Okay, so there are only a few household names in comics. There are various big names within the industry and only a handful, at most, outside of it. Ask a random person who their favorite cartoonist is and they might get tripped up over the term, “cartoonist.” Well, hopefully, they will eventually come around but you know what I mean. So, that said, I know more cartoonists than most people and I want to share with you a few minutes with one remarkable cartoonist, M. Jacob Alvarez. Ask him and he’ll be delighted to chat with you about the world of comics and how he enjoys being a cartoonist. Jake is just like most folks who read this blog, someone with a creative side who is following his passion. I found one of his comics a while back and I’ve been following his progress ever since. You can read my review of his graphic novel, Chinatown Bus right here.
The Atheist’s Guide to the Old Testament
One very interesting thing about Jake’s work is that there is something for everyone. If there is a through-line, I believe it’s his bold and distinctive storytelling, both in the script and the artwork. He has a very curious mind so that has led him to not only coming-of-age stories but a number of deep dives into subjects ranging from history to literature. In this interview, we chat about two new comics he’s just released: Mae the Master and The Atheists Guide to the Old Testament. You can read my review of both here.
Whether it’s creating comics, writing about comics, or just doing whatever you do that is the real you, can be a challenge. But it’s the best challenge you’ll ever take. That is part of the story of Mae the Master, about a ragtag group of martial arts fighters that just can’t seem to catch a break until they do. And so it is with comics. I think M. Jacob Alvarez makes a lot of this business of being a cartoonist look easier than it is. He clearly loves what he does and it shows in his work and his thoughts on the comics medium. “Comics is a conversation between the artist and the reader, perhaps, in its own way, more direct than prose. In a novel, for example, you’re reading about a cat that you must imagine. In a comic, the reader is seeing exactly the cat as depicted by the artist.” In the end, making comics is part of a bigger picture: satisfying a need for self-expression; and a labor of love that you are compelled to do no matter what. As Alvarez puts it: “I’m a middle child from a very artistic and creative family. Of course, I want to perform!”
