{"id":18387,"date":"2022-10-31T15:23:48","date_gmt":"2022-10-31T15:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/2023.biowars.com\/blog\/?p=18387"},"modified":"2023-04-18T16:57:47","modified_gmt":"2023-04-18T16:57:47","slug":"anthony-carranza-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/2023.biowars.com\/blog\/anthony-carranza-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"Anthony Carranza For BIOWARS: Exploring Comic Book Artist\u2019s Career, Style & Upcoming Projects [Interview]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Discover Anthony\u2019s art on Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n

We continue our interview series with one of L.A.\u2019s finest comic book artists of the younger generation.<\/p>\n

Anthony Carranza\u2019s works are a striking blend of old and new, vintage and sci-fi, past and future<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

We talk to Anthony about his art and his publishing house Shape Comics<\/em><\/a> and discuss the process of creating a comic book universe!<\/strong><\/p>\n

Uncover the battle raging within. Read the BIOWARS comic book for free!<\/a><\/p>\n

1. Anthony, you and Breyden Boyd launched a publishing company and you guys are building your own comic book universe at Shape Comics \u2014 congrats on that! What was your journey like to establishing a publishing company?<\/h3>\n

Thank you so much!<\/p>\n

It is crazy how fast we have grown in such a short time, we really owe a lot of this to our amazing fan base.<\/p>\n

As far as the journey, wow! I\u2019m working with friends on a common goal.<\/p>\n

Creative independence has been so fulfilling. I owe Boyd, Carson and Tom some of the happiest moments in my life so far, and the fact that all of this was accidental makes it all the more like destiny!<\/p>\n

It really started in a random discussion amongst friends\u2026 Boyd needed some help due to his unforeseen autoimmune disease diagnosis that sidelined his drawing and me wanting to push further into the world of comics. Since, we have launched 3 titles, 3 books and many more to come!<\/p>\n

2. It looks like you\u2019re on a mission of creating a comic book universe within Shape Comics. That sounds exciting! What does that process look like? How do you start?<\/h3>\n

I think every comic book creator works towards that big and intertwined universe, thanks to the success and popularity of the Avengers.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s tough really, because you want to be different, to stand out and push the envelope!<\/p>\n

We have two independent \u201cworlds\u201d at Shape Comics <\/em>\u2013 my own (The Calico Kid, Sonic Saturn, Ivy Estrella,<\/em> and more) and Boyd\u2019s (Shape-Man, Omega, Surge<\/em>, to name a few from his plethora of characters).<\/p>\n

We complement each other well and we can\u2019t wait to present them all to the world!<\/p>\n

Follow us on instagram for more comic book art and the latest BIOWARS updates!<\/a><\/p>\n

3. How do you come up with character designs? Do you first illustrate them and then work on their origin story or do those two go hand in hand?<\/h3>\n

Character design is an art in itself.<\/p>\n

If it were a movie, you\u2019d be in charge of make-up, hair, wardrobe and scripting all in one!<\/p>\n

To answer your question, the two go hand in hand but one or the other happens first.<\/p>\n

Sometimes you draw a cool character and need to write them a cool origin story, or perhaps you get a great idea and need to bring it to life with an illustration.<\/p>\n

Everyone has a different process and there isn\u2019t a correct way to do it over the other.<\/p>\n

Sonic Saturn<\/em> and Shape-Man<\/em> were created as an illustration first\u2026 Whereas the Calico Kid<\/em> and Ivy Estrella<\/em> started as origin stories.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Anthony Carranza (@pulp_americana)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

4. Your art is a fusion of futurism, art pop, surrealism and vintage. A lot of pieces also reminisce westerns while others include the Atomic Age<\/a> motifs. How did you develop such a unique artistic expression?<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s clich\u00e9 really, but I owe much of my creative influence to time spent with my grandparents, watching old cartoons such as The Jetsons<\/em><\/a> and Tom & Jerry<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

I also have very fond memories of watching westerns with my great-grandfather.<\/p>\n

I have always been fascinated by the vintage design of the mid-century.<\/p>\n

Growing up in a small town Arizona as a kid with a big imagination, I always imagined myself in the streets of a wild west town, as a soldier storming the beaches of Normandy, or as an astronaut exploring an unknown planet of the cosmos.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s poetic really; I did not grow up with much but I built a world out of it. I guess it chalks up to me being an old soul.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Anthony Carranza (@pulp_americana)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n