We were lucky to catch up with Paris Johnson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Paris, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

My biggest resource, was a cross between allot of trial and error and various tutorial videos found on utube.

Considering what I know now, I can’t say for certain that I could’ve done something differently to speed up the learning process, I say this because times and resources were some what more limited say fifteen years ago. Or the the specific source of information may not have been available to me x amount of years prior. You cannot control when or where you’re going to receive your lessons in life. All you can do is make sure that you never stop looking for the lessons.

All skills have their place regarding any particular venture. I personally would never say that there is a skill that’s “most essential ” because it’s like a puzzle piece. Some pieces reveal more of the finished concept than others and you may pay more attention to it. But a missing corner piece to that picture stands out allot, drawing your attention to what is missing. So I feel that all skills are equally essential.

External obstacles lasts for as long as we allow them to. Perseverance is the strongest asset everything. The only true obstacle is the one(s) that we place on ourselves.

Paris, 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?

All my life I’ve been a fan of the various stories and drawing styles that comics can provide. There’s virtually no limits, at age six or seven I grew up looking at Jim Lee’s work with Marvel comics and I just knew that I belonged in the comic industry. Something about that field felt like home to me.

I honestly couldn’t say what mat set me apart from others.

What I’m most proud of….. the journey that came with the various skills I’ve picked up over the years. Drawing for me was more than just a simple hobby for me growing up, it was also an outlet during hard moments in my life.

I draw for the intertainment that it brings to me. And at the end of the day that is the main thing that I want for anyone who comes across my art, my stories….. to simply be entertained.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me the most rewarding experience of being an artist is when you finish, step back and look around the story which is unfolding in the piece. Then you realize that you originally started with a clean slate, this blank canvas and a seed of an idea just popped into your head. The concept itself may have even evolved during the creation process. But at the end you look at this alternat world of creative characters. It never ceases to amaze me.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson that I had to unlearn was to, not pick a profession based on what you think will make others happy. INSTEAD you pick a profession that YOU will love.

So in my early twenties, I stopped pursuing a career as a comic book artist and I went to college to study achritectural design, I beme a certified CADD operator, worked as a electrical/mechanical draftsman for about five years. Worked myself into the hospital due to on job stress (according to my doctor) then it dawn on me that I did not even like this perfession, I wasn’t fulfilled. Fast forward to the company downsizing and eventually letting me go, I really wasn’t upset. I saw no point in getting mad over losing a job that I not only didn’t want, but worked myself in the hospital for.

The answer was clear that the healthiest choice for me was to pursue a job that I wanted, not what I thought others would be impressed by. I am a comic book artist, it’s a gift, that I have never been more proud to share with whomever enjoys it.

Contact Info:

• Website: (Work in development)
• Instagram: ghostwingcomic6749
• Facebook: Ghostwing/Ghostwingcomic/Paris Johnson
• Linkedin: N/A
• Twitter: N/A
• Youtube: N/A
• Yelp: N/A

Image Credits
All artwork is created and illustrated by Paris Johnson.