By Sophia Whittemore
AsAmNews Staff Writer
I stroll around Artist Alley and find comic book creator Justin Castaneda sitting behind an intricate display of his newest works. The entirety of the interview is filled with positive vibes, and we sit down to discuss his latest story series geared for children.
“Growing up in a Filipino family was interesting. I was a child of Saturday morning cartoons and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the Goonies. I loved comics, but my parents were a little strict on us. But they always supported our work and our interests. My brother ended up going into graphic design.”
Castaneda’s favorite class, of course, was art. But his passion sometimes bled over unintentionally into other classes. He was often found sketching in the margins of his favorite notebooks, having to make up for it by channeling his artistic skills into painting backdrops for school productions.
Unfortunately, high school took a turn for the worse. Justin had a hard time in high school, but he found a way to remedy that.
“Kids need to be prepared for the cliques and the feeling of not belonging. I told a story to help them through it. I don’t want people being sad.”
Justin created the story HEART about a tiny blue heart who makes a friendship with a heart that’s missing a piece of itself. Together, the pair find a way toward their happy ending.
“When I do school visits as this children’s comic book artist, the best part is seeing the kids’ eyes light up as they read this story. They just have to remember to keep positive and be themselves.”
His newest works include the KINDERGUARDIANS which showcase kids turning into superheroes and for 2017, the When We Were Little special collaboration with other creatives sharing their childhood experiences.
“The best thing about writing kid stories are the universality of these stories. We’ve all been kids at some point. It’s great to go back into that mindset, especially when you face self-doubt as a POC or indie artist.”
Justin pushed out into the business in 2007 and found Art Balthazar and his comics lineup. Currently, Justin is working with Victor Dandridge, the editor-in-chief of Vantage:Inhouse Productions.
As far as self-doubt goes, Justin combats it with saying “just step away and take a break. What other people think doesn’t matter. That self-doubt is a big problem as a POC indie artist, but you have to keep positive.”
He also hopes that young kids looking to become comic book artists learn to draw every day. “If it’s difficult to draw some days, you still have to draw and be passionate about it.” And Justin knows all about passion projects. He works on a YouTube Art2Heart series where he interviews other creatives with the help of a heart-shaped puppet. “Yeah, it’s silly, but people open up when they’re silly.”
As Justin says, just remember to stay positive.
SEE MORE OF JUSTIN CASTANEDA’S WORK AT:
https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCu6nlDuJgn0aXIvgDmcPbng
https://mobile.twitter.com/whenuwerelittle?lang=en
http://instagram.com/whenuwerelittle
****
AsAmNews has Asian America in its heart. We’re an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. You can show your support by liking our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/asamnews, following us on Twitter, sharing our stories, interning or joining our staff.
