Blog | Big Red Hair

Motecuhzoma’s Bedroom

What did the Mexica emperor’s bedroom look like? No one knows for sure, but here's how the design was determined for our graphic novel series, Aztec Empire.

The Gold Sun and the Silver Moon

The spectacular story of Motecuhzoma's five-foot gold disc of the sun, and six-foot silver disc of the moon.

Cortes’ Spanish Mistresses

It is believed that no Spanish women came with Cortes, and that Cortes had a romance with the Indigenous girl known as Malintzin. Neither of these things are true.

Last Empress of the Aztecs

Tecuichpo was the daughter of the emperor Motecuhzoma. Her story has more twists and turns than anyone else during the Spanish invasion of the Aztec Empire.

In the first episode of Aztec Empire, the Spanish conquistadors formally read aloud a document to a group of perplexed and angry Maya. As far as the conquistadors were concerned, this document—the Requerimiento—legally sanctioned their actions in the New World.

Timeline of the Aztec-Spanish War

A timeline of the Aztec-Spanish War, covering events seen in Episodes 1-8 of our series Aztec Empire.

A Visit to Teotihuacán

A tour of the 2,000-year-old city of Teotihuacán. Ancient murals, pyramids, and we have dinner in a cave!

A Visit to Tlatelolco

We visited the Tlatelolco archaeological site and Plaza de las Tres Culturas, which are significant for many reasons. Tlatelolco was a city near Tenochtitlan, dates back to the 1300s, and was involved in the events our Aztec Empire series is depicting.

A Visit to the Templo Mayor

Photos from our private tour of the Templo Mayor ruins and museum—the main Mexica temple—in the heart of Mexico City!

Historic Horses

For 10,000+ years, horses did not exist in the Americas. That changed in 1519, when the Cortes expedition brought horses with them to Mexico.

Myths of Malinche

The story of the Aztecs’ downfall has often been told replete with myths. But it’s Malinche, Cortés' translator, who suffers most from mythologizing: as both the mother of modern Mexico and the great betrayer of her people.

By Any Other Name

The Aztec didn’t call themselves Aztec, and Spaniards didn’t call themselves Spaniards, during the Conquest of Mexico. So why do we call them that?

Comic Book Learning Portal

Redesigning our website gave Anina an opportunity to expand and update an old page built around her comic book writing guide. It’s now a whole section devoted to resources for comic book creators, educators, librarians, students, and young readers.

Tenochtitlan: Size of a City

The exact population of Tenochtitlan has been a subject of debate for centuries. Here's a brief history of informed guesses.

First Contact: Japan & USA

Japan's first contact with the United States in 1853 was a rude awakening. It was an isolationist country that had been at peace for centuries when the United States forced it open to trade at gunpoint.

The Best Science Fiction Films of the 1970s

(Which Was the Best Decade in Hollywood Cinema)

The “Hollywood Renaissance” produced some of the most thematically powerful SF films in the history of the silver screen. Here are Paul’s picks for the top ten sci fi movies of the 1970s.

Ida B. Wells: Tell the Whole Truth

Our short comic book biography of activist Ida B. Wells, with an introductory article on hope, history, and connecting the dots. Plus a peek into Paul’s visual reference process!

World Wide Web 1998

Welcome to 1998—the year Paul and I launched our website, and the same year Google was incorporated. The World Wide Web was less than 10 years old. Home broadband connections, streaming video, Wi-Fi, and mobile smartphones were future dreams.

Podcast: “Diversity, Inclusion & Respect” Panel at Multnomah County Library

Why are diverse perspectives in fiction important? Why are so many diverse books targeted for censorship? What can we do about it? These are just a few of the thorny questions we tackled ...

Podcast & Video: “Comic City, USA” Exhibit at Oregon Historical Society

Paul and I are honored to be included in the Oregon Historical Society’s exhibit “Comic City, USA.” We joined the curator to talk about this unique exhibit on OPB radio, and we gave a presentation called “From Geek to Chic: The Comic Book Revolution.”

Fifty Years of Microbionecrology: A Review (Part 5)

This section contains a real-life postscript to the make-believe review presented in parts 1 through 4. The scientific papers referenced in the main text are listed and have Google Scholar links to help you find them, if you are so inclined, and some of the more obscure jokes are limned.