FOMO. Miss this Kickstarter and you will kick yourself in the ass.
Its me again, Mitch Hyman. You probably know me for my comic book work and the popular film I produced based on that book, Bubba the Redneck Werewolf. Now, you’re probably asking how does a guy who writes about a beer swilling cigar chomping goofy ass werewolf go to writing an adventure tale based on a world-famous LGBT icon? Hell, if I were you that’s what I’d ask.
Actually, both are about something important to me and all of us these days… Acceptance. Bubba was just a dog catcher who caught the wrong dog and turned into this big hairy monster with a good heart who even the folks in his town still treated the same because at his core, Bubba was who he was. Chavela is the same.
She was not born in Mexico but she fell in love with the place and its people the same as I did. To quote her, “A Mexican is born wherever the F-ck she wants to be born.” Like I said, it’s all about acceptance and heart.
How I found Chavela goes back to my days in FM radio. I was in charge of a world music program that aired on weekends and so one day during my search for cool vocals and style I found a song called “La llarona”. So, I’m sitting there in the dark studio around 2 am and this voice comes over my headphones that chills me to my bones. It’s sweet but hard. It’s like someone vocally exposing their soul to the heavens above and a threat to the demons below. It was strength and afterward I went to find more of her music, and all had the same beauty and depth. I asked some Latin friends about her and found out she was like a lot of people who had depth and a social conscience. She was lost and found at the same time. She was an influencer before there were such things. The worlds of art, music and even politics were influenced by her. Frida Kahlo, the famous painter, was her lover and confidant. Politicians respected and feared her. The world of music changed in ways because of what her style brought to it. But best of all, she was a fighter. A fighter for rights for all people. An icon to the gay community and an ally to all oppressed folks.
She was also hilarious, dangerous and adventurous. Learning all this made her to me seem like someone who no matter what the odds were or how crazy a situation got, she could power through it. Nowa few years ago during the pandemic I was like all of you and locked down and so was Skyping and Zooming with friends I couldn’t visit with my buddy Adalisa Zarate was one of those. Ada and I had been going to San Diego Comic Con and doing panels on film making and story telling across our countries borders. What a lot of people don’t realize is that during the great depression bit these countries saved each other from starvation and fascist invasion.
In 1940, where this story takes place, the Vice President of the US had a secret plan and took a road trip driving his family to Mexico to be at the inauguration of Mexico’s new president. Along the way his niece and artist met Chavela and they both wound up on an adventure involving mysticism, ancient gods, nazis spies, romance and hilarious misadventure.
Simply put, I gave Chavela the adventure she was not only qualified for but deserved. I gotta say during my years long research I learned more about Mexican culture than I think I even knew of my own. And I even discovered I had family who left Europe in the early 1930’s to seek a new life and freedom in Mexico. So, here I am talking to you about an amazing woman who carried a pistol and a guitar and could use both to great effect when needed. So, Adalisa and I promise you an adventure that with keep you turning pages and a woman who was and still is the role model for so many millions of people. We are also proud to offer the book initially in Latin Spanish because Chavela would want it that way to honor the ones she loved most. The people of Mexico and Latin America. Yes, her life was tragic and she had struggles for many years, but still she survived and always got a standing ovation when she spoke or performed. You’ll do the same when you finish the last page and see just how sweet revenge can be and how bittersweet love between two people can turn out to be as well.
One last thing, this book is the only project that has been officially approved by Chavela’s family and loved ones and so it is highly collectible and does honor to those she left behind and loved. Adalisa was one of those as she was like a daughter to Chavela. That’s all I have for now. To see the stretch goals and how many wonderful and mainstream artists and others have committed to be on this project, just read the full proposal here on this page.
Now, to close this, let’s do this the way Chavela would want and this … ok you people, Let’s fund this F’in g project and go have a drink!
Viva Chavela!