merchandise from all over the country selling simple inexpensive stickers to very limited edition silkscreen print posters. I also met some vendors selling high quality home crafted clothing and accessories. One such vendor was Amber Johnson who has a small home business from Tyler, Texas (www.facebook.com/galaxygear.outofthisworld). This was her and husbands first year exhibiting at this event, and they didn’t know what expect. I spoken to them on Saturday and they said they were at breakeven point and still had another day to sell their merchandise. I was glad to hear that they were having a very positive experience at this event.
I enjoy experiencing all the aspects of attending one of these large pop culture events. I think that most attendees love watching people wearing weird homemade costumes, shopping for obscure collectible merchandise, or viewing limited edition artwork. As for myself I like attending the Q&A panels of the celebrity special guests. I like to get to know a little more about these people. Anyone attending these panels has an opportunity to ask these special guests, about their life and their work on TV and film. I went to five panels The Karate Kid, Stranger Things, Dr. Who, Daredevil/Punisher, and Peter Weller (Robocop).
I really enjoyed all of the panels, but the two that stuck out to me the most were the ones dealing with films that impacted me in my youth (The Karate Kid, and Robocop). The other panels were very informative, and entertaining. Millie Bobby Brown was one the stars of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. Her personality was very engaging and sweet, I knew of this series before hand, after the panel I wanted to binge watch the show.
The Dr. Who panel with Billie Piper was a no brainer for me I loved the character she portrayed on the show as well as other shows she’s been in (Penny Dreadful). She was very lovely and her accent was to die for. The panel for the Netflix hit series Daredevil (Charlie Cox/Daredevil, Jon Bernthal/The Punisher, & Elden Henson/Foggy Nelson) was great and insightful as each actor spoke about trying to be true to the comic book characters. This panel in my opinion had the most fun interacting with the panel audience. I also wanted to binge watch this Netflix series, in large part because of these actors, and this panel experience.
I went to The Karate Kid panel on Friday; it was the first panel I attended of this year’s comic con. I was in luck because it was late in the afternoon, and it took place in a large conference room, not many people attended. The panel guests were Ralph Macchio/the karate kid and William Zabka/the villain. Both of these actors couldn’t have been more charming and answered all questions put them about this film or other projects they had worked on. The limited martial arts training both actors received for this film was interesting, hardly any at all. The audience asked Mr. Macchio about working with the late great Pat Morita. He had nothing but praise for Mr. Morita’s professionalism and guidance making this film.
This panel was very enlightening and entertaining. As a side note late Sunday, the last day of the con my cousin and I went up to Mr. Macchio’s booth. He couldn’t have been a nicer gentleman; quite a few people went up to speak to him. A few took selfies with him with no money changing hands, a class act. He made our day just talking to us exchanging pleasantries.
The last panel I attended was the Peter Weller/Robocop panel. I got there to be early for a children’s costume contest. I sat there halfway through the panel; Mr. Weller blew me away, with the board variety of topics the audience and he touched on. He spoke about his ties with San Antonio; he attended high school (Alamo Heights High School) here. He spoke about politics, books, films, art, and his work in front of and behind the camera. This gentleman was very candid speaking out about his drug problems and failed relationship; Mr. Weller came off very genuine. This whole panel was a highly intellectual discussion on many subjects, after all this man does have a PhD. In Italian Renaissance Art History, he kept everyone in the audience thinking about topics that were being discussed. I would love to sit in on one of this gentleman’s lectures on art; I think it would be fascinating. Last year Edward James Olmos’ panel blew me away, this year it was Peter Weller.
My observations on this event were very favorable for the most part, this event is a premier pop culture convention, but I did see some problems. These problems had to do mostly with logistics in grouping people in lines. The first of these lines was the one to get into the convention center which was long and time consuming. A few family members that attended this event on Saturday, said they got there early in line and waited for almost an hour and half outside to receive their passes. I know that the entrance was in the new expansion area of the convention center, I think that some rope lines would have helped be more orderly and make the line flow quickly.
