Razón #100

Translation:
(The last one and off we go...)
-Reason Nº 100 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes... (and if I didn't draw all the characters I should,it's because I can't swipe them all and can't make all of them fit [in this space]...
Cyclops —That damn Daredevil! Since he's published by Cygnus he delays so much that he has too much leisure time...
Superman —Yup...but you can't deny that he has some awesome gray tones... —Do you know the bus schedules to Monterrey?
Robin —Batman,finally are we going to cheer the Atlas [team]?
Batman —Nope Robin,we are going to do the same thing we do every night:going for a drink at the Tetona's Palace!
Robin note —(this is not by) Trino
Batman note —(neither this is by) Jis
Spawn —My scripts are written by McFarlane and I'm drawn by Rius...no,I'm not happy
Spawn note —(this is Spawn even though he doesn't look like)
Witchblade —When I'm dead I wanna be vacuum packed,no matter if I'm not warned;in a ground that's isolated.
Samy —Mmmh...I dunno,I think I don't like this new Witchblade at all
Doriancito —And how about if she were drawn by Quezada of El Mil Chistes fame?
Asti —And how you doing with your new writer,Spider-man?
Spider-man —So so...but the thing I still can't understand is why my uncle Ben grew a beard and now shows up every time...
Uncle Ben —Peter,every power comes with great responsability;smile and the Force will be with you...don't stop dreaming...don't let me down,my nephew...bla-bla-bla...
Robby —No,I'm not a new Sentinel...
Green Lantern —Yes mister editor,I do know that you know what sells best and that I signed an exclusivity for life with the Ejea imprint,but please understand that I'm Green Lantern and I'M A MAN!
Outside voice #1 —[Show your lower] Hair! [Show your lower] Hair!
Outside voice #2 —Shake that booty,little mamma!

Notes in English
And for the final cartoon in the series,I thought about poking some fun at the state of Mexican comic books.

Cygnus was an indy imprint and comic book studios headquartered in the city of Monterrey.They published their books almost exclusively in black and white,but they also were among the first Mexican comic book artists in using computer graphic effects and so their books had these swell grayscales.A lot of aspiring artists wanted to be like them,even though they delayed a lot in publishing their books (they were said to be monthly titles,but sometimes delayed up to 8 months between each issue).Cygnus disbanded after some time,but many of their former members are currently working professionally in the American market.

Batman are Robin are drawn in the styles of cartoonists Jis and Trino.They became famous thanks to their creation,El Santos,a parody of El Santo,the most famous Mexican luchador.El Santos was kind of a unrefined and cynical version of El Santo.Trino is a big fan of Batman,and his favorite soccer team is the Atlas.
And the Tetona's Palace was the name of a nude bar in the comics of El Santos.

Rius is the name of a political cartoonist.He has published a lot of didactic books,both about politics and many other topics.He's a brilliant writer but his drawing abilities are somewhat limited (in fact,in his books he uses mostly a collage technique with lots of clipart).The idea of him drawing Spawn is a very ironic one,as Rius doesn't like American mainstream superheroes.

Witchblade is drawn here as if she were Buba,a cult underground character created by Jose Quintero.He has a gorgeus style and makes comics that mix existentialist philosophy with poetry.Of course,not the kind of style you'd expect in a Witchblade comic.
Quezada is a humorist that used to work in the Mil Chistes (Thousand Jokes) series.That title was aimed to adults mostly,so Quezada and many other of the artists working there had to draw sexy women.

Spider-man's uncle Ben is actually Katnatek,a ghost character from the Mexican series Karmatron.In that book,this character was kind of the local Obi-Wan,as he only showed up to give some advices to the protagonists —advices that actually were aimed to the readers and most of the times usually seemed like motivational messages.The small robot is also from that series and was a very annoying comic relief.

Ejea was a local imprint known mostly for its soft-porn comics,usually titled as 'Sensacional de...' (Sensational [book] of...).It was despised by many readers of American super-hero comics.

Notas en Español
Y para el cartón final de la serie,se me ocurrió burlarme un poco del estado de los comics mexicanos.

Cygnus era un estudio y sello editorial indy con base en la ciudad de Monterrey.Publicaban sus títulos casi exclusivamente a blanco y negro,pero también estuvieron entre los primeros artistas de comic mexicano en usar efectos gráficos de computadora así que sus comics tenían unas buenas escalas de grises.Varios aspirantes a artistas querían ser como ellos,aún cuando se tardaban demasiado en publicar sus comics (decían que eran mensuales,pero a veces se tardaban hasta 8 meses entre cada número).Cygnus se desbandó tras algún tiempo,pero varios de sus antiguos miembros actualmente se desempeñan profesionalmente en el mercado norteamericano.

Batman y Robin están dibujados en los estilos de los humoristas Jis y Trino.Ellos se volvieron famosos gracias a su creación,El Santos,una parodia de El Santo,el más famoso luchador mexicano.El Santos era algo así como la versión guarra y cínica de El Santo.Trino es un gran fan de Batman,y su equipo favorito de soccer es el Atlas.
Y el Tetona's Palace era el nombre de un bar nudista en los comics de El Santos.

Rius es el nombre de un humorista político.Ha publicado muchos libros didácticos,tanto de política como de muchos otros tópicos.Es un escritor brillante pero sus habilidades para el dibujo son algo limitadas (de hecho,en sus libros usa principalmente una técnica de collage con montones de clipart).La idea de que el dibujase Spawn es una muy irónica,pues no le agradan los superhéroes mainstream estadounidenses.

