Lexington Comic Con: He helped create one of Marvel’s most beloved series

Some creators are probably not aware that they are making something that will be beloved decades later by multiple generations while they are creating it. Some trailblazers don’t realize the path they are creating for others to follow because they are too busy looking forward.

Comic book artist and animator Larry Houston fits squarely in both of these camps.

Houston was not only one of the first Black storyboard artist hired in Hollywood, but also the director and producer of the Emmy-nominated “X-Men: The Animated Series” cartoon in the 1990s, a series that expanded the scope and possibilities of translating the comic book art form to television.

Larry Houston worked with Stan Lee

Houston first became a fanboy of comics in elementary school land loved how they excited his imagination. He wanted to move to New York to be a comic book artist, but initially became a computer technician. His comic book aspirations became a reality in 1980 when he was hired to do storyboards for Marvel Comics.

“I’m working with Stan Lee. He was two doors down from me,” Houston said. “It was the gateway to my dreams come true.”

In addition to being the primary storyboard artist for the “He-Man Mini-Comics” for Mattel, Houston would later be hired by Filmation Studios and become the first Black Saturday morning cartoon storyboard artist, going on to contribute to cartoons in the ‘80s and ‘90s like “Spiderman and his Amazing Friends,” “Transformers,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Captain Planet” and “G.I. Joe” (the latter of which he also helped create the opening title sequence in the 1987 “G.I. Joe: The Movie”).

Houston’s comic book fanboy nature and his storyboard experience culminated in his role as the producer and director of FOX’s “X-Men: The Animated Series.” He said he tried to blend the storytelling of comic books with the action and excitement of Japanese anime to create a series that brought beloved comic book characters to life in a new way. He also took a page out of his idol-turned-comic-colleague Stan Lee’s playbook by sneaking in characters from the Marvel universe, like Black Panther and Captain America, for the hardcore fans.

“I was able to put cameos in and stuff and design the show so it looked like a comic book,” Houston said. “I think I made a difference in bringing my fanboy perspective.”

‘X-Men 97’ season 2 coming

Even though Houston retired in 2016, he found himself in very familiar territory when Disney asked him to executive produce the animated series “X-Men 97,” a purposeful throwback to Houston’s animated style from the original series, which served as a continuation of the story. A second season is coming this summer for the show that is reportedly the highest-rated Marvel project since Disney took over the MCU with a near-perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes.

“It kind of picked up where we left off,” Houston said. “They (the animators) all really grew up with my show, and they were taking it the next step further with way better animations.”

Now, Houston is enjoying venturing to conventions like the Lexington Comic Con (for his first-ever appearance this weekend; meet & greet for $50) and seeing how living out his own dreams has made such a positive impact on so many people who have enjoyed his work.

“What I get most out of these shows is meeting the fans who watch what I put out there and just see how much they enjoyed the shows and the excitement they got for what they read as a kid,” he said. “I enjoy talking to the fans because I was a fan. I was on the other side of the table. I really love to pay it forward.”

Lexington Comic and Toy Convention 2026

When: 6-10 p.m. Thursday, March 26; Noon-8 p.m. Friday, March 27; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, March 28; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, March 29.

Where: Central Bank Center, 430 W. Vine St.

Parking: Credit card only at Rupp Arena parking lot; Event organizers say there are more than 10,000 parking spaces available within a 10-minute walk of Central Bank Center

Tickets: $25-$250; Kids 10 and under are free for all days

Online: lexingtoncomiccon.com

This story was originally published March 26, 2026 at 5:00 AM.