I saw that there was a line problem for the photo op area, it seemed very disorganized. More than a few people complained about this issue and have posted their displeasure on the Alamo City Comic Con Facebook page. I think there needed to be more convention space allocated to alleviate this problem. I also spoke to a few people that had issues with lining up for the panels that utilized the Lila Cockrell Theatre; they observed it was very disorganized with people trying to cut into various lines. Again more convention space and rope lines probably would have done the trick to fix this problem.
Another issue that I saw was that it seemed like the convention space used for this event was a third the size of past conventions. On the heaviest day of Saturday the foot traffic going thru the convention space made me feel like I was being herded like cattle. I haven’t had that herd sensation since the first comic con. Again I think this event needed to utilize to two largest exposition halls like in the past. I understand the reasoning behind using the space available. I believe that major remodeling/construction work on the convention center as well as another convention already using those exposition halls, had everything to do with the space limitations.
Another issue I saw was one of limited resources. If you have less convention area then the price to exhibit there goes up, a simple economic principle of supply and demand. I noticed right away that this year’s convention had very few artists. I asked an artist exhibiting there what he thought about the small turnout of artists selling their art at the show. The artist said that the cost to exhibit there had grown substantially since the con started three years prior. I asked that artist if he thought that the increased cost had frozen out a lot of local artists, and that individual believed that was the case. I like art and I think that we need to support our local artists, there needs to be some sort of freeze on the cost to exhibit at the convention, to bring back these artists.
There were a lot of positives with this year’s convention it wasn’t all gloom and doom. This convention had its own free app that gave everyone with a smart phone, the ability to know the panel schedules or any changes. That was great for convention goers to keep track of time for each panel.
Another bright spot was the periodic deals given on admission passes. My cousin got in on one of these deals, it was last year’s Black Friday Sale for a three day pass for $50 (normal price $85). Throughout the year the Alamo City Comic Con, does a good thing in offering special promotions and contests to give out discount passes.
Another positive was the convention preview. My cousin was entitled to pick up her pass at the convention center and go thru the convention preview the Thursday before the convention started. I had never gone to that event before, but it was cool. I would say about 90% of the vendors and artists exhibiting there had their booths set up ready to sell their merchandise, for a few hours for attendees with VIP and three day passes. If anyone purchases a three day pass or VIP pass go to the preview you won’t be disappointed, there is no hassle or crowds, you can look at clothes, comic books, and artwork in peace.
One great thing for this convention was the return of the Lila Cockrell Theatre. Last year this venue was only used by the Alamo City Film Festival. People enjoy the theatre to be used for premium Q&A panels, using a large conference room didn’t do justice to someone of the stature of Stan Lee. Last year I wrote about the fact that maybe the film festival could be an all week event, and leave the theatre to be used for the premium Q&A panels on the weekend. Well the film festival did move to start earlier in the week to leave the theatre for the panels.
This convention is now a premier cultural event in this country. The people that run this event know when they make a mistake because they hear about it from attendees on their Facebook page. The organizers take the criticism, and always adopt, adapt, and improve. All the problems in past conventions were always addressed, and improved upon in the next convention. I know that this self examination is a positive trait, and will keep this event’s quality high and make people want to come back to this pop culture convention for years to come.
Alamo City Comic Con Experience 2015
Story by: David A. De La Rosa
Photographs by: Joseph Martinez & Ramon Hernandez
Alamo City Comic Con Experience 2015
I have for a full year been greatly anticipating the third installment of the Alamo City Comic Con. I’ve missed the excitement, and festival like atmosphere of this event. I was very pleased with the event as a whole, and everyone who attended I’m sure were not disappointed.
For those people who have never attended a comicon, let me reiterate for past articles I’ve written on this topic. This is an event where people are encouraged to dress up in costume as their favorite superhero or villain. For the record my observations for this year’s most worn costume was a tossup between Deadpool and Harley Quinn.
