Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett

San Diego Comic Fest guests Anina Bennett and Paul GuinanAnina and Paul are the creators of the unique–and critically acclaimed–illustrated hardcovers Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel, the biography of a 19th-century robot soldier, and Frank Reade: Adventures in the Age of Invention, a steampunk historical adventure that resurrects and re-imagines a vintage dime novel hero, complete with restored 19th-century retrofuturist images. Their current, ongoing project is the Aztec Empire graphic novel series, which was nominated for a 2019 Eisner Award.


Paul is a multimedia artist and recovering Chicago television personality. He combined his skills in illustration, photography, and model-making with his love of history when he created Boilerplate, the Victorian-era robot. Paul also co-created Chronos, a time travel series from DC Comics, and is internationally renowned as an authority on 19th-century automatons. With Anina at his side, he has lived with the Apache in traditional fashion, sailed the Pacific on a square-rigged brig, and walked the sands of the Roman Coliseum. His latest project is the epic Aztec Empire graphic novel series for which he is doing exhaustive research, writing, layouts, coloring, and lettering with finished pencils and inks by David Hahn and editing, script doctoring, and producing by Anina Bennett.

Aztec Empire graphic novel series by San Diego Comic Fest guest Paul Guinan
Anina, first published at age 15, has written five Heartbreakers graphic novels and edited everything from Star Wars comic books to Supreme Court briefs. It’s a good thing she loves to travel, because her career has taken her from Chicago, where she cut her teeth at First Comics; to Dark Horse Comics in Oregon, where she collaborated with renowned author Harlan Ellison; and to Denmark, where she handled Mickey Mouse tales for multimedia giant Egmont. Anina also teaches writing workshops for students of all ages and has served on the Board of Directors for several nonprofit organizations.

Heartbreakers comics by San Diego Comic Fest guests Anina Bennett and Paul GuinanPaul and Anina were raised in Chicago and have known each other since before the Internet existed. They now reside in Portland, Oregon, near an extinct volcano. Visit them online at www.BigRedHair.com, and follow them on Twitter @bigredhair and @Boilerplate1893. Also be sure to get the latest news about their Aztec Empire graphic novel series at https://www.facebook.com/aztecempiregraphicnovel.