Witchblade está dibujada aquí como si fuera Buba,un personaje underground de culto creado por José Quintero.El tiene un bellísimo estilo y hace comics que mezclan filosofía existencialista con poesía.Por supuesto,no es la clase de estilo que uno esperaría ver en un comic de Witchblade.
Quezada es un humorista que solía trabajar en el título de El Mil Chistes.Ese título estaba dirigido principalmente a adultos,así que Quezada y varios otros de los artistas que trabajaban ahí tenían que dibujar mujeres sexys.

El tío Ben de Spider-man es en realidad Katnatek,un personaje fantasma de la serie mexicana Karmatron.En ese título,este personaje era algo así como el Obi-Wan local,pues sólo se aparecía para darles consejos a los protagonistas —consejos que en realidad iban dirigidos a los lectores y que las más de las veces solían parecer más bien mensajes motivacionales.El pequeño robot es también de esa serie y era un patiño cómico muy enfadoso.

Ejea era una editorial local conocida principalmente por sus comics soft-porno,usualmente titulados como 'Sensacional de...'.Era repudiada por muchos lectores de comics de superhéroes estadounidenses.

Razón #99

Translation:
-Reason Nº 99 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes...
—Guest creators (even though they don't know it,and if they find out they'll sue me,so let's not say anything else):Peter David,Dan Jurgens and Joe Rubinsten!! (how about that?)
Nightwing —Hey! What a dirty trick! —You see? I told you to use the club
Voice from the Batmobile —Finders keepers!
Doriancito —Gee,that's not good,uh? I mean to piratize other authors' works;and why do that here?
Samy —Don't you know that "piracy is only bad when you get caught"? Besides,Don't you know that fill-in artists only show up when the titular artist takes a break and prepares something else? —So don't complain and hurry up or we'll be late for the reason Nº 100!

Notes in English
A friend suggested me to draw something about the Batmobile being stolen,but then I remembered that a similar situation was already used in issue #2 of the DC vs Marvel crossover.So,instead of making a bad copy of that joke I decided to show it with a xerox instead.And as Samy pointed out,I needed a small break before the series finale.

Notas en Español
Un amigo me sugirió que dibujara algo respecto al atimóvil siendo robado,pero luego recordé que una situación similar ya había sido usada en el episodio #2 de el crossover DC vs Marvel.Así que en vez de hacer una mala copia de ese chiste,decidí mejor mostrarlo con una fotocopia.Y como Samy acotó,necesitaba un descanso antes del final de la serie.

Razón #97

Translation:
Rogue —Aye,Gambit,whut'd ya' say if ah' offered ya' mah' body? Whut do ya' say,mah Frenchy jollyman?
Gambit —J'ai would zay "Non,merci;j'ai already got my own one".Mais j'ai ever need any zpare pieces,j'ai would call vous,sacre!
Punisher —E then they-a blow-a up la mia testa,but now I' m-a here tutto alive and safe.Io no capizco.
Nightcrawler —Ja...This ist vat ist happening:you're just another viktim of der greedy publishermensch,Herr Castle...
Wolverine —Fiddlesticks! Look yo' varmint,ah can kick yer booty ennytime,ennywhar,be it in Marvel vs DC o th' Cerro de la Silla,dadburn right!
Lobo —Whoah,whoah,whoah! Calm waaay down,ya' sissy runt,a'cuz ya' sheeit know dat ah' am de main dude here.Righ on,daddy-o!
Doriancito —What's the deal with the weird accents?
Samy —What did you expect? To hear them talking in Galician language or an Argentinian accent?
-Reason Nº 97 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes (at least with no dialogues of the "Ahm gunna murderize yah,suckah" kind)...

Notes in English
Wacky and stereotyped accents are a common trope in American comic books.But when those books are translated to Spanish in Mexico usually all those accents get lost because many of them are irrelevant in Spanish (like some regional English dialects),and many are involuntarily way too silly because in Spanish they sound very stereotyped.

Translating this cartoon to English was difficult,as foreign accents in Spanish are very different in English.In the original version,Rogue has an accent from Acapulco;Gambit has a very thick French accent;the Punisher has an Italian one;Nightcrawler talks with a German accent;Wolverine talks like a Mexican from Monterrey (The Cerro de la Silla [Saddle Mountain] is located there);and Lobo talks like a hoodlum from Mexico City.

Notas en Español
Los acentos cotorros y estereotipados son un tropo común en los comics estadounidenses.Pero cuando se les traduce al español en México,usualmente todos esos acentos se pierden pues muchos son irrelevantes en castellano (como varios dialectos regionales en inglés),y varios más son de humor involuntario de tan estereotipados que son.

Por si no están familiarizados,Rogue tiene un acento acapulqueño;Gambit tiene un acento francés exagerado;Punisher tiene uno italiano;Nightcrawler habla con acento alemán;Wolverine habla como un mexicano de Monterrey (el Cerro de la Silla se localiza allá);y Lobo habla como un vago callejero de la Ciudad de México.

Razón #96

Translation:
-Reason Nº 96 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes...
Jubilee —Hello! I am Jubilee and I'd like to talk about my school! Here I'm studying along with people of my age in a special boarding school! My teacher hangs around in her underwear only and the principal has mutant powers that allow him to manipulate people's minds and...bla-bla-bla-bla!
Left note —(Betcha that when she grows up she'll end up wearing a costume smaller than Vampirella's)
Samy —I know that nobody asked me but,Isn't that the very same tale of the Trevi-Andrade clan?
Right note —"Punished...you did it wrong...you must obey..."
Newspaper —They got caught in Brazil!