There were many celebrities that attended this event for autograph and photo-op sessions. Any comic con attendee can meet with some of their favorite TV, and film stars with certain VIP passes. Fans can go into an auditorium for a Q&A panel (i.e. Stan Lee, The Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy, etc.), and speak with some of their favorite film or television personalities. I myself sat in on no less than six panels all of which were very informative and entertaining.
There are vendors there selling merchandise that run the gambit between inexpensive pin back buttons to high end statues of superheroes. I personally get a kick out people buying awesome looking replica light sabers. There were also many published artists selling signed prints of their artwork.
This year I was glad to see that there was a children’s area sponsored by local educational institutions (i.e. The San Antonio Public Library, The San Antonio Zoo, and The Witte Museum). Last year some of these groups were in attendance, but they didn’t have the interactive children’s activities they had for the con this year. Along with the interactive activities there were huge moon bounces, for the kids to play in; this was a great rest area. We all know sometimes the little ones get disinterested, and parents need to rest their feet.
This year had live wrestling courtesy of River City Wrestling, (an organization with no affiliation with our website), and matches were performed periodically throughout the three days of the con (https://www.facebook.com/rcwforever). I enjoyed the matches that I saw, and it reminded me of when I was a kid and went to see wrestling at the Freemen Coliseum. I hope next year’s con will have more RCW.
I enjoy many aspects of this comic con people watching, shopping for merchandise, viewing artwork. The one thing I love above all of these aspects of this show is attending Q&A panels. The panels are great for people who can afford a ticket to the con, but cannot afford a VIP pass this is their opportunity to get access to their favorite stars. As I stated before I attended no less than six panels, all were entertaining and gave me new insights on the celebrities being paneled. The one Q&A session that stood out, was the one that I half heartedly attended.
The Edward James Olmos panel blew me away, and a more in depth separate article will be posted on our website about this panel experience. Mr. Olmos was a very charismatic, animated, intelligent man; he answered every question eloquently and fully. He spoke to the panel audience about politics, his Latino experience in Hollywood, and his film career. I have been a fan of his for years, and I have much respect for him because of his leading role in the Battlestar Galactica reboot. I never expected such an authentic discussion, and that was the only reason I didn’t pay much attention too attending that panel. A little advice to the organizers of the Alamo City Comic Con who might read this piece, please invite Mr. Olmos back for next year’s con, he was awesome.
I can see that this event has grown in scope and popularity as a premier comic con destination since its inception. I like some of the changes that have been implemented in this con. There was a major improvement with announcing scheduled events and changes with a free downloadable AP. The layout of exhibition halls were more spread out with regards to the artist tables any observer can see foot traffic moved more steadily than in the past conventions. I thought this made the attendance seem smaller in number as compared to last year but that was only my perception, because of the lack of crowd clutter. To my knowledge attendance records have not been released yet.
I did have one major criticism with regards to the major Q&A panels, and that was the location. In the past two comic cons the major panels were held in the rather large Lila Cockrell Theatre stage. The major panels this year were held in ballroom B, which according to a comic con official had a seating capacity of 1,250 seats. I believe individuals like Stan Lee an American icon deserves the large stage. That same large stage is better suited to accommodate a large ensemble cast of some of our favorite television shows.
I know the reason for this switch was made to accommodate screening films for the Alamo City Film Festival which was running concurrently with the comic con. My humble suggestion is that maybe the film festival could run films everyday all week long, and the weekend the theatre stage can be used for the comic cons major panels. I think that expanding the film festival to run all week long could attract more films and stars to the comic con, as well as utilize the theatre stage for the con.
I enjoyed attending this convention and I look forward to the continual grown of this event. I think that we have much to be proud of here in San Antonio, and this event reflects well on all of us. All the visitors form different parts of country if not the world have gained a better appreciation of what San Antonio is all about, because of an event like our Alamo City Comic Con.
Martha Tijerina: The First Female Hispanic Anchor
Martha Tijerina: The First Female Hispanic Anchor
By: Ramón Hernández
Before Martha Tijerina there were no female reporters or anchors in Spanish-language television. Therefore this trailblazer went down in television broadcasting history as “The First Female Reporter and Anchor in Spanish-Language Television.”
