Mel – I think Latinos are some of the funniest people on our planet. But much of our humor can get lost in the translation i.e. if I say “quiere un poquito de bacalao” real fast; I smile just because it sounds funny. But if I say it in English “ Do you want a little bit of cod fish?” No matter how fast I say it I don’t smile or laugh! So we’ll try to bridge the gap with a funny dichotomy of Spanish-English. Why do our aliens speak spanglish! The same bloody reason every alien on TV spoke perfect English?!
I think little green men from deep espacio, speaking spanglish has got to strike a cord with the billion Latinos that grew up having parents that spoke only Spanish (at home) and they learn English in school and on the street. And it clogged our brains, bent our tongues to the point where almost every sentence is peppered with the Latin Sazon!
I like to laugh and “Legal Aliens” makes me laugh and hungry…Quiere un poquito de bacalao? -MR
PS
I don’t usually look so serious! Hey visit http://www.melrivera.com/
About the illustrator
E. Frencci Rivera (pronounced French-ie)
Conceptual artist and creative writer, Frencci Rivera -Growing up in the rough inner city streets of New York, I was heavily influenced by Urban Pop Graffiti Culture of the 70′s and 80′s, which triggered my desire to pursue a unique style in the way I designed the unimaginable, depicted in my craft of illustration and story telling. My dad, Abednego Rivera was a great influence on us as well. Being an artist and along with mother Margarita, raising 9 kids in the BRONX- you have to expect a legacy of humor to spawn from such an environment. My brother Mel and I throughout the years have collaborated on many character concepts. We felt with Legal Aliens there was a wealth of endless jokes and puns to incorporate into these strips, beginning with how we were raised, the music, the foods we ate. I think about how we, Mel and I, fought tooth and nail for the free surprise in the Cap’n Crunch cereal box and boom–right then my mind will translate that as an idea for the next LA comic strip. We hope in these serious times our nation faces that you along with my brother and I can escape on an adventure, a journey that will take you on a comical mission. “To boldly go where no man has gone before… The Ladies room” -Alfred E. Newman (Mad Magazine-1976)
Go to http://www.lulu.com/amands and check out my Sci Fi fantasy novel- “Among Men and Serpents”
