With Queen Niobe and the rest of the Stranger Comics family getting noticed by Hollywood, I was able to catch up with the artist and have a sit down to discuss his early days and how Niobe came to be. I was suprised at what i learned about the bi-racial man, his ties to Hollywood, and how he keeps those creative juices flowing
Sebastian A. Jones
Stranger Comic's https://www.strangercomics.com
Women's Month https://womenshistorymonth.gov
Colaborator's
Image Comic's - Tee Franklin
Darrell May
Background Intro Music - John Coltrane (A Love Supreme)
Influences:
John Coltrane
Alice Coltrane
Nina Simone
James Brown
Muddy Waters
Akira Kurosawa
Sergio Leone
Michael Massenburg
With Queen Niobe and the rest of the Stranger Comics family getting noticed by Hollywood, I was able to catch up with the artist and have a sit down to discuss his early days and how Niobe came to be. I was suprised at what i learned about the bi-racial man, his ties to Hollywood, and how he keeps those creative juices flowing
Sebastian A. Jones
Stranger Comic's https://www.strangercomics.com
Women's Month https://womenshistorymonth.gov
Colaborator's
Image Comic's - Tee Franklin
Darrell May
Background Intro Music - John Coltrane (A Love Supreme)
Influences:
John Coltrane
Alice Coltrane
Nina Simone
James Brown
Muddy Waters
Akira Kurosawa
Sergio Leone
Michael Massenburg
Welcome to Another Pod Opinion. This is your host, Lincoln Bradshaw, today's guest, Sebastian, a Jones, founder, creator of Stranger comics. With Queen Niobe and the rest of the stranger comics family getting noticed by Hollywood, I was able to catch up with the artist and have a sit down to discuss his early days and how Niobe came to be. I was surprised at what I learned about the biracial man, his ties to Hollywood, and how he keeps those creative juices flowing. Enjoy the show back we always do about this time. Sebastian, a Jones, creator and founder of Stranger comics, to kick off the show because it's women's month March. Sebastian, I wanted to ask you two questions. I wanted to ask you one, tell me the bravest woman you know, and to tell me the brightest woman that you know.
Sebastian A. Jones:Wow, great questions. Is this in real life is this like people I know in in my inner circle, or, or just in general,
Lincoln Bradshaw:I'm gonna let us I'ma let you take it any way you want to go.
Sebastian A. Jones:Um, I mean, you know, it's funny because I live in America, like you. But I'm from England. And my mom calls me every day. So of course, I'm sure a lot of folks come to this conclusion. My mom is definitely the brightest who and I know. It's she gives me a lot of wonderful advice. My mom's very much one of these kind of very pragmatic, real realists type ladies serve while I'm kind of pie in the sky and in Hollywood land. I think she she kind of grounds me. And my mom is cool to share. I mean, she comes from India, she's mixed Indian lady with waste is rediscovering our roots. As as, as time ticks on, and she's gone through a lot of changes. I think also by my grandmother to being of that of an older generation, my grandma has a very interesting story, coming from in the cheering a time, when she got disowned for marrying outside of being Indian, and then moved to England, knowing no one right after World War Two, and then hearing kind of her stories I find, you know, just if I was to kind of have, you know, a general kind of sense of, of, of bravery for women, it's it's, it's the, you know, at least in my inner circle, the immigrants in my family are having to uproot an entire existence. I don't know, it's just just infinite courage, and then taking care of a family while doing that is just a is always a remarkable thing. And we touch a little bit on some of that kind of stuff in some of our books. But yeah. So mom, grandma, you know, shout out those.
Lincoln Bradshaw:That's actually really cool, man. Because, you know, I mean, my mom, to me is definitely she probably fits everything in that category. For me, I mean, it's kind of hard to go away from that. But when now that you know that I know a little bit that man, I didn't know it was mixed Indian race, as far as your mother and grandmother, and I, but I didn't know about the biracial aspect, which is so huge. But how when I look at, like your books, right? When I look at, you know, especially with this being a woman's month, and you having this book with Niobe, can you tell me a little bit how the woman in your life, were the influence behind Niobe?
