My Love of Comics
Like many other artist I started drawing at the age of 5. I remember drawing trees, knights, horses, and people. I was always "the artist" in all of my classes in elementary school. Except perhaps in the 3rd grade. I shared that title with two other kids. Both of whom were better than I was, and perhaps pushed me to take drawing more seriously.

I recall us three would bring our newest drawings to class everyday. We would show each other, and the rest of the class, what we had worked on the previous night. Like many other kids our age, we were drawing the most popular cartoons at the time. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in the late 80's early 90's, was the hottest cartoon. We were all enamored with the Turtles on a half-shell.

I remember one time in particular; A night before I had just finished a drawing a picture of my favorite turtle, Leonardo. I was pretty excited by it. I was pretty proud of it. I think it was the 1st time I had drawn a turtle and colored it with markers. I was just coming off coloring with Crayolas. Markers were such a wonderful commodity back when I was young, they still are. Coloring with markers made it more legit. It was as close as a kid could get to a printed product, especially in the 80's. The next morning, like usual, I would put the new drawing in my bag to take to school. I would just stuff it in my backpack. At the time I didn't really cared if the paper got all crumpled, for whatever reason.

When we got to class the first thing we would do, before the teacher took over, was to quickly gather by a table in the middle of the classroom. We would bring our new drawings over and show each other what we had just worked on. That morning, two of us had TMNT drawings. He had Michelangelo and I had Leonardo. I remember how everyone got real excited about his drawing, while my turtle drawing was almost immediately irrelevant . Completely invisible to everyone. All the kids marveled at how much his looked like the T.V. version of Michelangelo. I must admit that his drawing was better than my own. This was not the reaction I imagined my drawing would receive, at all. I was so heart-broken. I thought I had brought a really good piece.

When everyone had had their fill of his Michelangelo, and the dust settled. Their attention then turn to my Leonardo... Kids are mean. I remember some kid poke fun at the fact that my Leonardo, did not have the front protective yellow shell. But instead of where the yellow shell should have been, there was a human chest, and abs, and nipples. Thinking back on it now, that shit is hilarious. But, at the time I was so embarrassed. I could not put that drawing back in my backpack fast enough.

In my defense: It wasn't like I had reference. I didn't have a TMNT book. This was way before you could pause live TV. In the 80s, you couldn’t just look it up on the internet.

Yes - The other kid was my age, and he was in my grade, and he also didn't have Google. But that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

I started really considering a career as a comic book penciler during my high school days. In high school I met more kids on that were on similar paths, and they all were really good artist. I really felt I had to pick it up, and "catch up" to where they were. I was pretty much drawing every day, and every night. In the summer I would break night all the time on my mom's dining room table, drawing until 8,9 or 10am.

I really enjoyed those days. No worries. Just enjoying what I was doing.

I had a neighbor who went to the same school as I did. He was also into comics and drawing. He and I would team-up an work on one character at a time. I would start the drawing, he would finish it. During this process we would talk about who the character was, what he would do, what his powers were. It was really an awesome time. This was around the same time my younger brother started drawing more. My cousin, who would sometimes visit us from Puerto Rico, he would draw comic characters with us as well. I work with them, and we would combine characters in a story. I was fortunate that it was all around me.

If I had to pin-point a time in my life where I had to say that I got serious about career as a penciler, High School would have to be it. I started seeing MARVEL, DC, and IMAGE as publishers who I wanted to work for. I bought the right pencils, the right paper, learn techniques. I read up on some of my favorite artist and how they did, how they made it. It was something that seem very tangible to me.

But, in my last year of high school, something went wrong. I received a failing grade in my Spanish class. I tried to talk to my Spanish teacher, but I was informed that she had already left on vacation! I wasn't always the best student. Honestly, I only applied myself if I got along with my teacher. I half-ass the classes of the teachers I did not like. Doesn't make much sense to me now, but it was just my mentality back then. And to be even more honest, I didn't do 90% of my homework through the fours years of high school. My report cards always read "missing homework". I believe my teachers, most at least, looked over that fact. Because when ever they gave a project, I would go all out. I always saw that as a chance to show off my illustration skills. My teachers loved me for that. They took a lot of joy seeing me put in all the effort, and bring that quality of work. It seemed as if they took some self pride from that, but maybe they were just happy to see that I did care. I was really good during presentations. The classmates like it to, just as long as I went last. That always made me feel good.

I eventually got a hold of my Spanish teacher. She changed the 60 grade to 65 (just passing), but it was too late. My class had already graduated. I never got to be part of that ceremony, and my parents were so disappointed.

After high school I was not drawing as much. I would say I had a span of four years that I was not drawing at all. I was a little lost. I became more invested in other things; Girls, money, friends, basketball, and clubbing mostly occupied my thoughts. Not that I didn't/don’t enjoy those things, or that there is anything negative about them, obviously. But I completely casted aside something that was second nature to me. Something that defined me for so long.

In 2001, I was working as an Iron Worker. There was a period during that year when business was really slow. It was after the 9/11 attack. Not many construction jobs were available. So, I spent a lot of mornings in my local's hall waiting to be called up to work. For 3-4 months I would go from 4am to 8am. Waiting for my name to be called, so that I may work. My name was not called very often, so I mostly spend those morning hours sitting and drawing.

One day, one of the older guys sat next to me and looks over my shoulder. He sees me sketching, and then he says, "Hey man. That's good! Why ain't you doing that for a living?!" At the moment my thought was, "Because this pay $32 an hour!!!" So I smiled, and said to him, "Thanks."

It wasn't until two years later; that I just got tired of not having much of a social life. Actually, it wasn't much of a life at all. I wake up at 5am, to work at 7am, leave work at 2pm, to then be in bed by 7pm. I didn't like my life. I was no longer enjoying the work. So I quit. I moved back in with my parents (that was tough!!!). I decided to go back to school. My 7th grade teacher introduced me to the art of poster making, and I remember how much I enjoyed that. So, I enrolled to be a Graphic Designer. Even though I love being a designer, there is still the love for drawing comics.

In 2005: I joined EnterVoid.com. It is a community of comic book for artist and writers. It was nostalgic. I was very excited to be a part of that, and I got a lot of practice doing sequentials. I was an active member for about two years, before I had to stop. My classes were becoming more demanding of my time, and projects were much bigger. My professors were great. They understood my background, and help me better incorporate those skills in my designs. Now, I occasionally pass by and check up on the new stuff.

I am currently working on something that will allow me and others rekindle that passion once more. Perhaps self-publish them in the future.