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Creativity Is A Journey And Not A Destination

Published Mon, 16 Oct 2017 07:06:00 -0500

Anthony D Pugh writes,

Backyard Jungle

Have you ever seen that grimy, disheveled street cat roaming the streets with a nasty frown and blood shot eyes that makes your mind panic with the word rabies? Well, I have, Anthony Pugh the creator of Kid Buster was inspired by such a cat, the feline drama in the backyard of my Brooklyn home. Since my drawing table overlooks the backyard I often watched this dirty catfight and squander for survival, this cat, nicknamed Buster has become the genesis of this story. No, I didn't make a comic book about cat, but the cat inspired the character of my creator-owned comic book.

"I had always wondered what would be some of these heroes be, without their moral compass?" I ponder as I watched this white and orange, dreadlocked, disheveled feline patrol the backyard with an uneasy guttural painful meow crying in the night. "If Bruce Wayne's parents were not rich? Superman without the guidance of Ma and Pa Kent? Peter Parker without responsibility?" Most would say super villains? Yes, in the comic book world that is the perfect formula for a villain, but in the real world we see real life examples of people overcoming hardships without guidance but through sheer will. With the idea of street survival and willpower, rebelliousness and mischief, the fine line between right and wrong. Kid Buster was created.

The Scenic Route

For over the past ten years I've been hitting the pavement working creative gigs from painting murals to art installation. "Sometimes you have to be a jack of all trades, knowing more than just drawing comics." It is known that the trials and tribulations of the creative industry is a difficult one, some have an easy way about it and some like myself have taken the long scenic route. My first art show in NYC at a now defunct gallery was thought to be my career path as a gallery artist, smoking black and mild cigars with a glass of bourbon painting a canvass into the night. The gallery eventually closed after the recession and I found myself in the mosh pit of hustling every aspect of creativity I could muster, from teaching an after school art class to woodworking in a frame shop. "When you love what you do, you do what you can to keep making that love by any means necessary"

Rebel Music

Since 2008 I have been that guy every year with a new portfolio containing a Spidey or Luke Cage art samples, hoping for my big break with the major comic publishers. I'm sure some of you may heard some of these responses, "Not what we are looking for now" OR "Your good but your anatomy is a bit off" Every year I came back harder and better, still rejection after rejection. They were right, don't get me wrong, I look at that old work and cringe and now really know what was missing from all those portfolio samples…"Heart". When I created Kid Buster, it was a combination of a few things, my own perspective on life, my youth, and all the rebels I looked up to growing up, Malcolm X, Bob Marley, Chuck D, Jello Biafra and realized I have to make my own comic book, my way. Letting go of the chase of being a mainstream artist and thoroughly embracing putting heart into my own vision is enthralling and liberating.

Score!

With seven days left, this Kickstarter campaign is a success and I'm super excited to see it keep growing! Running one of these is crazy hard work but I've learned a lot, made some mistakes and we achieved the first phase of our goal! Now we are working on achieving stretch goals! If you contribute this weekend Saturday Oct. 14- Sunday Oct. 15th to the Bleeding Cool Special Reward, you will get the rewards package with an Original Bleeding Cool super graffiti comic mash up illustration print that I will make just for Bleeding Cool. Something similar to this dragon illustration here. This reward will be available, for this week only!

Anthony Pugh is the illustrator and writer of Kid Buster. Residing in Brooklyn, NY. You might find him walking to the library or taking pics of graffiti up and down Broadway. His favorite foods are avocados and cinnamon pita chips. He watches AKIRA and ALIENS at least once a year. Find more about Anthony here: www.logikone.com and contribute to his Kickstarter here:

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