Top 10 reasons to visit the Puerto Rico Comic Con

Next weekend Puerto Rico will be hosting the 2014 edition of the Puerto Rico Comic Con and it’s set to be the biggest version of the event yet. International stars are coming, trailers will be shown and yours truly will be participating in his journey to connect with more people. So why should you go? Here’s 10 reasons:

10. Family environment

First and foremost, this is a family event and although the lines can be lengthy, it’s totally worth it. Seeing kids in awe and smiling and parents sharing in their joy is one of the loveliest things to enjoy at the PRCC.

9. Cookies and candy

Smart Cookie and Asian Sweets are frequent haunts for me. Asian sweets because I love being able to get my hands on the latest craziest sweets. Smart Cookie is a whole other story, four words: peanut butter bacon cookies. Seriously, I wouldn’t be surprised if I saw multiple people dressed as the cookie monster attacking the booth.

8. Bully free zone

The PRCC event staff is adamant of everyone having a good time and this includes a zero bullying code. You are yourself, you have your own thing and this event welcomes diversity, curiosity, oddity and togetherness. Live long and prosper as people of all kinds come together to have a nice time.

7. It’s getting big

Less than ten years ago, the event wasn’t that big. About five years ago, it started to go international. At this level, it will go global by next year. They’re going to need a bigger island.

6. Hard to find collectibles

Although you will find TONS of Star Wars – He Man – Transformers and other types of collectibles, this is the place to find weird stuff. Bring your cash, bring stamina and look over the hundreds of booths to find that special random gift for that special random someone.

5. The costumes

Some people truly feel most comfortable when they’re in character and the PRCC brings in some of the best, and yes worst costumes you’ll ever see. Last year the competition was stiff and I’m sure those who lost last year started planning the Monday they got out of the PRCC.

4. The Talent

Puerto Rico has a bevvy of artists and writers that consistently put out great work. I will also be there and though far from the star attraction, I’m honored to do my best to add to an already epic event. Truly, some awesome local artists due world-class work and everyone is upping their game consistently, year after year. I will be in the minority since most people will have their comics and artwork... then again, I’m a writer and I’ve been known to have more than one surprise when the opportunity presents itself. Next weekend will be no exception.

3. Cosplayers

There are diehard cosplayers locally and professional talent will be making appearances, namely Riddle’s Messy Wardrobe.

2. The comics, the anime, the videogames

Remember that comic you read once when you were 10, or that random anime you watched at 2 AM when you were supposed to be sleeping? You might be able to find it here.

1. The guests

Scott Snyder, Michael Rooker and Jason David Frank are just some of the people visiting. Talent scouts will also be there. Local artists will be there and if you want to have fun, you’ll be there.

So here’s to the countdown.

Cheers

Blade

A roaming ronin of another life,

Blade in sheath, path ahead,

Edge now stains with ink and strife,

Cuts through paper, and stories thread.

Honor lives within the sword,

The same than that of flowing pen.

Art is wielded through sharpened word,

To slice a soul, and search for Zen

There is beauty in flaws

In our obsession for perfection, sometimes we forget that flaws can be quite beautiful. If you remember Dirty Dancing, you’ll remember Jennifer Grey played Frances AKA Baby. Apart from no one having the right to put her in a corner, no one had the right to deny that her smoky eyes and nose made her distinctive and actually quite beautiful. Sometime after the movie, she had surgery done to “correct” her nose and it didn’t take her long to realize how big a mistake it had been to agree to said correction.

In interviews, she says that the surgery was one of the biggest mistakes in her life. It was as if she’d lost part of her identity. The same happens with most of us. A lot of people lament their flaws, except that they fail to see that they sometimes define us and that flaws and imperfections are actually a good thing.

Men and women around the world lose sleep and suffer deeply because they want to conquer those flaws. Weight issues, height, hair loss, breast size, cellulite, skin color, eye color and the size of a nose are just some things that cause suffering in people because they wish they could control and conquer these “flaws”.

So that’s when surgery comes in the picture, and Botox, and prostheses, and chemical treatments, and creams, and pretty much anything you can think of in the quest to conquer a flaw. And sure, some people might be happy when they conquer that flaw, though what I’ve often seen is that they move onto something else they’d like to change or that they are not happy with and the pattern repeats over and over. 

That’s because it seems many people confuse the pursuit of happiness with the conquest of a flaw, and as Jennifer Grey found out, sometimes it’s beautiful to be flawed. Because there’s truth in flaws and because perfection is no guarantee of happiness. 

Looking within the Human Cycle: Who is Mrs. Fawn?

One of the many secondary characters in Only Human is based on a primary character in my life. In short, Mrs. Fawn is based on the wisdom of my mother. Throughout my life, Mama has been a central figure who has given me all the love I can handle and enough lessons to last a lifetime, and she continues to inspire and amaze me every single day.

I’ve been able to be with mom through countless events in our lives and every single time, she has tread on, she has shown patience of the Biblical kind and perserverance I have not seen elsewhere. Born in Camagüey, Cuba; mom has always shown tenacity and a will to not just survive, but thrive and all the while bearing that wonderful smile that could make anything seem possible.

She has often shared her wisdom through words, though much more often, through action. Always leading by example, she has taught me to be kind, to never ask why, but what for in regards to life’s challenges and to always do my best to learn from what I live. She’s also taught me to never settle, to never give up, to always be true to myself, to be honest, to be generous and to always offer a helping hand, not in case you need one in the future, but because it should be embedded in our psyche to always do our best and give the best.

Although her appearance comes a ways into the book, there is something I really enjoy about Mrs. Fawn and about my mom… she appears not only in Only Human and its sequels, but in various other stories in my life because there’s just no way to keep her out of my tales or my heart.

So here’s to you Mama.

Thank you for love, inspiration and life.

You made me and I will always want to make you as proud of me as I am of you.

Between the Tides

For the longest time I had forgotten my love for poetry. I had instead focused on lyrics, stories and Only Human. Then last year I posted a poem, someone reacted, then someone else reacted and I was asked a very simple question: When will you post more?

Throughout all this time I’ve continued to post many poems though I wanted to take it a step further, so I collected poems, penned various new ones and for this Mother’s day I am proud to report that I’ve published my first poetry collection on Amazon: 

Between the Tides

Ebbs of poetry from a stream of thought 

Thank you to all the wonderful poets who spurred me to rekindle my passion for poetry. Life is a huge wave of inspiration and I wanted to share a bit of what I see in life through verse.

I wanted to get something special for mom on Mother’s Day, and although there’s more to give, this book is being released today with that purpose. So cheers Mom. I love you in every genre I’m able to communicate it in.