Writing characters you can identify with: Juan Ponce on writing, collaborating, and making comics

Juan came by to talk about writing comics, creating believable, inclusive characters, and world-building, as well as his current Kickstarter, which is live now!

Check out the Kickstarter at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/thirty-three/thirty-three?ref=panel-garden-eva-webb

Guest Bio

I am a freelance writer from Los Angeles, California.

I was born in Mexico Michoacán. And I came to America when I was 2 going on 3. I grew up in South Central Los Angeles, im the Crenshaw area. So Boyz in the Hood was a big movie for me growing up.

I received my B.A. in History from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). A also were I studied film, TV, and literature in UCLA.

I developed my love for comics in college. After I read Persepolis by Satrapi something woke up in me. My community college was right across the street from a comic shop, so it was inevitable. Reading comics and studying went hand in hand for me. I didn’t know it then, but I was studying to be a writer.

My heart lies in comics. Since 2018 I've produced multiple shorts and full-length comics with amazing creators. I have also worked with publishers such as Marvel Comics, A Wave Blue World, and Action Lab Entertainment.

In March 2020 my superhero comic book, The World's Strongest, was released by Action Lab Entertainment. The book was met with critical acclaim upon it's release. Later that year I released a short story titled, A Match. It is a beautiful sports drama that is currently free to read right here! Between us, that’s the story that opened doors for me.

In September 2021 my short story, The Recording Studio, was featured in the Dead Beats 2 horror anthology.

December 8, 2021 I will make my Marvel Comics debut in the pages of Marvel Voices: Comunidades. A beautiful anthology highlighting Latinx Marvel heroes and creators. My story is about Nina the Conjuror, the Brazilian Sorcerer Supreme of the 1950’s! She must save the world from the nature spirit Anhanga.

​I have an eclectic collection of books under my name. From slice of life stories of heartbreak (Tilly) to modern-day fantasy tales (A Moment in Time), I write what I would love to read.

​When I'm not writing or reading I'm spending time with my lovely 2-year-old daughter and my awesome wife—who said I would be a writer long before I even thought of it. They're both a big inspiration to me.