We recently connected with Heather Antos and have shared our conversation below.

Heather, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

I may not always see eye to eye with my parents on…well…most things. But if there’s anything I’ve taken from them it’s the value and appreciation of discipline and hard work. No one is going to hand you anything in life, and that if we want great things, it is on us to put in the work to achieve those great things.

My parents got pregnant with my eldest sibling when they were 19-20 years old. Barely out of high school, my father not only worked to support my mother and my older brother, but continued to do so while in college, and continued to do so even if it meant an hour and a half commute each way for his job while my mother continued to raise myself and my two siblings. And even my mother continued to pursue her work as a local musician, working with churches, public schools, camps, you name it. No sleeping in on the weekends, there’s work to be done! And if I wanted a new toy? I had to work for it. Music lessons? Okay, but if I ever missed a day of practice, then I lose that privilege. Summer camp? Better keep those grades up. Everything was a give and take. I had my first job when I was 13 years old reffing local soccer games and working as a face painter at local fairs. Perfection was never a requirement, but effort was the key.

Perhaps this goes even further to my admiration for my late grandmother on my father’s side. She was the eldest of four children, and their mother passed away when she was a young teen. She basically became her younger brothers’ pseudo mother, both raising them AND herself, making sure they all got to school, got good grades, had a clean home, you name it. And in doing so managed to graduate top of her class. She’s the hardest working woman I ever knew. And she never complained once.

I bring a lot of that to my current life — nothing comes without hardwork. If you want to be the best, you need to WORK to be the best. Blood, sweat, tears, and all. It all comes to our choices and where we choose to devote our time, energy, and priorities.

Heather, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am mostly known for my work as a comic book editor and story consultant for companies like Marvel, Disney, Bungie, Amazon, Lucasfilm, CBS, and more on comics, novels, video games, and beyond. I have touched brands like Star Wars, Star Trek, Destiny, and helped bring popular characters like Gwenpool and Doctor Aphra to life. I advocate for strong complex and flawed characters from authentic voices and work with creators to help sculpt their ideas into the very best stories they can be.

Recently I have had the pleasure of speaking about the advoaction for Mental Health Representation in Pop Culture & Media Literacy at the American Psychiatric Association’s Annual Meeting as well as other Fortune 500 organizations.

I also have started working professionally as an illustrator, providing clients with bright, youthful, and whimsical covers, comics, and designs. My work is heavily inspired by the golden era of Disney animation in the 90s as well as illustrators like Pernille Orum, Tom Brancroft, and more.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Be loud about what you love, point blank. There is so much negativity and noise out there that it can be hard to drown out, especially as a creative online where toxic fandom has direct access to your inbox.

Positive reviews, comments, and fanmail costs society nothing. Reposting or “liking” someone’s art costs nothing. But those actions can help creators work get seen. It helps give creators boosts of confidence.

Beyond that, supporting artists work directly — whether that’s backing a crowdfunding campaign or patreon, commissioning work, buying a print or book or sticker…

Pre-orders go a LONG way as well and help way more than I think people realize!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

There’s this misconception that once you touch one of the major “toys” (Marvel, DC, what have you), that you’ve “made it” and are “set for life” — and that couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s no such thing as an overnight success in any field, especially in any creative industry. Sure, you might get lucky with a “big break” but KEEPING the spotlight and finding one’s longevity in any field is a constant hustle. The grind never stops, as they say. I always say my job isn’t about what toys I get to play with or clients I’ve worked with, it’s who wants to work with me AGAIN. Breaking in is just the first hurdle. Staying “in” is next level.

Furthermore, creative jobs playing in fields of IP is not all sunshine and rainbows. I still have budget meetings, deadlines, and security training videos just like any other field. I love my job, don’t get me wrong. But at the end of the day it’s still a JOB and comes with the same “boring” parts as any other field. I just get to play with cooler toys ;)

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.heatherantos.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/heatherantos
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/heatherantos
• Other: http://www.instagram.com/heatherartos second instagram https://bsky.app/profile/heatherantos.bsky.social Bluesky