A day to recoup

Wow.

What a passionate group. And so handsome too!

Hola Amigos.

San Diego International Comic-Con 2010 has come and gone.

And thanks to you, it was one of our most successful shows. There's a lot of thanks to go around, but they will have to wait.

We dispensed so much passion over the past five days that we need a break to recharge the love batteries. But if you need a little fix, you can check us out at our Twitter site (http://twitter.com/hmlcomics) or at our Facebook Page.

AND if you become a member of the Facebook Page, the passion in your life will increase approximately 17.5%!

How can that happen? Because we love you.

The above photo is the Nucleus/booth crew for the con this past year: Beanrobot (Albert), Senor Ira (aka The Thrillionaire), The Lady Janice (Lady J.), KeyCon (our N.Y. based Lover) and L-Dogg (LarryDigital). Collectively known as

"The Tangerine Dream"

Goodnight Sweet Lovers,

stay warm under the covers.

details and guidelines

Hola Amigos!

We are using every last moment prepping for the "Big Show". What surprises do we have in store for all you faithful Lovers?

Not even we know because we don't know what we will be able to finish before we depart for San Diego.

Here is a map so you can find us at Comic-Con.

Once again, we will be in the

Small Press Area - table O14.

Share this map and info with all your friends.

Schedule of events at our Table:

Wednesday (Preview Night): Sorry Amigos, Wednesday is Hump Day. No HMLC for you.

Thursday: sell comics & shot glasses, sketch for fans, give advice on Love and perhaps a hug or two

Friday: sell comics & shot glasses, sketch for fans, give advice on Love and perhaps a hug or two

Saturday: sell comics & shot glasses, sketch for fans, give advice on Love and perhaps a hug or two

Sunday: sell comics & shot glasses, sketch for fans, give advice on Love and perhaps a hug or two,

raffle off Albert's phone number

We may also be calling "Angry Bob" intermittently throughout the con since he decided to recharge his Canadian batteries back in his homeland instead of being with you, our fans and followers. For a small fee, you may be able to actually speak to Angry Bob in Canada (That's another Comic-Con exclusive!)

Lovers scheduled to be at the table:

Senor Ira

L-Dogg

The Lady Janice

The Space Pope (not a Lover, but a Saint)

and everybody's favorite... Beanrobot (Albert)!

Friends of Love and Lovers unto themselves

Here are a couple of shout-outs to some other passionate people who deserve your attention (and your disposable income). They are all friends and animators and have their own tables/booths at Comic-Con. Be sure to tell 'em "Hot Mexican Love" sent ya.

Louie Del Carmen - table G04: Louie is a frequent contributor to our anthology, an obsessed workhorse, an amazing artist and a good friend. He self publishes comics and sketchbooks and has a great ongoing blog "Random Anomalies", which you should definitely check out

Paul Wee (Red Eye Art) - table D04: Paul is our Cover artist and if you read our blog, you would be saying "Haven't you kissed his ass enough already, Senor?"

No , I have not.

Go to his table and buy some of his stuff.

Conduct Happiness - 4830: Chris Sonnenburg (along with partner Joe Moshier) has reinvented the "Pea" in "Happiness" (or is it "Pee"?). Chris is another huge talent and his wares are adorable. In addition to their usual stuff, C.H. has published it's very first "Golden Book", get it while it lasts. And you can also go to his website to see what is making everybody so damn happy.

Vaya con Amor, Amigos. Hope to see you all later in the week.

THIS WEEK!!!

Here you go Amigos.

Take this image off our blog and spread the word of Love.

We will be there, will you?

Visitors will be rewarded... with passion!

In Transit

Hola Amigos,

Just over one week left until Comic-Con and the tension is on the rise as we anxiously await the arrival of our book. I have been in touch with our printer in Canada and they have shipped. The real question is what day will it arrive?

In the meantime, let me tease you with another entry from the 2010 addition. This week brought to you from another freshman lover, the uber-talented Phil Allora. I must give extra credit and kudos to Phil. Here is a list of his Hot Mexican Love trials and accomplishments:

-I met Phil at last year's Convention (he bought our book and also works with Albert). I was unfamiliar with his work and he asked to be a contributor in the book. And although I gave him a hard time about it, Albert assured me he was a good kisser. Knowing that Albert is also a good kisser (so I've heard) I trust him, and yet I still vetted Phil more than McCain vetted Palin.

-he took the comic and deadline VERY seriously

-he was the first person to turn in a submission for the 2010 edition

-he did one of the longer stories in the 2010 edition

-his story totally ROCKS! It looks and reads AMAZING! Sincerely.

If I didn't know better, I'd say Phil did an amazing job just to make me feel sheepish for giving him a hard time when I first met him. But this is HOT MEXICAN LOVE. We don't hold grudges, we share the love and spread the passion.

So Muchos Gracias to Phil. You are top-notch in my book! Amigos, you should also check out his Blog and Deviant Art Page. And if you see Phil, do what I plan on doing, ask for one of those muy feugo besos that Albert was raving about.