Others have laid claim to this honor and shame on the writer that believed them. For example, in Barbara J. Love’s book, “Feminists who Changed America,” she cites Theresa Gutiérrez as “the first Hispanic woman to break into television journalism, then became host of a weekly television program in Chicago,” in 1978.
Tijerina is also the first Latina talk show host and first director of public affairs.
Everyone wants to be ‘the first,’ as Lucy Pereda touts herself as the first Latina anchor in Miami. Others claim to fame is being the first Latina anchor in Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities. In fact Minerva Pérez, who was Houston’s first Latina anchor even published her own autobiography, “I Gotta Story – My 30 Years in TV News,” and the list goes on and on.
It was downright sad when this writer read that María Elena Salinas was the first Latina TV reporter to receive “Premio Leyenda Del Périodismo” for being the most recognized in the entire nation. With all due respect to this fine, talented, superb reporter, I am not knocking her, but she didn’t become a TV reporter until eleven years after audiences first saw Tijerina on television and this makes Tijerina a genuine “living legend.” Again, someone did not do their homework.
Google “First Latina anchor” and who pops up? Daisy Fuentes, who became MTV’s first Latina NJ, eighteen years after Tijerina made her television debut.
Not only was Tijerina “the first,” period, but she also created the mold for all others to follow. She set the path and opened the door for the next generation of young Latinas and that is of monumental importance.
Before Cristina Saralegui began her TV career (in 1989), María Antonietta Collins, Lili Estefan, María Elvira Salazar and Bárbara Bermudo to name a few, Tijerina was already a seasoned veteran.”
When Martha Tijerina went on the air, María Celeste Arrarás was ten, ABC 20/20 anchor Elizabeth Vargas was eight, former sportscaster and “Inside Edition” anchor Lisa Guerrero was six, former CNN anchor Soledad O’Brien was four, and Natalie Morales, who anchors the “Today Show” and appears on “Dateline NBC” and “NBC Nightly News” was two.
Yes, it was in May 1970 that local viewers saw a beautiful, very classy, yet gutsy, energetic, inquisitive, ultra-intelligent Tijerina for the first time.
Today, Latina TV reporters number in the hundreds, but since sex sells, stations are seeking out the hottest looking, the sexiest Latina with the longest legs and great cleavage to hire as news reporters, traffic reporters, weather girls, sportscasters and anchors. If you don’t believe me and you want to get an upset stomach, check out http://thechive.com/2010/11/10/2-assets-to-boost-your-television-ratings-and-by-assets-i-mean-breastzszsz-22-photos. Okay, enough ranting and raving.
Incidentally and for those readers whose inquiring minds want to know, it’s a toss-up between Tamron Hall and Carole Simpson being the “first African American woman television anchor,” since both made their debut four years after “the first Mexican American television anchor in the United States.
When I first contacted Tijerina about being selected to receive the Alberto Alegre Award and that I was going to write an article on her, her biggest concern and request is that I keep the piece simple and above all, in tune to the humble person that she is. But how could I comply when I realized that during her television career, she was interviewing people that pupils now study in textbooks, people that now have schools, clinics, recreation centers, parks, streets and highways named after them; and that makes her a contemporary historian.
She interviewed Raza Unida/Chicano movement activist leaders, advocates, a Mexican president (Luis Echeverria), an American vice president (George H.W. Bush), first Ladys (Barbara Bush and Mary Esther Zuno) plus local to national politicians, judges, clergymen (bishops and archbishops), national and international luminaries, prominent businessmen and women, military war veterans, Hispanic soldiers who earned a Purple Heart, VIPs, movers and shakers, but most important, she reported on the social, economic and cultural issues in the Alamo City.
History was being made and the former folkloric dancer was in the front lines reporting on their every move and action. Among her first interviews were those with the Good Government League (GGL) City Councilman/later Mayor Pro Tem Felix B. Treviño and Bishop Patrick F. Flores, the “first Hispanic Bishop in this nation.”
