We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ike Adibe. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ike below.
Ike, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
I’ve made comics and illustrations for as long as I can remember, but I was in my first year of college when I started working on the project I’d refine over the next several years. I didn’t do so hot during my first three semesters and got suspended. I needed something to do to occupy my time, so I just started working on a bigger and better version of my comic at the time. I was at the library when one of the staff saw my work and asked what I’d planned on doing with it. I told her I didn’t have any big plans, that I just wanted to draw the thing and maybe put it up for a small audience to enjoy. It was then she told me to go find a publisher and that she didn’t want to see me back at the library until I had one.
I never had any real goal of being published at the time, but suddenly a fire was lit under me. Could this be a thing? As soon as I went home, I looked into various options for getting published, and before long, I found myself pursuing a dream I didn’t think possible with my skill at the time.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I have a day job, but that’s not the part you’d be interested in. Outside of that, I make illustrations, comics, and graphic design on the side and in recent years, I’ve been making a little extra income from it. I specialize in anime and manga-inspired artwork, and while it’s a dime a dozen these days, I’ve been trying to incorporate more western aesthetics and sensibilities into my work. My big project is the webcomic series, Electric Fencer, which I’ve been working on in some form or another for almost two decades now and though I’ve received consistent praise from readers about the visuals in that time, recent iterations of the story have gotten very positive reception for both the art and the storytelling. I’m currently working on Issue 3, and though I’ve still got a ways to go, each new page blows me away with what I’ve been able to accomplish. I’ve also got a few other projects cooking at the moment as well as freelance art I’m doing for various clients.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
“Support the arts!”
Ha, are people still saying that? Seriously though, the world is already kind of an awful place. I think if society made a better effort to level with creatives and understand that the entertainment they enjoy is the direct result of artistic expression, we’d see art as a whole thrive, especially in a world that’s growing increasingly cynical. Over time, we can focus on effecting a bigger change on a societal level, in which creativity is put back in the hands of creatives rather than executives or corporations aggressively trying to monetize creativity and cheapen the passion for it.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I grew up in a Nigerian household, and you’ve likely heard the expression that you only have four viable career choices: “Doctor, lawyer, engineer, or disgrace to your family.”
I grew up in a household that absolutely did not support my creativity. My parents tried everything from ridicule to outright destroying my projects if it meant that I might see things their way. One thing I consistently heard was that I’d end up in jail before I turned 21 if I didn’t give up my art. They were concerned because we had a kid in our community who was an excellent artist, but a loser otherwise, who ran with a bad crowd and ended up in jail. The mental gymnastics my parents pulled to equate that guy’s poor decision-making with his decision to pursue his art could have put some Olympic athletes to shame.
Despite all that, I pushed through and have never been more passionate about my art. My parents eventually came around and now they brag to their friends that their kid is an accomplished artist (their words, not mine).
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.electricfencer.net
- Instagram: @fourside_seven
- Twitter: @foursideseven