ASH

KIQUE

Guatemala City, Guatemala

Back in 1994, a close friend of mine, Leslie Huertas, opened a small comic shop in Guatemala simply called Comic Shop. At the time, my pull list was pretty straightforward — mostly Marvel, and mostly Spider-Man. That was my world.

One day that year, Leslie handed me a comic that had just come in. The title was ASH, published by a company I had never heard of before: Event Comics. I didn't read it right away. But when I finally did, it completely blindsided me.

What was happening? Who was this fire-based character? Why did it feel darker, stranger, and more mysterious than anything I was reading at the time?

I was instantly hooked.

From that moment on, ASH became the book for me. I couldn't wait for the next issue. Every release day, I'd be outside the comic shop before it opened, waiting for the doors to go up so I could get my hands on the new issue as soon as it arrived. Without exaggeration, I became Guatemala's number one ASH — and Event Comics — fan.

Eventually, I discovered that Event Comics had a website. For the first time in my life, I wrote a fan letter to a publisher. I didn't ask for much — just a T-shirt — because there was no way to get Event Comics merchandise in Guatemala.

Inspired by that moment, I created an ASH fan page. It was basic by today's standards, but it was packed with information, passion, and love for the series. At one point, Jimmy Palmiotti even left a comment on the site — something that felt surreal at the time.

Sadly, that page was eventually lost when Google migrated its hosted pages to a new format, and the original site disappeared.

But the fandom never did.

When Event Comics closed its doors, I was crushed — but I never stopped believing the story wasn't over. The last major news I had heard was that ASH was in development at DreamWorks as an animated feature. That alone kept the flame alive.

Years passed.

In 2018, when I saw that New York Comic Con would feature Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti, I made a decision: I flew from Guatemala to New York with one goal — to meet the creators who had shaped such an important part of my life.

Meeting Joe and Jimmy was surreal. They were generous, genuine, and exactly the kind of creators you hope your heroes turn out to be. It was a full-circle moment — from waiting outside a small comic shop in Guatemala in 1994 to standing face-to-face with the minds behind ASH in 2018.

I also had the privilege of meeting Amanda Conner, who is as kind and gracious as fans say she is.

And then came a moment I never could have scripted.

At the booth of Greg Hildebrandt, I saw it — the original painted ASH #5 variant cover. The actual artwork. The fire, the intensity, the image that had lived in my head for decades.

A few minutes later, Joe and Jimmy stopped by on their way to a panel, and I was able to take a photo with the three of them beside that painting. That picture represents more than a fan encounter — it represents 24 years of loyalty, admiration, and belief.

I still hope Event Comics makes a comeback. I'd love nothing more than to see new stories of ASH, 22 Brides, Painkiller Jane, and the entire Event Comics family.

Until then, this page exists for one reason:

To keep the flame alive.

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