“I could have done a program on trivial subjects, but I wanted to know what made people tick, like asking a judge to explain, in detail, what they do. I also wanted to wake up people and teach on pressing issues as I spoke to the people that were the pillars of San Antonio,” Tijerina said over a cup of coffee and a taco at Mi Tierra Restaurant.
“I would spend all day on the streets with a cameraman, take notes, then run back to the station to report, and my thing was not reading the news, but being in the middle of it all.”
On the entertainment side, the bell-bottom pants wearing enthusiastic journalist interviewed internationally known singers, radio, television and film personalities such as Raúl Velásco, Rafael, Don Silvestre Vargas (founder of Mariachi Vargas), Vicente Fernández, Juan Gabriel and countless others who entered the doors of KWEX-TV to be interviewed by Tijerina because she was our own Barbara Walters and Oprah Winfrey rolled into one. It is also hard to image how many stars she spoke to when you consider she virtually covered every celebrity who set foot in the Durango Street Univision building.
And to think that her initial dream and goal was to be a Mexican consul.
“My first step in achieving that goal was to take a job at the Mexican Cultural Institute during Hemisphere ’68,” the television icon said.
Two years later, the institute’s director, Alberto Mijango told her that Emilio Nicolas, Sr. was looking for a young lady to put on-camera in what was the ‘first Spanish-language television network in the United States.’
“I was 23 when the first thing I did was a Lemon Fresh Joy TV commercial and that went well considering that I had no acting experience, but the most pleasant surprise is that because it was an American market Procter and Gamble product, I later got residuals,” the petite television pioneer said with a happy laugh.
“This was also a ‘first’ because it was the first commercial without lip sync, without someone doing a Spanish voiceover over an English-language commercial. Then I started reporting, doing commentaries and anchoring with Marcelo Marini.
“The Chicano (Civil Rights) Movement was in full swing throughout Texas, California, New Mexico and Colorado, Raúl Yzaguirre had already founded the Southwest Council of La Raza, MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund) was already in existence and that’s when I went on-the-air to host ‘En San Antonio.’
Hence, a then 24-year-old Tijerina with long loose dark-brown hair or braided pigtails down to her tiny waist went on to interview César Chávez and José Ángel Gutiérrez, who formed La Raza Unida Party; who were two of the ‘Horsemen of the Chicano Movement.” The others were Corky González and Reis López Tijerina, no relation to Martha.
Tijerina also interviewed Ramsey Muñiz, José A. Cardenas, Blandina “Bambi” Cardenas, Demetrio Rodríguez and some Brown Berets. “All those people were in the studio.”
“In 1974, Chicano movement organizer William (Willie) C. Velásquez founded the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, Yzaguirre became the CEO of the National Council of La Raza and all these founding fathers came to speak out on my show.
“I admired the way Willie project what he believed in; and I remember the Chicano movement so well because there were so many young lawyers, so many brilliant minds and I was blessed that I was placed in their path as an outlet by Divine Providence because all this fascinated me.”
By July 1974, the pretty Monterrey native had become the champion and informer of the city’s Hispanic community, had captured the hearts of San Antonio’s Spanish-speaking television watchers and this resulted in an article by Aziz Shihab in the SA Express-News.
In 1975, Henry Cisneros was elected to the city council and Tijerina formed a new alliance. Then there was Cecilio García-Camarillo, who founded and edited Caracol: La Revista de la Raza and they became more of the community-oriented journalist’s endless list of guests.
“It was when a gathering of different early Chicano groups united at the Municipal Auditorium that I chopped my hair and started wearing wigs,” revealed the still stunning former mini-skirted anchor.
“During that meeting, they stated that ‘the enemy of the Mexican American is the Mexican and Mexican American malista (basically translates to the Mexican crab syndrome) and the Anglo racist.’
“My spirituality developed with my father and mother (Magdalena), however, this gathering heightened mi espiritismo.”
While Tijerina credits Archbishop Flores as her then spiritual advisor, when it comes to television, she says, “My great teacher was Emilio Nicolas, Sr. who spoke to me directly on a daily basis. And I have great respect and admiration for him because he made Univision. The biggest Spanish-language television pioneer was him. I saw him visualize it. I saw him do it. He was like a football player going for a touchdown and I saw him realize his vision.