Notes in English
This cartoon is from the time when Jubilee was still a member of Generation-X.Back then,Jubilee's teacher was Emma Frost,whose costume always looked like white lingerie.The mentioned principal is,of course,X-men's Professor X.

Now,this cartoon is mostly about the scandal related to the career of pop singer Gloria Trevi.She was very popular in the early '90s but suddenly she stopped showing up in the media.
In 1999,music producer Sergio Andrade was publicly accused of sexually exploiting teenage girls under the fake promises of making them as famous as Trevi (Andrade was her manager).Andrade was supposed to lead a private boarding school for girls when actually keeping said girls as his personal slaves.
Then someone had the idea of playing a Gloria Trevi record backwards and found out a subliminal message where a deep male voice repeated «[You're] Punished...you did it wrong...you must obey».So it was said that Andrade used mind manipulation techniques to lure the girls and the scandal got really big.
Andrade,along with Trevi and another singer named Mary Boquitas fled from Mexico as fugitives accused of exploiting minors.The media started calling them as the Trevi-Andrade clan.Months later the police caught them in Brazil.

Andrade is still in jail,while Trevi got free for lack of evidences against her (in fact she said to be just another victim of Andrade),and started her singing career once again .

Notas en Español
Este cartón es del tiempo en que Jubilee aún era miembro de Generation-X.En aquél entonces,la maestra de Jubilee era Emma Frost,cuyo traje siempre parecía como lencería blanca.El mentado director es,por supuesto,el Profesor X de los X-men.

Ahora bien,este cartón es principalmente acerca del escándalo relacionado con la carrera de la cantante pop Gloria Trevi.Ella fue muy popular a inicios de los 90's pero súbitamente dejó de aparecer en los medios.
En 1999,el productor musical Sergio Andrade fue acusado públicamente de explotar sexualmente a chicas adolescentes bajo promesas falsas de hacerlas tan famosas como la Trevi (Andrade era su manejador).Andrade supuestamente dirigía un internado privado para niñas cuando en realidad mantenía a las chicas como sus esclavas personales.
Luego a alguien se le ocurrió tocar un disco de Gloria Trevi al revés y encontró un mensaje subliminal donde una voz masculina grave repetía «Castigado...lo hiciste mal...debes obedecer».Así que se dijo entonces que Andrade usaba técnicas de manipulación mental para engatuzar a las chicas y el escándalo se volvió realmente grande.
Andrade,junto con Trevi y otra cantante llamada Mary Boquitas huyeron de México como fugitivos acusados de explotación de menores.Los medios empezaron a llamarles como el Clan Trevi-Andrade.Meses más tarde,la policía los capturó en Brasil.

Andrade está aún en prisión,mientras que la Trevi salió libre por falta de pruebas en su contra (de hecho ella dijo ser sólo otra víctima más de Andrade),e inició de nuevo su carrera como cantante.

Razón #91

Translation:
-Reason Nº 91 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes...(Spank the monkey!)
Tarzan —Come on,confess you son of an ape! Tell me where's hidding your boss,the hooded man! And while you're at it,tell me who killed Jolly Heart!!
Blip —Pepe el Toro is innocent! Pepe el Toro is innocent!
Frame on the wall —Lacandona jungle,Sweet Home
Kala —Gee honey,Don't you think that Tarzan is old enough for us to tell him that he's an adopted son?
Kerchak —No,but if you ask me,I think that all that violence in TV cartoons is starting to affect him!
Doriancito —Hey,what's the deal with the whacky smoke?
Samy —Don't you get it? They're "Gorillas In The Mist"!
Note —(a corny joke,but a honest one)

Notes in English
This is another of my favorite cartoons,basicly because I'm a Tarzan fan.
In Mexico and some parts of Latin America,violent soldiers and police men are sometimes called 'gorillas'. The letters on Kerchak's helmet stand for Policía Judicial del Estado (Judicial Police of the State).And of course,Tarzan is using a typical Mexican police interrogation technique.

Jolly Heart is the name of the trained monkey from the Remi anime series —the original Japanese name of that series is Ie Naki Ko and it's based upon Hector Malot's novel Sans Famille (Without Family).Remi was a huge hit in Mexico in the '80s.

Pepe el Toro (Pepe the Bull) is the main character in the film Nosotros Los Pobres (We The Poor People).In that picture,Pepe is a carpenter that is a acussed of a murder he didn't commit.But when he's in jail,he stumbles upon the real murderer and angrily beats him until he confesses his crime by desperately yelling that «Pepe el Toro is innocent!».

Notas en Español
Este es otro de mis cartones favoritos,básicamente por que soy fan de Tarzan.
En México y parte de Latinoamérica,los policías y soldados violentos son ocasionalmente llamados 'gorilas'.Las letras en el casco de Kerchak significan Policía Judicial del Estado.Y por supuesto,Tarzan está usando una típica técnica de interrogatorio de la policía mexicana.

Corazón Alegre es el nombre del mico entrenado de la serie anime de Remi —el nombre original en japonés de esa serie es Ie Naki Ko y está basada a su vez en la novela Sans Famille (Sin Familia) de Hector Malot.Remi fue un gran éxito en México durante los 80's.

Pepe el Toro es el personaje central del film Nosotros Los Pobres.En esa película,Pepe es un carpintero que es acusado de un asesinato que no cometió.Pero cuando está en la cárcel,se topa con el verdadero asesino y violentamente lo golpea hasta que confiesa su crimen gritando desesperado «¡Pepe el Toro es inocente!».

