We were lucky to catch up with Alonso Nuñez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alonso, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

I was born and raised in San Diego and I fell in love with comic books when I was an eleven year old. From that moment on- from reading comics at night under covers to attending art school- I knew that this was my path. What would that look like though? Being a creative sometimes we think with our heart, not with our heads- and while that’s not a bad thing, it makes it a particular challenge to align the demands of the heart with what we need to exist in the world. I have been lucky enough that the two now line up for me; I am able to do what I love, what I’m deeply passionate about.

Little Fish Comic Book Studio exists as a nonprofit and so there is some regularity in that. However, the goals, partnerships and shape of the studio tend to morph month after month. Day to day, it’s impossible to predict what things will look like! But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love the possibilities and the freedom to reach out and form community and connections anew, day after day.

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

Being a native-born San Diegan and a kid that fell in love with comics, I immediately fell in love with San Diego Comic-Con, the long running local comic convention and third largest in the world. I was struck, in a deep, unconscious way, by the way that Comic-Con would end and San Diego would return to being, for me at least, a sleepy military town.

Becoming an artist, but also especially an advocate and an educator for comics was a way for me push against that. To ‘keep the party going’ the other three hundred and sixty days a year. I moved back to San Diego with my with after finishing art school (having graduated with a degree in comics, believe it or not!) and very early into my professional career I fell in love with teaching comics and telling people about their worth, appeal and power.

Little Fish Comic Book Studio was founded in 2012, with the goal of offering classes to kids and adults who wanted to learn about the medium and the art form. We’ve grown in the decade since into a mature nonprofit. We’ve got two classrooms in the College Area, and we serve thousands of students and adults every year through our partnerships with organizations like Cabrillo National Monument, One Book One San Diego, San Diego Public Libraries and many more!

There is so much to be proud of, so much to be grateful for in running Little Fish. The student that said “I use to feel nerdy and weird. Now I just feel nerdy. And it’s awesome!”. The adults who, before attending free workshops we’ve put on, said “I haven’t drawn in over thirty years”, and then did. The look of wonderment, excitement and pride of students every year at San Diego Comic-Con as they get to meet heroes and celebrities, show their work to professionals, share their passions and make lifetime memories.

On a personal level, I consider it a deep pride and responsibility to be an Eisner Judge. The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards are the highest awards in comics- awarded at San Diego Comic-Con every year- and I was a judge in 2021 and now, as of December am c0-chair of the Hall Of Fame Committee. It is so important to acknowledge the past masters and shapers of the comic industry and I am deeply proud to be involved.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I often say that here at Little Fish, our goal is one of “Comics and…”. Where does comics not exist yet that it can? Movies, science, history… all of these are open to possibilities of storytelling, art and communication that comics offers. Long before we started to write, as a species we were drawing on caves. There’s no reason that this ancient art form should be separated from written language.

We are also driven by a deep mission of inclusivity. Whether students are shy, on the autism spectrum, or feel in other ways ‘other’, our job is to create and foster a deep sense of connection and respect among the teaching artists, students and community partners. The students at the school for unhoused kids that we teach at, the kids experiencing the majesty of a national park for the first time, the adult returning to art after decades away- these are all community, and we honor and respect that.

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

It is important as a society to remember that the arts- I’m speaking of comics here specifically, but this pertains to all the arts- that the arts are a vital part of a healthy society, and that they are not just a way to enhance learning, or a way to bolster communication when you are working in an office, or a passion to indulge when young.

We need firm, robust funding for arts programs from not only nonprofit sectors and foundations (of which there is a good amount and we are thankful for!) but also from government on all levels, parents of kids showing aptitude or a passion, and from individuals when they are able and where they see a need.

The arts are fundamental to being alive and need help from those around who benefit from them, which is all of us! Without support, grants, and cultural scaffolding, the arts will suffer, and we as a society will all suffer in turn. As Winston Churchill said, “The arts are essential to any complete national life. The State owes it to itself to sustain and encourage them.”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lilfish.us
• Instagram: @littlefishcomicbooks
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/lilfish.us
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alonso-nunez-7a670432