“He was the master builder of a television network and advertising agencies for the Hispanic market would not exist if not for Spanish-language TV. Therefore, he is above us.”
It was also in 1975 that KWEX-TV launched the Telethon Navideño to offer much needed help to needy families during the holidays.
“This came about when Archbishop Flores told Mr. Nicolas of the poor people’s plight; and what we essentially did was to help people pay their water and electricity bills at a time when utilities were very expensive,” said the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame inductee.
Emilio Nichols became the architect. He laid out his plans before her, placed her in charge of organizing the Catholic Archdiocese project. Now, as an event coordinator, she became the most instrumental person in executing his orders for what became an annual star-studded fund-raiser.
By 1976, the television journalist, who endeared herself to the people due to her heartfelt sincerity, had become the media darling of the San Antonio Express-News and San Antonio Light as her name popped up in writer’s columns and they wrote full-fledged articles on her. This was also the year that she received her first award.
A few years later, she went to Rome and had a private audience with Pope Paul VI.
By the 1980s, the popular anchor was cited as being the “most influential media representative in San Antonio.”
Today, her awards take up over one-third of her resume and that’s with leaving out “Woman of the Year,” lifetime achievement plaques, advocate plus humanitarian awards, trophies and other accolades. Therefore, they are too numerous to list, but one of the most prestigious was receiving Las Primeras Award in the field of communications and for making a national impact on the Hispanic community. This honor was bestowed on her in 2008 in Washington, D.C.
Somewhere along the way and during her busy schedule, Tijerina got her Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from Our Lady of the Lake and her Master of Arts degree from UTSA. And slowly but slowly, her hair became progressively lighter, and just like Shakira, she went from brunette to blonde.
In 1989, she left KWEX-TV and moved to Los Angeles, then to Arlington, Virginia, where she embarked on a new career with the federal government as an interpreter for the U.S. Immigration Court. But before she left, on July 16, KWEX-41 purchased a full-page in the Express-News thanking the network’s biggest star for 20 years of dedication and loyalty. She returned in 1996 and to this day, has continued to serve as an interpreter.
It was also this year that she started as a volunteer talk show host producing program for Catholic Television of San Antonio (CTSA) and as she says, each time there’s a turnover in archbishops, I expect this to end, but they haven’t told me to leave yet.”
Once back in the Alamo City, the well-known community advocate, successful fundraiser/event organizer and strong believer in education continued to find causes and ways to help the community, the latest being to institute the fabulous Holiday Annual GED Brunch to raise funds to assist low-income students obtain money to take the GED test and also help them go to college.
This are but a handful of reasons that CPS Energy recognized her with a full color page ad in the Express-News.
Believe it or not, this article barely touches the surface of this role model’s accomplishments and achievements. Also, most impressive and for the credibility of the few that may challenge her, Tijerina has oodles of photographs and archives of all her television interviews, not to mention her gig as a circus ring master, as a Tejano music awards presenter and her early years as a professional dancer.
Furthermore, Tijerina has so many anecdotes and so many lessons to relate, she should take the advice of what everyone has urged her to do, to write her own book.
In gratitude from our community, this Good Samaritan and philanthropist, whose television career spans four decades will receive the Alberto Alegre Award during a dinner on Thursday, May 7. The event is open to the public with a cost of $10 for a delicious meal and meeting with the awardees.
For more information, call Alberto at (210) 584-7921.
Beyond The Canvas
Beyond The Canvas
We from River City Attractions wish to Congratulations the winners!!
First Place went to Olesya Korsakoff & Kyle Otto as Mr Freeze.
Second Place went to Jason Lozano & Neal Henderson as The Red Lantern Atrocitus
Third Place went to Jsn Art & Belinda Lopes as Female Robocop!!!