Razón #90

Translation:
-Reason Nº 90 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes... (dead men ain't thrown back,the only thing that throws is the belly that doesn't take care of itself against rotten food,yeah!)
Punisher —So what you say little mamma? Your place or my place? Uh?
Elektra —Tee-hee-hee! Gee,I dunno...!
Daredevil —Eh? I don't see it and I don't believe it!! The Punisher and Elektra were dead! And what I understand even less is why they are not in mourning!
Asti —Aw,that's life,my pal...say,Are those horns in your head?
Doriancito —I gathered again these gizmos,Who do we bring back to life now?
Samy —Mmm...let me throw a coin:heads,we bring back Pedro Infante;tails,we give new life to [Gloria] Trevi's career...

Notes in English
If the note below the title sounds cryptic and absurd,it's because is part of the lyrics of the song Pedro Infante Murió (Pedro Infante Is Dead),the Spanish parody version of the tune James Brown Is Dead.You can hear that former song here below.
By the way,Pedro Infante was a very famous mexican singer and actor.After his death he became a cult figure not much different than Elvis Presley.

The caption below the owl is a pun on the name of Sanborn's,a chain of restaurants and apartment stores whose logo is an image of 3 owls.

Of course,this cartoon is mostly about the sillyness of dead superheroes that keep returning to life over and over again.But it became prophetic when right after I drew it,Gloria Trevi (a former pop singer) did return to media.Not in a proffesional way tough —more about that was explored on Reason #96.

Notas en Español
Si la nota bajo el título suena críptica y absurda,es por que es parte de la letra de la canción Pedro Infante Murió,la versión parodia en español de James Brown Is Dead.Pueden escuchar la primer canción acó más abajo.
Dicho sea de paso,Pedro Infante fue un famoso cantante y actor mexicano.Tras su muerte se convirtió en una figura de culto no muy distinta de Elvis Presley.

El letrero bajo del buho es un juego de palabras con el nombre de Sanborn's,una cadena de restaurantes y tiendas departamentales cuyo logo es una imagen de 3 buhos.

Por supuesto,este cartón es principalmente sobre la simplonada que son los superhéroes muertos que regresan a la vida una y otra vez.Pero se volvió profético cuando justo después de que lo dibujé,Gloria Trevi (una ex-cantante pop) de veras regresó a los medios.Aunque no de un modo profesional —más respecto a eso fue explorado en la Razón #96.

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Razón #88

Translation:
Sign —National Week of Rabies Vaccination (kids,bring your Pokemon for their vaccines...)
Asti —...next...
Cyclops —Hey,Is there any group discount? I left another five of these out there!
Samy —Only if they are wearing flea collars...
The Beast —Hey dude,you got the wrong Beast!
Nightcrawler —I'm 'scaredy' of syringes!
Wolverine —Grrrr! Grrrrr! And more Grrrr!
-Reason Nº 88 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes...

Notes in English
Not much to say about this cartoon,except that I always thought it is funny that too many of the mutants in the X-men comics have animalistic features,yet almost no one of them needs any special cares as typical animals do.

Notas en Español
No tengo mucho qué decir sobre este cartón,excepto que siempre se me hizo curioso que muchos de los mutantes en los comics de los X-men tienen rasgos animalezcos,pero casi ninguno de ellos requiere de cuidados especiales como ocurre con los animales típicos.

Razón #87

Translation:
Ghost Rider —Make way for the Spirit of Vengeance!! Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!!! —My,some people are really crazy! How come this guy is on the road with no safety belt? Outta the way,you nuisance!!
Microbus front sign —That's the way I am...So what?
Voice in the back —Getting off here!
Microbus ad —Drink Duff beer
Doriancito —Is that Ghost Rider? And his bike?
Samy —Oh,he changed it for that microbus as soon as he realized that with it he could get more respect and earn some extra money...
-Reason Nº 87 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes (driving microbuses)...

Notes in English
A microbus is a Mexican public transport.As its name suggests it's like a bus but in a smaller size that lets it move more easily in narrow streets and avenues.Microbus drivers are also known to be quite wild and crazy at driving,because they can move faster than common buses and they're big enough so the other cars don't mess with them.

And then,at least in Mexico City,motorbikes don't mess with cars.In fact,many car drivers don't respect bikers at all.

Notas en Español
Un microbús es un transporte público mexicano.Como su nombre sugiere,es como un autobús sólo que en un tamaño más pequeño,que le permite moverse más fácilmente por calles y avenidas estrechas.Los conductores de microbús son también conocidos por ser bastante salvajes y locos al conducir,pues pueden moverse más rápido que los autobuses comunes y son lo bastante grandes para que los demás autos no se metan con ellos.

Por otra parte,al menos en la Ciudad de México,las motocicletas no se meten con los autos.De hecho,muchos conductores de autos no respetan del todo a los motoristas.

Razón #81

Translation:
-Reason Nº 81 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes...
Iron man —Let's just go! War Machine won't come with us because he's got pubic lice and that can affect his mental health! Damn!
Captain America —Uh? Lice make the skin itchy,but as far as I know they don't make you go insane!
War Machine —Have you ever tried to scratch yourself while wearing one of these armors? The pain!
Samy —Hey,who of you guys asked for a can opener?

Notes in English
You now,I always wondered why superhero costumes don't have pockets or zippers.And that goes double for the superheroes wearing battle armors.