Hope to see you all next week!

(small press: table O14)

¡Convention Exclusive 2010!

Hold onto your sombreros because we've done it again!

It's clean. It's green. And it can finally be seen!

Hot Mexican Love Comics is proud to announce the third in our series of shot glasses (affectionately known as the "Sombrero Series"). This year featuring our very own "Padre Prick"

Be the envy of all your compadres as you drink a shot from the only drinking receptacle guaranteed to increase the potency of what it contains by a minimum of 17%. How do we do it? The answer is simple...

because we love you.

Available only at Comic-Con, this is one exclusive you will not want to miss. Other exhibitors at the con limit their exclusive items to a few thousand... HOGWASH! To keep up the value, we limited our production run to less than 200! The first of our series sold out. Don't be left behind this year too! Be sure to swing on by our table of Comics, Romance & Machismo and demand your shot glass. On second thought, you should buy two. Why? Because we love you.

See you in the Small Press Area: table O14

Evolution of a Cover

Hola Amigos

Well, we are just two weeks away from Comic-Con 2010,

so I thought it would be a good time to reveal the cover for our next pulse-pounding edition:

We think it is "Outta this World!"

We can't thank the Artist/Contributor/Mexican-Lover, Paul Wee, enough for painting another spectacular image to grace the cover of our book. So in honor of Paul, I thought it'd be nice to show a few of the steps it took to create the oven mitt that holds in all the heat.

It all starts with a discussion between Paul and the Editor-In-Chief (that would be me, Senor Ira) about what we'd like to show and what Paul would like to paint. As the E-I-C, priority one is having an image to catch the eye of people walking by our book (or booth as it may be). Our book title contains it all: our lifestyle, credo, attitude. One would think with a title like that you might not need an image, just text. But it is our image that speaks to the illiterate, for even those remedially challenged can speak the international language of Love.

Paul had requested to doing something with a "Pulp Novel" feel to it, a bit retro. Maybe a crime scene. I mentioned that I was thinking about something with an "Outer Space" feel, and perhaps we could combine the two. Well, Paul LOVED the idea and immediately drew up some concepts to play around with. The first two were basic space ideas with strong silhouttes of a sexy Latina:

But the third concept is what really got the ball rolling:

HML planting a flag for interplanetary love had a nice feel to it. Outer Space with some lovelorn Aliens added a touch of whimsey. Paul then fleshed out some other poses and ideas for the nucleus to look over.

Beanrobot saw these and said "That pose with her ass is the $#!t"

I agreed. Even the Lady Janice said "I like the one with the girl showing her tushy". But we also wanted to show more of outer space, and maybe a planet. To which Paul combined all the elements for this sketch:

And thus, we had our cover sketch! I gave Paul the green light to move forward and paint the cover.

As much as I like to control various aspects of the book, I always want the contributors to have fun and be proud of what they are creating. I like to keep things within a certain guideline for our style and I'm happy to toss ideas around with them. But ultimately, it is the artists name that goes on the final piece and I want them to do it as much for themselves as they are for the whole of the book.

If you'd like to see more of Paul's work and possibly meet the man himself, he will be on hand at Comic-Con this year at

the Red Eye Art table: D04

He will have his own sketchbooks available there and will also be willing to sign your copies of Hot Mexican Love Comics!

See you soon Lovers!

Worked to the Bone

Hola Amigos and fans of Amor.

Another quick little update to keep your addiction healthy and viable. We are a mere three weeks away from delivering the goods to you, and to say that we are excited about it is putting it mildly.

Once again, we will be in the small press area: table O14

(this is a different spot than the last few years, same aisle, but now in the middle, not the corner. More details to come. But don't worry about not finding us, much like "the Force", Love knows the way)

For our returning customers, who possess and cherish all of our wares, fear not, because not only will we will have the new 2010 edition of our guide to love and romance (with a splash of comedy) available, but also a new convention exclusive shot glass! (details on that coming soon). Also available will be our dwindling number of past issues for those who need to complete their collection.

The above image is brought to you by Stephen Sandoval, Animation Director/first-time contributor who really captured the theme of the book with his submission. Can't wait to show you the whole story.

Stay passionate my friends...

The PROOF is in the pudding

... and the proof sheet is in my hands!

This past Friday I received the inspection copy of the book. And do you expect me to report anything less than CALIENTE' when it comes to our book?

We really are pleased with how it came it out. Truly one of the best editions we have put together. And although this was the quickest we put the book together, in no way did we just crap it out. You'll find out for yourself soon enough.

This month's teaser image is brought to you from another Freshman Lover who is also a Protege to our very own founder/Beanrobot, Albert.

Valerie Fletcher take a bow and enjoy your anonymity while it lasts. Because as soon as the book comes out, the Passion Paparazzi will be on you like Black on Beans.

Downs and Ups

Buenos Dias Muchachos Y Muchachas

As open as we are here at HMLC central, we also have our dirty little secrets. Everybody does. And revealing them has become profession for many people and websites. Curse you world wide web!

