We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anthony Carranza a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Anthony, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Hello,

My name is Anthony Carranza, I am the co-founder of Shape Comics where we make retro style comic books.

At Shape Comics, we strive to consistently stand out in the world of comics exploring both new and old topics and attempt to breathe fresh air into the industry.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I have been an illustrator for about 3 years. I met my business partner, fellow comic creator, Breyden Boyd during that time. Shape Comics formulated due to unforeseen circumstances after Boyd suffered from severe wrist pain and later becoming diagnosed with Sharps Syndrome. Boyd needed an illustrator and I needed a platform and Shape Comics was born.

A true DIY model; we write and illustrate the comics, we crowdfund the projects, we print the comics ourselves, we pack and ship them. On top of that we sell merch and digital comics on our website.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Growing up with a single mother and 4 siblings, I often had to find ways to spend with my time with less than average resources. My brother and I would spend countless hours in our room building massive, expansive worlds with random toys and borderline junk lying around.

It wasn’t the hottest play set in the stores for us. It was the potential a paper towel roll brought, or an open hallway. There was no limit to what we would create.

Often uninterested with my studies, this imagination transférer to the classroom, often doodling during whatever pointless curriculum was going on. (That’s a joke kids, stay in school.)

As I grew older my childlike imagination stayed the same. Art classes in high school were basically the foundation of my art today

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A big lesson we “unlearned” at Shape Comics was the tired motto, “you have to spend money to make money” this is really not the case! If you can build a crowd and put yourself out there to get someone to believe in you, the possibilities are endless.

Contact Info:

• Website: ShapeComics.co
• Instagram: @shapecomics.co
• Twitter: Shapecomicsco
• Other: TikTok; @Shapecomics.co