Notas en Español
Ya sabrán,siempre me pregunté porqué es que los trajes de superhéroe no vienen con bolsillos o zippers.Y eso va doble para los superhéroes que usan armaduras de batalla.

Razón #79

Translation:
Green Lantern —I know we must preserve our [cultural] roots and that we need to earn an extra buck,but I still feel ridiculous!!
Martian Manhunter —Shut up and keep dancing!
Hulk —Hulk feels tired and wants to go to the restroom...
Green Arrow —1-2-3,cha-cha-cha,1-2-3,cha-cha-cha
Samy —I never thought I would ever see these guys dancing like Aztecs...
Doriancito —Well,I think it's odd noticing that 'Indios Verdes' is right in the middle of the Zocalo!!
-Reason Nº 79 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes...

Notes in English
The Zocalo is a huge square right in the center of Mexico City.Sometimes you can see there some performers dressed as Aztec warriors and reenacting ancient dances for the tourists.

Way up in the North of Mexico City,right in the limit where Insurgentes avenue becomes a highway connected with the city of Pachuca,there are a subway terminal and a couple of bronze statues in honor of Aztec kings Itzcoatl and Ahuizotl.With the years,the bronze of the statues have become greenish and so people call them Indios Verdes (the Green Indians).Since then,that zone has also become known as Indios Verdes as well.
And then in this cartoon,we've got Green Lantern and Green Arrow dressed as Aztec indians.And of course,the skin of both Hulk and Martian Manhunter is green.It's a very silly pun,I know,but a funny one too,when you're a Mexican.

Notas en Español
El Zócalo es una enorme plaza en el mero centro de la Ciudad de México.A veces es posible ver ahí a danzantes vestidos como guerreros aztecas y recreando bailes antiguos para los turistas.

En el extremo norte de la Ciudad de México,justo en el límite donde avenida Insurgentes se convierte en una carretera conectada con la ciudad de Pachuca,hay una terminal del metro y un par de estatuas en honor de los reyes aztecas Itzcoatl y Ahuizotl.Con los años,el bronce de las estatuas se ha vuelto verdoso y por eso la gente las llama los Indios Verdes.Desde entonces,esa zona también se ha vuelto conocida como Indios Verdes.
Y luego,en este cartón tenemos a Green Lantern y Green Arrow,cuyos trajes son verdes,vestidos de indios aztecas.Y por supuesto,la piel de Hulk y la de Martian Manhunter son verdes.Es una ironía muy boba,ya sé,pero también una muy divertida,si se es mexicano.

Razón #77

Translation:
-Reason Nº 77 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes... (Grandma,what big eyes you have...)
Samy —Whoah! What happened with you Captain Marvel?
Captain Marvel —Nothing,it's just that I haven't worked at anything since 'Kingdom Come',so I hired a new image consultant to improve me with a more commercial look...
—And I don't know,suddenly I crave some sushi...
Note —(Notice that now when he yells 'Shazam!' he doesn't get struck by lightning and he rather shines)
Doriancito —And what about you Green Arrow? New image consultant?
Green Arrow —No! I'm just coming from getting off the microbus!!

Notes in English
This is another favorite of mine.Many people keep telling me that I have a manga style but oddly I don't read much manga at all.Even more,once a professional cartoonist reviewed my art portfolios and then told me: «hey,you draw in a Japanese-like style because you really want to sell more drawings,don't you?».So I thought that at least for once I'd try to really imitate manga style.

A microbus is a Mexican public transport.As its name suggests it's like a bus but in a smaller size that lets it move more easily in narrow streets and avenues.Microbus drivers are also known to be quite wild and crazy at driving,because they can move faster than common buses and they're big enough so the other cars don't mess with them.Sometimes a microbus ride can be like an extreme roller coaster.

Notas en Español
Este es otro de mis favoritos.Mucha gente me dice regularmente que tengo un estilo manga pero lo irónico es que no leo mucho manga del todo.Más aún,una vez un caricaturista profesional revisó mi portafolios de dibujo y me dijo:«hey,dibujas en un estilo como de japonés por que lo que quieres es vender más dibujos,¿verdad?».Así que pense que al menos por una vez intentaría realmente imitar el estilo manga.

Un microbús es un transporte público mexicano.Como su nombre sugiere,es como un autobús sólo que en un tamaño más pequeño,que le permite moverse más fácilmente por calles y avenidas estrechas.Los conductores de microbús son también conocidos por ser bastante salvajes y locos al conducir,pues pueden moverse más rápido que los autobuses comunes y son lo bastante grandes para que los demás autos no se metan con ellos.A veces viajar en microbús puede ser como subirse a una montaña rusa extrema.

Razón #75

Translation:
Asti —They'll fiiiiiight!! 2 out of 3 rounds with no time limits! In this corner...Daredevil "Diabolic" Murdock!! And in this other corner:Nightwing "Nocturne" Grayson!!
—And don't forget that our next match will be between Wolverine "The Caveman" vs. The Son Of Batman!
-Reason Nº 75 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes... (mask vs. hair!! Cool!)
Samy —No comments...
Doriancito —Aw,don't be like that...so,what? Do we go to the movies after the wrestling?
Poster —Almada & Cardona Present:Batman vs. The Vampire Women

Notes in English
This is another of my personal favorites,simply because I'm a fan of lucha libre (Mexican wrestling).

Back in the '80s,in Daredevil's comic books his name used to be translated as 'Diabólico' (Diabolic),and Nightwing was known as 'Ala Nocturna' (correct translation here).Using their translated names is simply because they sound cool as nicknames if they were luchadores (wrestlers).
Of course,Batman has no sons,but many luchadores do,and said sons usually inherit their fathers' masked identities.