But without the internet, how would you get your irregular fix of digital passion and Latin heat?

Why am I telling you all this, using our blog to complain? Because I feel compelled to tell you something...

We missed our deadline for the printer.

My apologies amigos, sometimes life gets in the way.

BUT FEAR NOT!!

We were not about to let another year go by without delivering the goods. Being as diligent as we are, there was a contingency plan set up and activated a few weeks ago! What the hell am I writing here? A long drawn out way of saying...

THE 2010 EDITION OF OUR BOOK IS LOCKED, UPLOADED AND AT THE PRINTER!

In just a few weeks, we should have it completed and in our hands and then off to San DIego to sell it to you! Once again, muchos gracias to the nucleus for pulling together and getting everything done.

Beanrobot, L-Dogg, Lady J...Te quiero a todos

The above image is brought to you by Keith Conroy, one of the original contributors to our book back in the mid-nineties. His return was more than worth the wait! You'll find out for yourself next month.

Everybody LOVES Paco

Hola Amigos

Another quick update and some kudos.

The book is just about ready for print and I am quoting Beanrobot when I write

"This is one of the best editions ever!"

But I want to give a shout out to Mexican Lover, Artist and Friend

Shawn "Calves" Murray

There are a number of people who have contributed to five issues of the book, but no one else has featured the same character each time. Shawn is the creator/artist of "Paco" who has become one of the mascots of our book. With the exception of the premiere issue back in 1996, Paco is the only character to appear in every issue (making this his fifth, consecutive appearance).

There was a moment , due to time constraints, when Paco wasn't going to make an appearance for the 2010 edition, but as usual,

Passion trumps time!

I know many people out there are huge fans of our silent and stout, sombrero wearing hero. But I really want to thank Shawn for devoting his time and talent to our book. His Love shines like a beacon that cuts through a foggy night in the Gulf of Mexico.

Mucho Besos Hermano, the next round is on me!

Hungry for something?

Well here's another tidbit to satisfy your craving for love,

HOT MEXICAN LOVE (comics that is).

Our 2010 edition will be 48 pages

The front cover will once again be painted by fan-favorite Paul Wee!

We will not be distributing through Diamond this time around (at least not yet) so if you live outside of the Los Angeles area, the only way to get this issue is at San Diego Comic-Con.

The capital of Mexico is Mexico City. The main export: Passion.

The above illustration is from Senior Lover, Master of Romance, and Wrangler of the 14" Python... Rodrigo Clouden.

Working FOR and ON the weekend

WOW

two posts in one month

(told you all I would update)

Senor Ira here to let you know that 90% of the artwork has been viewed by yours truly

(why not 100%, because passion takes time amigos)

The above image is from our fire-haired lover, Ethan Spaulding.

It is not only a tease from his latest story,

but it best conveys my mental state as I compile the book...

I AM GOING LOCO!!

Love carries a price tag,

and it is not always on sale.

May your weekend be filled with hugs, kisses and tequila

(do a shot for me as I will still be working... for you).

Feliz Cinco de Mayo

!Hola Lovers!

Hope you are all having the most festive of celebrations this Fifth of May.

We are working very hard on the next issue, seriously. And promise you an update of all things HMLC very soon. In the meantime, my gift to you is a tiny peek of one of the stories from our next issue. Provided by Freshman lover, Caleb Meurer!

His name is "Burrito", and his passion will become YOURS.

con amor y besos,

Senor Ira

Feliz Neuvo Ano 2010

Hello again faithful lovers and readers of our comic and blog. To answer a few questions:

YES - this post is delayed

YES - I must show more photos from Comic-Con 2009

YES - we are hard at work with ALL that we do

YES - we still love you

And while we are involved with the multi-tasking of life, love and the creation of great comics books, I hope this brief entry will satisfy you for the time being.

The above photo is of our nucleus: Angry Bob, L-Dogg, Beanrobot, contributor "El Climo", yours truly (Senor Ira) and the sugar on top of your churro, The Lady Janice.

Let us know if you want an autographed copy of the group shot to show off to all your amigos.

APE this weekend!

Buenos Noches Lovers!

This weekend in the City on the Bay is the

Alternative Press Expo: APE Con!

And Hot Mexican Love Comics will be there! Be sure to get a booster shot of Love by stopping by our table. Lovers on hand include:

L-Dogg

Senor Ira

The Lady Janice

Beanrobot

We will have our expanding library of books available for purchase including a new sketchbook from cover artist Paul Wee (his first solo book, those are in limited supply folks)

Also available are the convention exclusive HMLC Shot Glasses!

This year featuring "Senor Hot Stuff"

(last year's shot glasses were gobbled up quick, you don't want to be left out this time around Amigos)

And once again, we will be auctioning off a

"Date with Albert (BeanRobot)!"

The auction is free with purchase, but the memories will last a lifetime.

So stop on by table 528 for

Music, Laughter, Sketches,

tips on how to pick up women,

tips on how to pick up men (L-Dogg' s specialty),

and most of all: comics!!!