Sebastian A. Jones:You know, it's, um, I don't, as far as a woman in my life, you know, so interesting, I guess I was much younger, you know, coming up with Niobe and been been mixed and growing up kind of in a very small kind of white environment. Obviously, we've dealt with a lot of racism, or like, you know, England's a bit more kind of, as opposed to at least where I grew up, was a little bit more tangent, at least as it opposed to Los Angeles where I'm at tangibly vocal about their racism. Right, right. So you kind of knew where you stood, which I, you know, you know, those kind of races I adore, you know, because they're, oh, well, thanks very much for letting me know. You are such a need to be punched. So anyway, I I think it was I romanticized about it. It was, it was an amalgamation of things that happened at the same time. Getting I moved to a different school. And during that school, I started to discover at the same time, James Brown sellout on black and I'm proud discover 90s Hip Hop discovered, Spike Lee discovered, Coltrane discovered, Lord of the Rings, you know, Autobiography of Malcolm X, like all these things all happening converging at at this kind of, at this puberty age, where everything's just like, What the fuck is the world? And? And then I think so Niobe kind of started a manifest in a sense, I think I romanticized about a young go. For a young person. It wasn't, it wasn't romantic, but I think it was, for a young kid, it was a naive kind of way of looking at someone who was Angel, like an angel. Who reflected someone I wanted to aspire to be or be with in my adolescent kind of way, I guess. And but also reflected, not only just being mixed, and you're always, I think, always kind of needing to find your place in the world. That's what Nairobi is. To me, it's kind of like, when you're young, and you leave the nest. And you've left home, you've left your family, you've left your tribe, how do you who who is the? Who is the tribe that you find out in the in the big wide world? And is it your people? And if it's your people, do they accept? And how do they judge? And I think so, for Niobe was this, this opportunity to kind of say, okay, she could take on my fears, my vulnerabilities, my ambition, and my wrath, my real anger. And as I grew, she kind of grew with me. So I think, if I was to, say, the people in my life, I would say, it's, you know, my mother and grandmother to some degree, but I think it's an opposite to be honest, bro, like, my gram Ma, was very, like, almost very passive, right? Very, I wouldn't say apologetic, but don't want to cause waves. And he, and I, you know, for whatever reason, right? Was the opposite of of that. And so, I think discovering, I mean, shit discovery by Nina Simone discovering certain iconic people that became kind of heroes in so many ways to me as a young boy. And then so all these all these iconic type characters just, you know, manifested, I guess, for what, you know, into, into her into direct into other kinds of characters that, you know, need, I needed to see that these were the voices that I could speak through as best as I could, in, in a universe
Lincoln Bradshaw:you bring up a bunch of huge points, right? Like your love for jazz, like the fact that you mentioned Nina Simone, and then you drop the James Brown, like, and then you drop the Nikes. And then you you know, it's like, you're almost painting that picture like, man, like, I'm coming of age, here's my puberty. Here's the music I like, and you figured out kind of where you were going. And the thing about the comic that I'm really amazed about is, is how did you settle on using a black girl as that character, like, I mean, and I hear your story. And I can kind of see where it kind of leads to how you want to tell that story through that individual. But I kind of want the, the listeners to know like, you tell her like, how did you say Niobe is black? Is she's a black girl like that is who was who she is. This is how the story goes from there.
Sebastian A. Jones:You know, when I think of and this is not to sound, not to offend anybody? Because they're very sensitive subjects. So when I was young, I kind of questioned my teachers, and my Bible study, you know, like religious education, those types of things. I was like, I was being thrown out of school because I asked my headmaster, my principal, right, why is God a man didn't make any sense to me as As a logical Virgo, kind of dude, you know, who didn't, we didn't grow up reading. And if we were to say the creator is a man, it just felt odd. And so and then if aside it, if I'm a cya within and I think these are kind of subconscious thoughts as a when you're like fucking eight, nine years old, you know, you're not really putting it together. But it's like if it was like, right, you know, the cradle of civilization is on fire. And if we have Mother Nature and Mother Africa, and what is the in surely if we're going to have a creator of a world and a savior of a world, and it feels like the burden of the world is always falls to be on black women shoulders and hearts and spirits, before we even draw a breath, then spiritually, it and not just spiritually in the now but the memory of our souls and our souls past memories, that kind of kind of transcend. It's like one plus one is black, and is women. So that is the root of our world. So it needs to be the root of asunder.
Lincoln Bradshaw:Well, that is an lettuce, that's, that's, that's pretty deep through like from the standpoint that you have a an actual vision of how you can see the world and your imagination and how it's how your experiences of transcending gotcha to point a right. But it's also great to see how you were expounding on the fact that you decided 20 years ago, that you want to the face of your story to be about a black woman and think about the forethought that goes into that, like, we are now coming to a point in America for the standpoint that black women are starting to get the recognition that they so deserved, right? Whereas you might have seen that back in the day when you were coming up with the character. But as you continue to move forward with your with with Niobe. How do you see her progressing as either a hero or other?
