Anarchious | Afronomenon Studios

·47 min·4 clips

John's comic characters embody his teenage rage and naivety as a black man navigating a prejudiced world.

The episode begins with host Sarah introducing John, a writer and head of Afronomenon Studios, who also created the 'Judgment Day' comic book. John shares that his artistic start came from drawing Dragon Ball Z as a child, which his father misunderstood, prompting him to create original characters. He recalls a school teacher who praised his one-page story, leading to a writing award for a book called 'PlayStation 3', an isekai story about friends sucked into a game. John mentions learning a story-building method from teacher Michael O'Sullivan, who worked for Marvel, which helped him structure his writing. He explains that 'Judgment Day' is deeply personal, with the first villain based on his first two girlfriends and the main characters, Anarchist and Abel, symbolizing his internal conflict as a black teenager dealing with anger and naivety. John describes writing as therapeutic, helping him process emotions, and he later sought therapy to manage these feelings. He talks about the validation from a professional editor who said his book could succeed, motivating him to complete the series. John highlights the importance of support systems, crediting his partner Elsa, an artist, for helping bring the comic to life with her unique art style. He discusses his creative space, filled with art from black creators, and his need for specific conditions to enter a flow state. John recounts his initial reluctance to use Kickstarter, viewing it as begging, but after arguing with his partner, they launched a campaign that raised $3,200 against a $2,400 goal. He shares future plans for Afronomenon Studios, including his partner's story idea and a project about a character that eats trauma. John offers advice to aspiring creators, urging them not to be 'shoulda woulda couldas' and to act without waiting for perfection. The episode concludes with John revealing his side project, the Pan-African World Diaspora Wrestling Championship, a title designed to spotlight black wrestlers, and his interactions with professional wrestlers.

As heard by us

A relaxed conversation about turning a dark fantasy book series into a comic through collaboration and support.

The episode frames a discussion of Black comics and online discovery around the making of Judgment Day, a dark fantasy book series that found its way into comic form.

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Why you'd press play

You want a candid, loose-edged conversation about turning a dark fantasy book series into a comic.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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