Who is mndz?

James Mendez Hodes (he/him) is an ENnie Award-winning writer, game designer, and cultural consultant. You might know his design work from Avatar Legends, Thousand Arrows, or Scion; his cultural consulting work from Frosthaven, Magic: the Gathering, or the Jackbox Party Packs; or his writing from some articles complaining about orcs and racism. He graduated Swarthmore College with a major in Religion, and minors in Dance and English Literature. He also received a master’s degree in Eastern classics from St John’s College. His interests include martial arts, hip hop, poetry, and sumō wrestling. His primary party role is tank, secondary support.

Bluesky: @lulavampiro
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mndz
Twitter: @LulaVampiro
email: lula dot vampiro at gmail dot com
Facebook: lula.vampiro

How does your name work?

My first name is “James” and my surname is “Mendez Hodes.” I have no middle name. My last name follows the Spanish pattern, but (as per Filipino custom) with my mom’s surname before my dad’s instead of the other way around. It’s acceptable to shorten Spanish surnames by omitting the second family name (“James Mendez”).

• Direct address: Mendez, Lula (apelido da capoeira), James. They’re all good, but I introduce myself as Mendez in most spaces where fewer individuals are named Mendez than James.

• If you’re into honorifics: Mr Mendez or Mr Mendez Hodes, not Mr Hodes.