We were lucky to catch up with Jason Reeves recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jason, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

As 133art Publishing: I have co-created, written, and Illustrated the award winning OneNation, Pax Samson, Kid Carvers, and RET:CON. Along with our comics Changa and the Jade Obelisk we adapted from MV Media’s Changa’s Safari novel series, and the Crossing.

As a freelancer: my client list includes: Disney | Marvel | Scholastic | HASBRO | Esquire Magazine | USA Today | Wizards of the Coast | Heavy Metal Magazine | Frontline Detroit Coalition

My most recent work is on ‘Spidey and his Amazing Friends: Sounds Like Trouble’ from Disney/Scholastic.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m Jason Reeves and I make comics if you want to boil it down. My publishing company is called 133art Publishing, an award-winning comic book imprint that is deeply passionate about crafting narratives and storytelling that reflects the rich experiences of the Black community. Our comics not only entertain but also serve as a platform for underrepresented voices.

Also, I’m a freelance writer and illustrator. I took a break to build 133art for a while, but I’m back in the game and loving it. I tend to wear a LOT of hats to make a living being an artist.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Bringing an idea from concept to finished product. Hands down. It feels like magic, like something that we shouldn’t be able to do and yet its my job! Its kinda crazy I get to do wake up and do this every day.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

A few things actually:

133art Publishing (and freelancing) is my dream, but its still a job. It can look like I’m just sitting in fron of a computer all day but. nah. I’m usually painting, editing a script or other freelancer’s art, creating promos, answering emails, doing payroll, paying taxes, or ordering lunch lol. Yes, Netflix *is* playing on one of my other screens, but its totally background noise. I assure you, I’m barely paying attention to it :)

And in being an entrepreneur (at least for me) it takes great pains to just turn my brain off from work. As quiet as its kept, turning your artistic vision into a sustainable career, where you have the opportunity to create meaningful work and share it with the world is a real 24/7 kinda thing.

Also navigating the business side of the art/entertainment industry, such as marketing myself, pricing my work, and managing finances, is an EVERYDAY learning experience. You have to learn to be resilient, trust your abilities, and be intentional about adding value to your thing and the community’s. You manage to keep going, you can achieve the career you want. I think even more so in a creative/entrepreneurial careers, the ability to ‘style’ your workflow and schedule is a gift. Pro tip kiddos: use that to your advantage.

Contact Info:

• Website: 133art.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/133art/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/133artPublishing/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-reeves-7aabb39/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFQkozE0off_eSy02fDHdCA
• Other: 133art Linktree: https://linktr.ee/133artpublishing Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/133artpublishing.bsky.social Artstation: https://www.artstation.com/jreeves133