Mask vs. hair is one of the most popular modalities of lucha matches.It features 2 oponents whom bet either his mask or his hair and the loser gets out of the ring either bald or unmasked,depending of each situation.

The tattoo in Nightwing's arm shows his love for the Rudo (Heel) style.

The movie poster is a parody in which Batman has become like El Santo (The Saint),the most popular luchador of them all.Besides fighting in lucha matches,El Santo starred many B-movies.The most popular of all his movies is Santo vs Las Mujeres Vampiro (Santo vs The Vampire Women).

Notas en Español
Este es otro de mis cartones favoritos,nomás por que soy fan de la lucha libre.

En los 80's,en los comics de Daredevil su nombre solía traducirse como 'Diabólico',y Nightwing a su vez era conocido como 'Ala Nocturna'.El uso de sus nombres traducidos es simplemente por que suenan chidos como sobrenombres de luchadores.
Por supuesto,Batman no tiene hijos,pero muchos luchadores sí,y dichos hijos usualmente heredan las identidades enmascaradas de sus padres.

Máscara vs cabellera es una de las modalidades más populares de los encuentros de lucha.Se trata de 2 oponentes que apuestan su máscara o su cabello,y el perdedor abandona el ring o calvo o desenmascarado,según el caso.

El poster de cine es una parodia en donde Batman se ha vuelto similar a El Santo,el luchador más popular de todos.Aparte de pelear en las luchas,El Santo protagonizó varias películas de cine-B.La más conocida de todas sus películas es Santo vs Las Mujeres Vampiro.

Razón #74

Translation:
-Reason Nº 74 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes...
Cyclops —>Hic< I'm shorry for whoever shtarted the boozhe shpree...we already got tanked and deshtroyed the whole block he livesh at...
Colossus —But th'one who...got th'party...started,it was you,Cyclops...>Hic<
Asti —The X-men are drunk yet again? They don't let one sleep!
Samy —Uh yeah? Why,I'd like to see you go down there and try scolding them!!
Wolverine —Keep shinging! I finally found where'sh the piñata! >Hic<

Notes in English
So the X-men are supposed to be students,right? Then I wonder how come you never get to see them doing the things common students do,like drinking booze almost every night as if their lives depended on it.

Notas en Español
Y bueno,los X-men se supone son estudiantes,¿cierto? Entonces me pregunto cómo es que nunca se les ve haciendo lo que los estudiantes comunes,como emborracharse casi cada noche como si su vida dependiera de ello.

Razón #70

Translation:
-Reason Nº 70 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes...Access —I'm a loser! Boo!! Boo-hoo!!
Doriancito —What's worrying Access,uh?
Samy —Nothing,only that he finally got sued for making uncalled amalgams...
Cablevision Caption —Cablevision! (Cable + Vision)
Mole Verde Caption —Green Mole! (The Thing + Green Lantern)
Marilyn Manson —Hey! I'm not just another amalgam!!
Marilyn Manson caption —Marilyn Manson! (Marilyn Monroe + Charles Manson)
Note —(original,isn't it? Geez!!)

Notes in English
Amalgam was this silly and fun project where Marvel and DC Comics created new characters by merging some others.The merged characters lived in a parallel universe known as Amalgam.

Back in the '60s and until the early '90s,in the Fantastic Four comics and animated series the Thing's name used to be translated as La Mole (The Bulk).But in Mexico,the word 'mole' in a male form (el mole) is also the name of a traditional chili sauce.There are many mole recipes,and one of those is mole verde (green mole),which is made with green tomatoes and pumpkin seeds,and is,well,green.The explanation sounds complicated but trust me,the 'Mole Verde' pun is very funny from a Mexican (and nerdy) point of view.

Notas en Español
Amalgam fue un projecto simplón y divertido donde la Marvel y la DC Comics crearon nuevos personajes al fusionar a algunos.Los personajes mezclados habitaban el universo paralelo conocido como Amalgam.

Allá por los 60's y hasta inicios de los 90's,en los comics y series animadas de los Fantastic Four,el nombre de The Thing solía traducirse como La Mole.Pero en México,la palabra 'mole' en su forma masculina (el mole) es también el nombre de una salsa tradicional para guisos.Hay varias recetas de mole,y una de ellas es la del mole verde,elaborado con tomatillos verdes y semillas de calabaza,y que es de color,pues,verde.La explicación suena rebuscada,pero créanme,el juego de palabras 'Mole Verde' es chistoso desde un punto de vista mexicano (y nerdo).

Razón #68

Translation:
Asti —Woe is me! Darn pigeons,they "polished" my clothes!
Samy —That worries you,uh? If I were you I'd start running...here comes Hawkman with some very suspicious cramps...!!
Hawkman —Ah-ah-ahg...I-I won't...make it...won't...make it!!
Note on the right side —(Bombs away!!)
-Reason Nº 68 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes...(or "Evildoers,beware of Hawkman's smooth moves!!")

Notes in English
Not much to add about this cartoon,besides the fact that Montezuma's Revenge is not an illness that affects only tourists visiting Mexico.

Notas en Español
No tengo mucho qué agregar respecto a este cartón,salvo el hecho de que la Venganza de Moctezuma no es una enfermedad que afecte sólo a los turistas que visitan México.

