We were lucky to catch up with Dave Wheeler recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dave, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Growing up I was lucky to be surrounded by creative people. My father was a poet and artist in his free time, my mother was a crafter and handy in making anything you could think of, my brother a budding artist and my extended family a bevy of crafts people. I knew from the start I wanted to draw for a living. I might not have known what the proper title was but I wanted to create for a living. There’s an old document from school days past where I stated my life goal was to be a “comic book drawer guy.” The same page also stated my lofty ambitions of making a living off my art, owning a dog, living in Minneapolis and finally, driving a “mustang (probably used).” Outside of the Mustang I’ve checked all of those off the list.

Dave, 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?

I am a jack of all trades when it comes to comics and design. Working as an: inker, colorist, letterer, writer and book designer in comics for the better part of two decades. I currently resides in the Twin Cities with my family, two dogs and my deadlines! . I’m proud to be one of the co-founders of the kid-friendly comic company MIND WAVE COMICS doing a small part to bring back fun to comics! Along with comics I have also worked as a toy designer for Boss Fight Studios and stream regularly about my love of toys and collecting on my Youtube channel: Youtube.com/davewonder stop by and join the conversation! Outside of comics and toys I also have worked as a graphics, gear and merch designer in the professional wrestling industry, having my work seen on AEW, ROH, Impact and WWE! When I’m not in the studio I enjoys long walks on the beach, making toys and professional wrestling!

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

Over the years my goal has evolved but always stuck around the idea of creating more positivity and brightness in the fields I work. With comics I came up with the tag of “enough with the doom and gloom, we’re bringing back the rad vs the bad.” A mission statement for Mind Wave Comics that resonates through many disciplines. Doing my part to bring a positive light to areas I am passionate about.

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

While it may seem like a silly thing to say, the best way to support creatives is to support them. Patreon, commissions, even sharing their social media posts. These are all things that are beneficial and help whether it’s fiscal or social. With the new AI art world becoming a thing, now more than ever artists need the support for their work and skills.

Contact Info:

• Website: davewonder.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/thedavewheeler
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedavewonder
• Twitter: twitter.com/davewheeler
• Youtube: youtube.com/davewonder
• Other: twitch.tv/davewonder

Image Credits
Bio photo – Emanuel Suarez Thor Image done in collaboration with Gordon Purcell