Sebastian A. Jones:Sure. We definitely, you know, Niobe is on a journey of fire always to self discovery, right? I think like we all do. So in previous stories we have, we have a very young and an orphan and so on, is probably one lurking around somewhere. Here's a here's an image of a mentor, a couple of artists interpretations of, of Durer, the creator of the world. And so I think I need to say this, I believe there's a no be Niobe inside all of us, right. And I think it's kind of invalid. Davis wrote that for that quote, which is some kind of pinching from her, or there's a note inside of all of us, and it's time to let her roar. And I think that's what I loved about that I get to that the point of a question I loved about the OG Star Wars that you felt like anyone could be a Jedi, right? And so that there's a there's a concept of a spiritual honor that you rock and that you find you find yourself on those journeys and you deal with parents will issues like Vader a lot and so on. And but you you're it's like you're wrestling the duality of spirit. Now that's the kind of a big theme for Nivea and I think it's a theme that people can relate to no matter whether you're black or white, brown wherever man or woman or or trans. You can relate to duality of spirit like the con, the devil angels are on your shoulders, right. And you're playing with conscience, conscience versus emotional like Glee, you know, like wanton nurse. So, so I think what I wanted Nivea to do is explore all of these types of emotions, and we can kind of put ourselves you know, in have put that, put ourselves in her shoes and see the world through her lens. We're like, Oh, she's young. And she is life. She's like, you know, oh, I'm all about faith, and it's all up to God or the goddess and, and I can pray and I can pray it away and this out and the other. And then when she gets older, she's like, rushing on work. None of that works. And then she and then she becomes disillusioned with face. But then she then grows again. She's like, No, I've got to marry my faith and fighting. I've got to be in my mind, body and soul. I've got to harmonize. I've got to grow and grow. So I think, you know, depending on where folks are at in their life, where they read different aspects of Nairobi story, they'll be able to go oh, I can relate to that. Or oh, I remember when And so Niobe is on this journey to see where some point we have no issues life. She's death. She's spirit, and we'll finish with no issues God. So it's kind of this. So you know,
Lincoln Bradshaw:which brings me to the the one of the few one of the things that I really kind of I hear a lot about the Niobe backstory, how much tell me more about your childhood, and like just just like just the upbringing in your in your travels in you growing up in England? Like, tell me how you tell me your tell me how you maneuvered in those worlds in dealing with the racism. But just tell me about that upbringing aspect is really one huge thing that I wanted to know more about.
Sebastian A. Jones:Sure, sure. Well, my dad's a white bloke from England. My mom is from India, but we knew that she was obviously mixed black as well. My grandma had a massive afro. But we didn't know she they were disowned, right, my grandma was disowned, so we don't we didn't know any of our roots. And it's so interesting. And I'll touch touch on the childhood that we finally saw a picture of my great grandmother for the this for the first time ever, two new years ago. And I was like, Oh, shit, look, there's my grandma, my great grandma's a black woman, okay, it's all kind of, you know, I was only taking me 47 years or whatever, when I used to, to get to find another piece of my puzzle, which is fascinating, because I think my own journey is always trying to be like, I don't belong, but I can fit in anywhere. Right? And you're constantly reminded of certain things like that, where you're like, oh, you know, your friend will be like, you're invited to the cookout and I was like, Oh, that's cool. I thought I was really on the grill you know, like, oh, Thanks for the reminder, bro. Like, thank you because I get get the demon and like oh, are you are you are you black? I'm like, Yeah, but mixed. Yeah, I think there's this there's definitely something that you know, and then it becomes such a almost like a needing to find out and innocently and with with your real honest curious like, like you're asking these questions. Like how and why because it's like, this shit might not compute and I need to kind of understand the the real honest connection so for me it's been as I'm growing knives growing with me so we're in this kind of this this tent this you know, we're doing a dance
Lincoln Bradshaw:to dance together. Yes, I'm seeing the dance. Yeah, it's
Sebastian A. Jones:it's it's it's cool. It's it's it's fun. And then the other side of me is this other character the stranger in the untamed but grown up to my dad my dad was a white boy from England. My mom is my mum was the hardest working woman I've ever met in my in a circle and she was for a period of time the number one model in the enclosed exotic departments. So my mom was she was a Bond girl for a little bit so yeah kind of crazy right?
Lincoln Bradshaw:Wow that a man I don't mean I don't mean that like I'm not shifting gears but come on, man. Come on, man. You just threw a huge one out there my mom was a Bond girl right yeah.