Razón #65

Translation:
-Reason Nº 65 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes...
Asti —Yay,how exciting!! I'm gonna ask Ant-man,Wasp and Atom for their autographs! They're my idols! Where are them? Where are them?
Ant-man —Watch your step you dumb...!
Doriancito —Aw,no! It's such a drag cleaning blood and guts stains from a carpet!!
Samy —Don't worry about small details...Oh,Are you leaving early,Atom Ant?
Atom Ant —Er...yeah,I'm going to the casting call for Antz 2,don't wait for my return!!
Sign —If you already pawned your collection of Capulinitas and Karmatrones so you could pay your ticket then:WELCOME TO THE BIG __________ '99
—Same event,same place,same stands,higher price
—(interactive gag:fill the line with the comic book convention you dislike the most...and yes,I know I already used this gag 56 reasons ago,but the situation has not changed...damn,indeed)

Notes in English
As the sign says,the satire about Mexican comic book conventions was first seen on Reason #9.

Capulinita and Karmatron were 2 comic book series for kids published back in the '80s.They were not particularly good or special at all,but since there are no reprints of them,back issues are very appreciated among older comics fans (yet said back issues are actually cheap in the collectors market and so their only value is of the sentimental kind —hence the irony of implying that they could be taken to a pawn shop).

Notas en Español
Como el letrero indica,la sátira sobre las convenciones mexicanas de comics se vió por primera vez en la Razón #9.

Capulinita y Karmatron fueron 2 series de comics para niños publicadas en los 80's.No fueron particularmente buenas o especiales del todo,pero desde el momento en que no hay reimpresiones de ellas,los ejemplares viejos son muy apreciados entre los fans viejos de comics (sin embargo dichos ejemplares viejos son en realidad baratos en el mercado de los coleccionistas y por tanto su único valor es del tipo sentimental —de ahí la ironía de insinuar que pudieran ser empeñados).

Razón #63

Translation:
-Reason Nº 63 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes...
Samy —Hellooo! Hey,Have you ever wondered why Hulk is always so bad-tempered? And why is he green?
Doriancito —Incredible but true,even though Hulk can make his body expand about 5 times,thing is his briefs of the "Trueno®" brand are so resistant that their original size always remain the same! Because of that his granny always gives him them as Christmas gift!!
Note in the corner —*Consume Mexican products of high quality!!...

Notes in English
Trueno (Thunder) is a popular Mexican brand of male underwear,cheap but also very well known for its hard-wearing fabrics.

The note in the corner is the actual slogan of an old nationalist campaign against imported products.

Notas en Español
Trueno es una popular marca mexicana de ropa interior para varones,barata pero muy bien conocida por sus telas resistentes.

La nota en la esquina es el slogan real de una vieja campaña nacionalista contra los productos importados.

Razón #57

Translation:
Spider-man —I'M A DAD!! Mary Jane,How are you and the...baby?!?! Qué?!
Mary Jane —Aw,look tiger:he's got your eyes!
Baby —Agoo!
Samy —Where are you going Mr. Ezpaoon? Won't you stay for the baby shower?
Spawn —Er...I gotta go,my "Spider-sense" tells me that my mom is calling me...Smell ya!
-Reason Nº 57 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes...(-Today's episode:Look who's spawning now...)

Notes in English
Back in the '90s,Spider-man was married to Mary Jane,and she got pregnant.In a confusing and awful plot twist,the baby died because the editors thought that making Spider-man a father figure would make him look older and then lose appeal among younger fans.I drew this cartoon as a homage of what could have been if the baby lived —kinda
ˆ_~

Spawn is included here because of a joke among friends.We didn't understand the popularity of the character among fans,and then we came to the conclution that it surely was because design-wise he was like «the bastard son of Spider-man and Batman».

Benito B. Bodoque was the name of Benny the Ball in the Spanish-dubbed episodes of Top Cat.That animated series is a cult thing in Mexico;and Benito's name is in the bed as a reference to the episode 'Top Cat Falls In Love',which begins with Benito in a hospital after a tonsillectomy.

Notas en Español
Allá por los 90's,Spider-man estaba casado con Mary Jane,y ella estaba embarazada.En un giro narrativo confuso y horroroso,el bebé murió debido a que los editores consideraron que convertir a Spider-man en una figura paternal lo haría verse más viejo y así perdería atractivo entre los fans más jóvenes.Dibujé este cartón como un homenaje a lo que pudo haber sido si el bebé hubiera vivido —más o menos
ˆ_~

Spawn está incluído aquí debido a un chiste entre amigos.No comprendíamos la popularidad del personaje entre los fans,y llegamos a la conclusión de que seguramente era por que su diseño lo hacía parecer «el hijo bastardo de Spider-man y Batman».

Benito B. Bodoque era,por supuesto,el nombre de uno de los canchanchanes de Don Gato en la serie animada homónima.Dicha serie es objeto de culto en México;y el nombre de Benito está en la cama en referencia al episodio 'Top Cat Falls In Love',el cual inicia con Benito en una cama de hospital tras haber sido operado de las amígdalas.

Razón #56

Translation:
-Reason Nº 56 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes...(monkey business!!)
Scully —Aw,calm down Mulder,you're acting the goat!!
Mulder —Noo! You damn dirty apes! Damn you! I wanna become a monkey!!!
Ape #1 —Hey,Is here the casting for 2001:A Space Odyssey?
Ape #2 —Has anyone seen Marvo?
Ape #2's shirt —Jolly Heart
Doriancito —Confidentially,Where did all these monkeys came from?
Samy —Obvious:from the subway!