All the competing artists and models in our opinion need to be congratulated as well. Like going to an ice-cream parlor that has over 57Flavors what to choose… What to choose….Hummm. It’s the same thing here at “BTC” 7th annual event. Everybody had their favorite. Seeing the models on the cat walk was wonderful and I enjoyed it immensely. One thing that caught me off guard was the time and effort the models and artists put in to get ready to compete. It’s in the detail. Look at some of the pictures we put on line and you will see. From head to toe, it looks like a lot of work to me. Shading is something I place close attention to. It gives depth where there is none. The overall effect was magical.
Before the competition began. It was all business. The paint was flowing. Still, everybody was polite. I ask a few questions on hair and wigs“How do you keep the paint from smearing (use hair spray to set it)
It was a friends and family’s having a good time all around. Food trucks and venders selling their wares. A great San Antonio Night.
Anthony the poet” was at the mic introducing the models and the Artists. I got a kick how the models transform when all eye’s and lights are on them. At that point, the villains or super heroes came out. After the last model walked the stage. It was time for them to relax together in all there painted glory.
Just a reminder on Sunday the 26th it’s the ZOMBI WALK down town. BTC will be there with a booth. http://www.sanantoniozombiewalk.com/
I’ve been told it’s going to be BIG BIG BIG. Guinness book of world records is sending people to confirm if it is going to be the largest gathering of zombies.
Filming of the upcoming new movie called “ZOMBI REIGN” is schedule to be there as well. (A story and information on the Zombie Reign will be posted on this web site shortly)
Thank you having a great event here in San Antonio.
Story and Pictures by Joseph Martinez
River City Attractions ,
We want to send out a very special Thank you to Ariel Valdez,
Who look great as KAMEN RIDER GAIM and for giving us the heads up on the event.
Find out more information on BTC At
https://www.facebook.com/beyondthecanvassa
Mr. Lou Ferrigno (AKA The Hulk)
Lou Ferrigno San Antonio Wizard World 2014
Lou Ferrigno San Antonio Wizard World 2014
With a gentle yet firm hand shake Mr. Lou Ferrigno (AKA The Hulk) greeted me at the San Antonio Wizard World comic con.
I had a wonderful chat with him that I want to share with our readers.
I Asked,I saw you doing a part on one of those Star Trek fanfare movies, Do you think you’ll be doing anything more for them in the future.
Lou: well, I did do a second episode for Star Trek continues. I may do it again in the future. I did the episode because I loved the character of Gorhand.
Is that’s why you did it, you’re really into it?
Lou: I wanted to show another side of myself as an actor.
Yeah that’s great! I really loved It; I liked the effects, Heck I liked how you did it all
Lou,..Just a little back background. You probably been asked this a million times but, how long did it take you to put the Hulk outfit on?
Lou: about three or four hours
I assume you hated it.
Lou: oh yeah 16 hours a day sometimes
ah that’s just terrible.
I saw you doing a comedy, Misery Brothers do you think you’ll be doing anything else like that or do you tend to shy away from that.
Lou: no I’d like to do more comedies. But, I do have a movie coming out called Scorpion King 4 I’d love to do comedy. I wouldn’t mind doing more because I’d like to do another TV series or another sitcom again
Oh yeah on the Scorpion King 4 isn’t in post-production, when do you think it’s coming out
Lou Scorpion King 4, it should be out next month.
Lou, I like to touch on your family, As far as your kids are they into the acting bug.
Lou: Yeah my son is Lou Ferrigno Jr. he’s got a reoccurring role on Teen Wolf
And what about the bodybuilding aspect did they get the bug from you?
Lou: yes’ all they are all personal trainers
Oh cool… I know that your diet is much attuned to your bodybuilding condition but, have you tried any of the local Mexican cuisine here in San Antonio?
Lou: I have Mexican food maybe once a month. I like Mexican food.
Oh yeah it’s great; any messages you want me to give to your fans
Lou: yes be good to yourself and be nice
That’s a Wonderful sentiment Mr. Ferrigno. And thank you for letting me hangout with you.
With that; Lou took a classic pose for the camera.
Joseph Martinez: River City Attractions