Hector Navarro was born in San Diego and raised on cartoons and comic books. He’s been attending San Diego Comic-Con since he was 10. After earning a degree in media arts and animation, Navarro moved to Los Angeles to work in the visual effects industry and eventually found his way in front of the camera, flexing his geek muscles and improv comedy skills. He has since worked for companies like DC Entertainment, Geek & Sundry, Nerdist, Skybound, the El Rey Network and Nickelodeon. Navarro currently is an Internet and TV host at Heroes Reforged.
Goldie Chan: What has your career path been?
Hector Navarro: My career started after art college and has shifted a few times. After graduating, I worked in visual effects, converting normal movies into 3D movies for a few different companies. I loved the job, thought it was super cool, and still have a love for good 3D movies. But I was also interested in performing comedy on stage and found a lot of opportunities to do that in L.A. When I had a chance to shift to on-camera hosting full-time, I took it, and have been able to do it since then, thankfully.
Chan: What has been your favorite campaign or project that you’ve worked on?
Navarro: I’ve had a lot of jobs I’ve loved, but I think the top two so far have been working for DC Entertainment and getting to meet a lot of my comic book heroes. And next to that would be hosting podcasts for Nickelodeon and getting to meet a lot of animation heroes, too.
Chan: What is a story that has resonated with you?
Navarro: It seems very obvious if you know me, but I’ll say Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse really resonated with me. I think it was a beautiful celebration of all the things animation can do, (one of my earliest loves), while also being an amazing tribute to comics history (my other earliest love). On top of that, to see an Afro-latino Spider-Man on the big screen and little touches like hearing Miles Morales’ mom speak Spanish in the home, really affected me.
Chan: Who are some of your favorite storytellers and why?
Navarro: I love director Denis Villeneuve and his ambitious storytelling and scale, especially his work on the new Dune film, which was immersive and stunning. Comic artist George Pérez has had a profound impact on me for my entire life, his superheroes are seared into my mind as the definitive versions of those characters. Director/Producer Taika Waititi is another favorite. His sense of humor really works for me, and I appreciate the themes in his work like the impact of colonialism in Thor: Ragnarok.
Chan: What is the most important element to a great story?
Navarro: I think it’s different for every person, but for me it’s all about character. Turning Red from Pixar features a compelling and relatable protagonist. Star Trek is a franchise that’s been going for over 50 years, but for me it always comes back to Spock, one of the greatest characters in all of fiction. I love the stories I love because of the characters. And I think audiences today are asking for more and more specific and varied types of characters, with backgrounds more of us can relate to, which I think is a beautiful thing.
Chan: How would you describe your personal brand?
Navarro: I’ve called myself a comic book ambassador, and I think I can add general geeky interests to that, too. I want to be passionate about the stuff I love, and share that love with anybody who wants to hear it. I also care deeply about addressing the ugly side of online fandom, stuff like gate-keeping and basic racism/ sexism/ homophobia, etc. If there’s a party that excludes someone, that’s not a party worth going to.
Chan: What would you like to see more of this year?
Navarro: I’d like to see more companies in charge of super popular geeky IP to declaratively state they’re opposed to toxic fandom. We’ve seen some of that in the past, and I think it’s great whenever we do. I’d also like those same companies to keep being held accountable for which politicians they donate money to. If they’re donating to politicians who are trying to pass laws that hurt the LGBTQ community, but then turn around and claim their content is positive for the gay community, then something isn’t matching up. And the last thing I’ll say is I would love, love, LOVE to see more Latinx representation in the superhero movie world. I’m Latino, I’ve loved superheroes my entire life, and I would love to see Latino kids growing up with one (or more) great characters they can see themselves and their family in.
