We recently connected with Eli Schwab and have shared our conversation below.

Eli, appreciate you joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?

It’s so funny that one of the least creative jobs I’ve ever had would prepare me for the most. I worked at my parents warehouse packing boxes and picking orders when I was in high school. Although it started as a punishment, hahaha, it taught me the most endearing lessons in work flow, hard work, and even how to pack and ship boxes, the thing I do the most as an independent publisher. Getting to know the discipline of hard work early in life can help you stay focused and determined when your creative, love-driven work can sometimes get you down. You may not always see the final customer reaction but you can pack it with enough love that you are confident in the final reaction.

Eli, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Eli Schwab. I’m a comic book publisher based out of Woodland Hills, California. I help creative people get their ideas out into the world and on paper. I help creative find their path and find the path that their creation has to their core audience. I’m most proud about the over 20 comic books I’ve helped get into the world in the last few years. I’m so excited that the comics i’ve published now exist in the same world, in the same universe, and in the same long box that the Comix of Jack Kirby, Mike Allred, Matt Wagner, and all the other greats of comic books do.

Have you ever had to pivot?

There was a time when I was riding high from my own second comic. I felt good about where I was and about the trajectory of the comic. This was when it was just me and I wasn’t publishing anyone else’s books yet. So I thought it would be a good idea to show the books to one of my all time favorite artists. That artist proceeded to rip apart my work in a way no one ever had. “Your characters are flat,” “The work lack dynamism,” “You need to go back to the drawing board and draw every day.” I was crushed. I didn’t ever return to that series yet. That was 8 years ago. What I found out though, was he was right and sometimes, you need someone to tell you the straight dope and knock you down a few so that you can learn to get back up. Could he have done it a better way, sure, but did I come out of that experience better, absolutely. I am now friends with this creator and while I have never confronted them about this event, and I never will, I am honored by it’s knowledge.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I would say that society is built up of many small societies, microcosms. It’s all about finding your microcosm to thrive in. Because if you are pitching your comic to people that don’t read comic you’ll tire out and burn out thinking that no one cares, but, if you are able to find your people, your tribe, then you are able to find those that wil revel in your art. That has been the most important thing for me., Just because I love something, doesn;t mean that others who love that will. I have triend many times over to market my comics to my favorite bands audience but it just never pans out. I feel like those people would be my core audience, but, alas, they may not be. One thing about the internet is it allows you to hone in and find those microcosms. You can find your people and then organically find your perfect fanbase.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cosmiclionproductions.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cosmiclionproductions
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cosmiclionproductions
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@EliSchwab

Image Credits

All photos taken by Eli Schwab and graphics generated by Eli Schwab. Drawing of Eli sitting by Brett Parson and logo by Cory Beirman. Original CLP logo by Sam J. Royale