MY MAKER MANTRAS
Not Where, But Who You Are
Could YOU do what Marvel Comics has done?
No, I’m not asking if you could build a 90-year-old multi-billion dollar multimedia empire – but if you CAN, I’d love to hear how you did it.
What I’m asking is – Could you move from the city where you built YOUR empire, however small, and start over in a completely different part of the country? Because that’s what Marvel has done.
Last month, Marvel Comics moved its publishing division from New York City to Burbank, California. On one hand, I’m surprised this hadn’t happened sooner. As a global brand, Marvel has become synonymous with Hollywood, so why not make the comics that inspire these blockbuster films closer to Tinsel Town?
On the other hand, most comic book readers know that many of Marvel’s mighty heroes live in, or hail from, New York. Captain America is just a kid from Brooklyn, Aunt May lives in Forest Hills, and Dr. Strange’s Sanctum Sanctorum is on Bleeker Street. The Fantastic Four’s Baxter Building is in Manhattan, and Professor X’s school is in Westchester County. Marvel Comics were a virtual map of New York for me as a kid, and for thousands of other fans around the world.
And OF COURSE these spectacular superheroes operate in New York, because the men that CREATED them were born there. Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, and John Romita were all native New Yorkers, and I’d guess many other members of the early Marvel bullpen were, too. They wrote and drew the places they knew, which became an innovation compared to the fictional settings of Metropolis and Gotham City over at the Distinguished Competition.
So, does Marvel, as a company, have to be in New York to tell so many stories that take place in New York? Will their comics suffer from the move, or can characters that once thrived from ties to a specific area transcend when their publisher moves across the country? How does where an artist lives affect their work at all?
A look at Amazing Arizona Comics’ FINAL ISSUE…
I’m about to learn the answers to those questions for myself. You see, since 2010, I’ve self-published a minicomic called Amazing Arizona Comics – a series that satirizes Arizona news and culture with superhero adventure. Many of my original characters – like June Monsoon, Dust Devil, and the Snowbird – are inherently connected to different aspects of Arizona living, and I’ve managed to gain quite a bit of media attention over the years for celebrating local tropes in such an entertaining way. My work as a cartoonist has been all but dependent on my living in Phoenix.
Except, as of this summer, I don’t live in Phoenix anymore.
Last year, I reconnected with a childhood crush, and, after enduring a long-distance relationship, I’ve moved to the Midwest to be with her. Soon my mailing address and license plate will boast IOWA, and many friends and fans have asked if my comics will make the same claim.
I’ve been mulling over that inquiry for quite some time, and the short answer is, “No.” I’ve loved the Hawkeye State so far, but I no longer feel compelled to tell stories limited to my own backyard. As a storyteller and cartoonist, I’m using this opportunity to stretch my legs, and to see if I’m capable of telling tales on a grander scale. While I’m certainly bringing some of my beloved characters with me, I’m essentially starting from scratch, and it’s both exhilarating and terrifying.
If you’re a fellow creator in any way, I imagine where you live plays SOME part in what you make, whether you realize it or not. Even if your surroundings don’t manifest in your work, your community has become integral to your process – from the friends and fans you’ve made because you’re an artist, to the venues and events where you exhibit and sell your stuff. You probably have a third space where you dwell for inspiration, and a comfort zone where you feel confident creatively and socially. Your own little empire.
Thus, the question remains: Could YOU do it?Could you move from the city where you built YOUR empire, however small, and start over in a completely different part of the country? Is the X-Factor for creative endurance in WHERE we are, or WHO we are?
This new “season” of My Maker Mantras will answer those questions, documenting my journey in the Midwest as I seek inspiration for my creativity and a community in which I’ll share my work. I’m no Marvel Comics, but I hope you’ll follow along. You never know – maybe one day you, too, will try to plant roots somewhere else, and this series of columns could be YOUR virtual map. How does one begin a new brand chapter in their creative career? Let’s find out together. Let’s GO.
