Talking to Alejandro the Artist: Comics and Beyond

It has been quite some time since we've had creators in the spotlight. Here is a conversation with Alejandro the Artist I happened to run into online on the Bluesky app.

1. Since when have you been drawing comics, Alejandro the Artist, and what is the difference between comics and cartoons

Regarding comics, I have been drawing comics professionally for two years; however, as it is one of the artistic mediums that I like the most and have consumed the most in my life, I have been drawing comics for almost my entire life. Ever since I was a kid, I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to this discipline.

As for the differences between comics and cartoons, although both are based directly on drawing and have many things in common, they have very different languages. Comics are sequential art that is conveyed in a book format, through a narrative that is usually spread out in panels and speech bubbles.

On the other hand, cartoons belong to the discipline of animation (which can also be in 3D), being linked to the cinematic format. In its 2D animation variant (the most classic format), it was also sequential art, with drawings being interspersed to create movement. For a while, I tried my hand at animation, but it was extremely exhausting.

2. What are the different types of comics that exist ( especially categorize the ones that you draw )

Well, there are many different types and formats, since comics themselves have a long history. Depending on the place and its culture, comics are experienced in very different ways. For example, in Europe and America, comics are read from left to right, while Japanese manga is read from right to left.

Korean manhwa is also read from right to left, but in a vertical format. There are many ways to experience comics. Western comics are usually divided into:

Stapled: Serialized comics sold in small volumes of between 15 and 18 pages, usually published weekly or monthly.

Complete: A Compilation volume that groups numerous “stapled” comics.

Graphic novels: Self-contained volumes that do not require comic books or complete editions.

In addition, comics can also be divided by story type, for example: Adventure comics, war comics, humorous comics, costumbrista comics, sports comics, erotic comics, fantasy comics (usually including the superhero genre), science fiction comics, historical comics, detective comics, romantic comics, and horror comics.

In my case, I am currently working on American and European graphic novels and want to explore the genres of horror, romance, adventure, war, fantasy, and costumbrista.

3. What is your full-time job?

Currently, my full-time job is comics. I am working on a Swedish project called “Ride or Die.” I can't say much about it, but it will be a 125-page comic, and we are close to finishing it. It has been my first professional project, and we are very happy with the result.

We hope it will be ready by the end of the year. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find work in this profession, so I'll have to work hard to find another project once this one is finished so that I can continue working professionally in comics.

4. How do you find inspiration for your art?

Inspiration comes from the most unexpected places; it depends a lot on your mental state and your receptivity. Normally, what inspires me most is consuming other works, whether they be films, comics, series, video games...

All artistic media provide different perspectives that, in the mind of each artist, can materialize in many ways. Although personally, my most inspiring moments have been traveling by train and talking to other artists about my ideas.

5. Which are the top 5 pieces of art/comics/cartoons/sketches that you are most proud of, took the most time - these need not be mutually exclusive.

After thinking about it for a while, I think the works I am most proud of are the following:

a. My first original comic book, “Consecuencias” (Consequences). This comic was my final degree project, an original 50-page comic about an alternative future in which the COVID pandemic turns the world into a post-apocalyptic wasteland, with only the asymptomatic remaining alive. All because of denialism and anti-vaccination.

Today, I look at those pages and feel that everything is terrible, but I feel enormous pride in having been able to carry out that project.

b. A family portrait I did years ago with my family members dressed up as superheroes. It's a work I'm very fond of, and we have it hanging in our living room.

c. The comic I made for my final project for my master's degree in comics. During the time I was studying for this master's degree, I improved a lot as an artist, so for that project, I decided to make a comic about an original Spider-Woman, combining my love for Spider-Man and post-apocalyptic settings.

d. A mural in Indian ink and pen. In my third year of college, I experimented with making a mural-sized comic. I bought a 30-meter roll of paper, and for a project, I made an illustration 3-4 meters wide x 1.5 meters high. This illustration was a post-apocalyptic version of Times Square. It took approximately 30 hours, and everyone really liked the work.

e. Another mural in Indian ink and pen. It was a research project on multiple personality disorder, which I completed with an illustration measuring 2 meters high x 1.5 meters wide.

6. What are the weirdest commissions you have received for art? How many do you take on a month, and how much are they on average?

I have received many commissions in recent years, which is a fundamental part of the growth of artists on the internet. It is well known that, among the vast number of people who inhabit it, there are strange people with tastes that are curious to say the least, who are eager to find an artist who can bring the fantasies in their minds to life in an illustration.

In this case, I would say that the strangest one I did was an 18+ illustration of two aliens from the Star Wars saga. It was an experience... Well, I charged too little for it.

Before Ride or Die, I worked exclusively on commissions and orders, but right now I can only afford about three commissions a month. The price varies greatly depending on what is requested and the time it takes me.

7. What would be your dream collab when it comes to comics?

Spider-Man and Star Wars, without a doubt. They are the franchises I love the most, specifically in the field of comics.

I could die happy if I ever managed to make a comic for either of them. In fact, I have my own Spider-Man (a Spider-Woman, to be precise) that I will try to present to Marvel in the future.

8. How many comic cons have you been to? Which are your favs apart from the obvious SDCC?

I live in Spain, so I have attended several conventions and fairs around the country with my own stand: Murcia, Valencia, Alicante, Málaga... However, my favorite was the comic convention in Barcelona. Apart from its size, it has an initiative called “Comic Pro” that I try to participate in every year. This initiative consists of putting you in contact with various editors

from national and international publishing houses so that they can review your portfolio and interview you.

One day, I hope to be able to go to SDCC!

You can reach out to Alejandro through his IG