Notes in English
Mulder & Scully are not super-heroes,but are included in this series of cartoons because The X-Files was a huge hit here in Mexico,airing simultaneously on 2 TV channels (3 if you include the original transmissions from the FOX network on cable).

The statue behind Mulder is the Angel de la Independencia (Angel of Independence).This golden statue is a symbol of Mexico City the same as the Statue of Liberty is for New York.

Mulder's last phrase,«Me quiero volver chango» (I wanna become a monkey) is a reference from a Spanish-dubbed episode of The Simpsons,where Homer yells that in a moment of very tragic —and funny— despair (sorry,but I don't remember which episode it was nor what was exactly said in the original English version).

The Ape #2 is asking for Marvo,the astronaut chimp featured in the 'Space Monkey' episode of the Top Cat animated series.In Mexico,Top Cat is a cult series,mostly because of its genius dubbing.The shirt of that same ape is a reference to the name of the trained monkey from the Remi anime series —the original Japanese name of that series is Ie Naki Ko and it's based upon Hector Malot's novel Sans Famille (Without Family).Remi was a huge hit in Mexico in the '80s.
The Monchichis was another animated series that became a TV hit around these parts (hence the small note in the right).

The PJ letters in the gorilla's arm stand for Policía Judicial (Judicial Police).In Mexico and some parts of Latin America,violent soldiers and police men are sometimes called 'gorillas'.

Notas en Español
Mulder & Scully no son superhéroes,pero se incluyen en esta serie de cartones debido a que la serie de The X-Files fue un tremendo éxito en México,transmitiéndose simultáneamente por 2 canales de TV (3 si contamos las transmisiones originales de la cadena FOX por cable).

La estatua detrás de Mulder es el Angel de la Independencia.Esta estatua dorada es un símbolo de la Ciudad de México del mismo modo en que la Estatua de la Libertad lo es para Nueva York.

La última frase de Mulder,«Me quiero volver chango»,es una referencia a uno de los episodios doblados al español de Los Simpson,donde Homero grita eso en un momento de desesperación trágica —y chistosa (lo lamento,pero no recuerdo en cuál episodio fue eso exactamente).

El Simio que habla con Homero está preguntando por Marvo (sí,en el cartón está con falta de ortagrafía),el chimpancé astronauta del episodio 'Space Monkey' de la serie animada de Don Gato y Su Pandilla.En Mexico,Don Gato es una serie de culto,debido principalmente a su genial doblaje.La camiseta del mismo simio es una referencia al nombre del mico entrenado de la serie anime de Remi —el nombre original en japonés de esa serie es Ie Naki Ko y está basada a su vez en la novela Sans Famille (Sin Familia) de Hector Malot.Remi fue un gran éxito en México durante los 80's.
Los Monchichis fueron otra serie animada que se hizo exitosa por estos rumbos (ergo la nota del lado derecho).

Las letras PJ en el brazo del gorila corresponden a Policía Judicial.En México y parte de Latinoamérica,los policías y soldados violentos son ocasionalmente llamados 'gorilas'.

Razón #47

Translation:
-Reason Nº 47 Why There Ain't No Mexican Super-heroes...
Samy —Where're you going,Hulk?
Hulk —I'll be back in a moment,I'm going to smash the faces of that Chapoy woman and her gang for what they said about my animated series! —I'm gonna teach them the meaning of 'Smash puny human' in this country!! Not even back in the days when Cesar Costa acted like me in 'La Carabina de Ambrosio'!
Doriancito —Okey-Dokey,pal...say,now that you're going outside,could you drop by at the corner shop on your way back and bring 2 Pepsis and a big bag of Doritos?
TV —Well,I would have given the leading role of 'Mirada de Mujer' to Lady Death!!

Notes in English
Paty Chapoy is the producer and host of the Ventaneando [Window-talking] TV show.In that show,Chapoy and some of her friends are supposed to review and criticize soap operas and TV series,but they actually only gossip about the celebrities starring TV programs.And when they do give any reviews and crits,they only talk about the bad things just for the sake of pissing the actors and producers off.

Mirada de Mujer (Glance of a Woman) was a '90s popular soap opera,and its plot was about the romantic relationship between a mature woman and a man younger than her.

Cesar Costa was a pop singer back in the '60s.In the '80s he started a new career as a comedian.In the cult comedy TV show known as La Carabina de Ambrosio (Ambrosio's Rifle,or more properly translated as 'The Poultice On The Wooden Leg'),Costa sometimes made a parody of the Bill Bixby as he appeared in the classic Hulk TV series,only using very cheap effects (the Hulk in the parody was actually a rubber suit).

Notas en Español
Paty Chapoy es la productora y conductora del programa de TV Ventaneando.En dicho show,la Chapoy y algunos de sus amigos se supone que hacen reseñas y críticas de telenovelas y series de TV,pero en realidad sólo se dedican a chismorrear sobre las celebridades que protagonizan los programas de TV.Y cuando se acuerdan de hacer reseñas y críticas,sólo hablan de los puntos malos por el puro gusto de molestar a los actores y productores.

Mirada de Mujer fue una popular telenovela de los 90's,cuya trama era sobre la relación romántica entre una mujer madura y un hombre más joven.

Cesar Costa era un cantante pop de los 60's.En los 80's inició una nueva carrera como comediante.En el show cómico de culto conocido como La Carabina de Ambrosio,Costa a veces hacía una parodia de Bill Bixby tal como aparecía en la serie clásica de Hulk,sólo que usando efectos muy baratos (el Hulk de la parodia era de hecho un traje de goma).