As if you didn't already know, we here at HML Central are equal opportunity lovers. And we proved it by having a table at the 6th Annual West Hollywood Book Fair this past Sunday. Being unfamiliar territory, we weren't quite sure how passionate the locals would be to our particular kind of love. But I am proud to say compadres...
West Hollywood loved us right back!
Being on location before 8 am was no easy task, but I achieved it with a fully loaded truck, courtesy of our angriest lover (who happens to hail from NORTH of the border), Canadian Bob Bowen. Co-Founder Larry "L-Dogg" Reynosa met us on the spot as we set up and we all waited for our fourth corner to arrive. Senor Albert Calleros made his appearance just shy of 10 am with the passion of 1,000 suns and a desire to sell our comics to match.
Donning our matching Guyabera shirts, displaying our sombrero and setting up the "Pasion Index", we were ready to release our passion for the first time in our home town, el Ciudad de Angelos. And passionate it was. Our customers came in all shapes, sizes and proclivities. There were peaks and valleys throughout the day, but for the most part, we sold an average of ten books an hour. And remember, this was a book fair, not a comic convention.
Our usual antics were in effect, from flirting to playing music to sketching characters, whatever it took to make the sale. Sometimes that included giving away Albert's phone number with a wink and a smile (I'm not gonna say we had to do that alot, but let's just say there are probably 6 excited young ladies and at least 2 excitable men).
Before I continue, I must mention that never before have I seen such confusion and excitement in one man's face (Albert's) as he was making acquaintance with a new male "friend" by means of a two-handed hand hold. No, not a hand shake, this man gingerly grabbed each of Albert's hands and held them as they made introductions and spoke. I believe it was this same new friend that labeled us "the most handsome booth at the book fair".
And it wasn't just the guys who loved us, new friends also came in the form of some erotica novelists who also had a booth at the fair and invited our crew to dinner with them. Our love has no boundaries!
As we all know, the book is a team effort. So once again I must express my thanks:
Bob Bowen, although you have been a Mexican Lover since our revival, this was the first convention you worked with us and you were a humongous help. An extra person to man the table, an extra set of hands to sketch, an extra pair of blue eyes to lure in the customers. Thank you for keeping the anger at bay.
Larry, you have the smile worth a hundred pennies and the heat to warm a hundred planets. It is no wonder why so many men had to have a photo with you at the Fair. You keep it real and I am so glad to be part of the HML Nucleus with you. True Dat. (Double True) Stay Brown Brother.
Albert, if it were socially and culturally acceptable to write love songs about a friend and comic partner, then I would expect you to write one for me. Meanwhile your passion at the fair set the index on fire!
And lastly, thanks to all of you, the contributors, who help make the book possible.
Hot. Mexican. Love. Comics.
Individually, they are just words.
Together, they are a way of life.
Always and forever,
Senor Ira
