Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Cortez.
Hi Michael, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started drawing every day when I was young. At this point, it’s just a part of living. These days I can’t go without it – it’s like taking a piss. Today, I work like anyone else. Life’s challenges seem to get harder and harder, and that’s just the way it goes.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Of course in these life plans, there are struggles, but you can’t think too heavily on them. I have one life on this earth and limited time to create. Smoke a pack, take a shot of whiskey, punch a wall, and get back to work. Enjoy the struggle, let it eat you up, and create something in the process.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Recently, I am proud of my work on a “Violent New World II”. I feel as if I have added something to the comic medium. An artwork, a style, and characters, that feel distinct from other things I have read. Like the first book, my whole art and body have gone into this work—hours of drawing and storytelling capturing aspects of my world and feelings. Per usual the project serves a most therapeutic purpose.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
Joel Valdes is someone I’d like to thank for my work. It’s sometimes so hard to find someone so eager to create. Let alone someone you enjoy talking to who you can work alongside. Together, I feel that we have shared the thirst for art and the struggle of navigating the creative world. Together, we chip away one at a time- hoping to make some dent in our respective fields. While we don’t agree often on our interpretations, I feel as if I have not been alone in my art journey. Sometimes, a friend along the way is all you need- and for that, I am forever grateful.
Image Credits
Michael Cortez
