Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social

Artist and the creator of the comic, Zotz. 🦜 🇸🇻

[Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social @Zotzcomic]

btw if you want to see this without the watermark in high res visit my patreon -> https://t.co/tUSnyeGieF

[Shi-Gu🐦‍⬛ @Itzcacalotl]

Another time lapse, this time of the "Quechquemitl vs Poncho" illustration I did for #CodexBlack book 2.
Drawing all the little details of the two garments was surprisingly relaxing and fun.

[Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social @Zotzcomic]

☕️

[Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social @Zotzcomic]

@Majora__Z Adding codex or museum to your search I have found can help. And - before words to filter out.

[MajoraZ @Majora__Z]

The city-states (not "tribes": Mexico already had cities + writing for millennia, pic) that allied with Cortes ALSO did sacrifices, the Aztec didn't impose it

The Aztec were conquerors, but had hands-off, not strict rule: Cortes got allies from that loose rule enabling defection as a method of gaining or retaining political power since they left subject states with their own agency and interests

That's why Cortes got most of the allies he did, not from Aztec rule being resented or oppressive.

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For a somewhat longer explanation

While the Mexica of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan were conquerors, they and other major Mesoamerican powers didn't often directly govern the places they conquered (no draft animals + the terrain made it logistically iffy):

Subjects usually kept their kings, laws etc, with basic obligations like to not block roads, to pay taxes (not usually of sacrificial victims: those were mostly collected in wars, not from already conquered subjects, keep in mind too EVERYBODY did sacrifices, groups allied with Cortes), and so on

That meant subjects (which were STATES, not "tribes", the region had cities writing etc for millennia already, see pic) kept their own political ambitions and agency. Defecting was common, as was pledging yourself as a subject (as they got mostly left alone) or an ally to another state to take out your collective rivals or capitals, to then have higher status within that new kingdom you helped prop up

THAT is what happened with Cortes and how he got allies

The Mexica/Tenochtitlan got help overthrowing their old capital and rose to power this same way a century before Cortes. And decades after Cortes, various states like the Zapotec kingdom of Tehuantepec, the Iximche Maya etc allied with other Conquistadors to take out their rivals too, with the Mexica being uninvolved... actually, they may have fought ALONGSIDE the Mexica, who were in Spanish subject armies by then!

So this was just a common thing, not a unique reaction to Mexica rule in particular, and not even most Spanish authors thought it was particular bad or unfair: To the contrary Cortes, Diaz, the Anonymous Conqueror, Sahagun, Duran, Acosta, and Las Casas all praised Mexica rule as dignified, just and proper (I'd argue they were TOO excusing, here)

Now, Tlaxcala specifically may have resented the Mexica, yes... because they were at war, Tenochtitlan was trying to conquer Tlaxcala: It wasn't a subject already inside the empire. Texcoco, Chalco, Xochimilco etc WERE inside it, and (to varying degrees) BENEFITTED from Mexica rule, due their political marriages with Mexica royalty and the taxes Mexica conquests brought into the valley

Which is why they, unlike Tlaxcala, only allied with the Conquistadors and Tlaxcala AFTER Tenochtitlan was ravaged by smallpox, multiple Mexica kings/nobles died etc. By then states had less to lose & more to gain by switching sides

Even then, most Aztec subjects didn't defect; (there were ~500 Aztec subjects, arguably only a dozen or so defected) and of those that did, some only did so conditionally, unwillingly, or only specific officials/factions switched sides (EX: Ixtlilxochitl II of Texcoco and his followers defected, not his brother/the king Coanacochtzin; while Xochimilco only switched sides after being beaten and forced to etc)

Even Tlaxcala, the closest thing to a innocent victim here, in contrast to the Mexica as frequent aggressors, used Cortes to attack other cities to further their own political reach, not just to strike back at the Mexica:

Everybody was using and manipulating each other, it wasn't as simple as states rallying against Mexica tyranny (which as I said, wasn't much of a thing), nor Cortes dastardly playing (or graciously liberating) local states against each other

For people curious I can link more information

[Rafael Mena Illustration @RafaelmenaI]

Hey guys, I'm having some troubles with the landlord and I might be needing to find a new place soon.

I don't really want to beg for cash or anything so I'd appreciate if you guys could lend me some support over on the P site (link in the image and bio), if you're able ofc.

[Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social @Zotzcomic]

I have begun uploading my work on my Bluesky (link in bio) account. I will be posting new stuff there now and on IG, artstation, patreon. I will continue here for occasional updates on things like Dream Rider & such. But don't expect more art to be posted here. See you there.🦇

[Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social @Zotzcomic]

@Majora__Z @neoprototypex @TonyTrupp @DavidOBowles Axin iirc gave hair a yellow tint. Clavigero mentions an old man with gold hair from a species of xiuhamolli.

[Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social @Zotzcomic]

@Majora__Z I hate that they got rid of audio jacks forcing me to get an adapter or wireless earbuds which I have to recharge.

[Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social @Zotzcomic]

also lots of updates coming!

[Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social @Zotzcomic]

accidentally wrote zoom originally, its google meet lol

[Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social @Zotzcomic]

@RafaelmenaI Uruguay for me

[Louise Fogerty 🌞 @rey_tonatiuh]

Hey guys! Finally got my comic up on a new web host! No need to sign up to view, though you can if you want to give it a rating or comment etc... Chapter 1 is already uploaded and I'll be adding more soon!

Link in bio, and I'll be posting it down below.👇

[Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social @Zotzcomic]

@Majora__Z @Riamus01 @Itzcacalotl Missing @rey_tonatiuh comics and animated film. Her mesoamerican art is more accurate than many people's as well. Also, she is a cowriter of Dream Rider.

[Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social @Zotzcomic]

@JavierHernandez @LatinoComixExpo Hard to believe. He will be missed.

[Rafael Mena Illustration @RafaelmenaI]

"Passing by"
Private Comission

A pair of Kuikuro villagers travelling through the densely settled Xingu river.

[Rafael Mena Illustration @RafaelmenaI]

🇬🇧- Don Hernando de Alvarado Tezozómoc
Aztec historian, scribe and translator of Mexico's early colonial period

🇲🇽- Don Hernando de Alvarado Tezozómoc
Historiador, escriba y traductor Mexica del período colonial temprano.

🧵⬇️

[Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social @Zotzcomic]

rip Toriyama

[Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social @Zotzcomic]

@Lycaones No seria mal si fuera hecho por humano. Pero detesto contenido creado por inteligencia artificial.

[Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social @Zotzcomic]

@RealNeldonax I mean, you could just do it yourself. I always say be the change you want to see.

[Zotz 🦇@zotz.bsky.social @Zotzcomic]

#Aztec woman with gauze skirt based on codex azcatitlan.