Marvel's Axel Alonso Opens Up About Comic Book Diversity

By Michael Lopez

You've got to hand it to Marvel Comics, they've shown quite a bit of Latino love in the creative department. Former editor-in-chief Joe Quesada is a Cuban-American and Axel Alonso, the newest honcho to take the reigns, is half-Mexican. Alonso actually opened up quite a bit about comic book diversity in a recent interview with Complex magazine.

"One thing that people don't know is how well-represented Hispanics and blacks are, at least in the artistic ranks," Axel explained. "There are so many Hispanic artists in this industry right now, from Humberto Ramos to Paco Medina."

For those unfamiliar, Mexican artist Humberto Ramos has a rabid fan base within the comic community. His colorful illustrations have turned multiple issues of The Amazing Spider-Man and Wolverine into hot collector's items.

Paco Medina's unique creations have been heavily featured in issues of X-Men and Deadpool. And looking at his blog, it's clear that his talents go far beyond creating superheroes. Paco's signature touch can be seen in sketches of Clint Eastwood, Albert Einstein, and even Gustavo Dudamel.

But it's Alonso's job to oversee the stories and characters those talented artists work with. As editor-in-chief, he's in charge of the plotlines for Marvel’s most beloved characters. Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, and The Fantastic Four all answer to him!

Although Axel has readily admitted that working at Marvel is a collaborative process,

"The definition of a dumb editor-in-chief is someone who goes into a room thinking that they're the smartest about everything," Alonso said. "This is a collaborative thing. You've got some incredibly capable people at Marvel, who all specialize in things."

Axel also chimed in on some "specialties" the company could have done without, particularly the disastrous Spider-Man musical that is about to launch on Broadway.

"Nobody hates musical theatre more than me," Axel confessed. "It’s my natural enemy…I just can't sit in the theater and watch people break out into song. Maybe I would take that bullet for my son if he really wanted to see it, but I'd have to have a couple of glasses of red wine before."

When quizzed about disappointing Marvel movies, Alonso admitted that he "didn’t like" any of the poorly-received Punisher films. But, seeing how he posed against a giant picture of Thor for the Complex photo shoot, it's clear that Axel has a soft spot for the God of Thunder.

And as far as new Marvel creations go, Axel seems to have a few favorites,

"I finally got my Mexican superheroes," Alonso exclaimed. "The luchador-inspired Zapata Brothers."

Who are your favorite Marvel characters? Sound off in the comments or @MTV3.

Tags Axel Alonso, Comics, Complex Magazine, Humberto Ramos, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Paco Medina, Spider Man, thor, Zapata Brothers