Sebastian A. Jones:Crazy it's kind of kind of kind of crazy. So um so growing up I had this this I mean I'd amazing childhood did I fucking machete for a while but um, there were a number of people were like you get to see who are like envious, jealous predatory type motherfuckers when you're, you know when you have you grew up in a very small white environment and teachers either calling you nega Paki walk spec. And then your mom's heart I want to fucker, you know, like, like crazy shit, you know? So it's like this, this this polar extreme of authority authority figures being very racist. And then also having the Fetish vibe in a very severe way. And then also other parents have certain kids that would then bleed down to their children as well. So you would, you would get all sorts of tender and not. Not all the time, of course, and not by your best mates. Of course. But then then there'd be the odd like massive disappointment like oh shit, I thought that person was cool, and then you suddenly hear something. Not cool. So
Lincoln Bradshaw:doesn't that throw you off? I don't I'm gonna jump in there, but like you bring up a huge point. And, and because recently so my, like, you know, my son's kind of going through that a little bit with some of his friends. And, you know, to have you're the guy that you think that you thought had your back and then all of a sudden to kind of wait a second man Hold on What's going? What's kind of going on here? I thought we were cool now I'm hearing you say some things that aren't Now how did you how did you how did you maneuver through those aspects beat? Because I mean it's a big dilemma for you I mean because you look one way, but you hear another thing? Yeah. And how did how difficult was that for you during those those moments growing up.
Sebastian A. Jones:I mean, it was there were different moments I literally remember different moments in time where I was a was really hurt. And I was ashamed not never ashamed of my cultural background. But my dad grew up with you know, he had my dad lost his both his parents to suicide a very young age, my dad grew up in a very severe way. And then when he made it from nothing, and I was embarrassed that he, you go through this thing, this thing, right? When you're younger, you just want to fit in, right? Doesn't matter what it is, you want to just be a part of the crew. And so my dad would pick me up from school when I was in the boarding house, you pick me up from school, and it would be I'd be like, Oh, shit, I don't drive it because I don't want people to see that you've got money. Right? And Mum, don't don't don't come and pick me up because I don't want the other kids to see. This is like super young. And then I remember this one kid, who was like teasing me for my dad having money and my mum for looking good finger look. And then last, like where it literally, I won't say what I said is really mean. But I remember thinking like, oh, wait a minute, I got the Pap, oh, he's, he's jealous of me. He just doesn't realize and I'm the one with the power. So I just turned it completely on his head on its head and said, Oh, your mom's then that one, right and your dad's blah, blah, blah. And he, he couldn't wrap his head around it. And then. So I realized the people that were throwing insults, or wanting to it for the sake of clouds. And I find that a lot in today's reality of social media and people just needing their own little validation to make themselves feel a little bit better about their own shortcomings. Whatever that is. It's just what insecurity so they are realized that from a young age. And then people that were thought that were racist. I was also my dad's son, so I had no problem. You know, being very violent. So so but that was very, I was young, right? But friends of mine, my core friends were always fucking gray. There are a couple of people that were kind of peripheral types. I call them. I think my instincts are lucky enough where I was lucky enough with my instincts to never ever deal with that from my core friends. But some of those peripheral motherfuckers that like, Oh, could they come into your circle? Could they be an acquaintance when they showed their ass? You kind of like, oh, okay, cool. But, but I remember certain aspects of certain friends of mine that hadn't dealt with that. And they were devastated. I think I had such a small family based on my dad's family's race really small, because they lost them at a young age. And my mom started really, really small because of the disown that being disowned and coming from India and that kind of thing. That I mean, I'm just straight up like if you're, if your family in your deck, I don't fuck with you. If you're, if you're but that's not to say That's right. That's just my that's where I'm at. Because if I've come from such a small family, so the friends I have, you know, that my family, you know,
Lincoln Bradshaw:there's nothing wrong with that, man. Sometimes there's less is more. I mean, you know, I mean that there's nothing wrong with that there's something in there now, I do want to kind of ask you a little bit about, you know, when you talk about you growing up and how you dealt with all that, which is basically I mean, it's kind of tough because you grew up in England, right. And your mom was you said she was an immigrant and your grandmother, grandmother. You said she had an afro and how close are you to that side of your family?
Sebastian A. Jones:My Well, my mom, my mom and she I moved to America when I was 18 Almost So, so we're talking about this so funny.
Lincoln Bradshaw:I'm not making uncomfortable am I? No, no, no, no.
Sebastian A. Jones:So fine thing, okay. So I'm going to America when I was 18 by myself, my parents followed me out about four years later. And three, maybe three years later with my sister, my sister was 13 at the time to go through those changes. My sister also dealt with similar things back in England. So I think when she came to America, Bayes lace she is and she has fine hair. She was like, Oh, I can just be American. I just like a fucking chick with a tan. I think there's just this automatic need for just being not being bullied. Right. And, and kids can be vicious can because can be really, really vicious. So I think my sister got an American accent in the first week. I still don't know how to do it.
Lincoln Bradshaw:That's funny.
Sebastian A. Jones:I kind of sound Southern, you know, bad gathering is about as good as I can get a hamburger. Yeah. Thanks, Josh. Yeah, so say I just failed on that front. I was interesting, bro is like when I was in England, I there were aspects based on my upbringing, I was very NT England. Very anti Istat any anything authority? Anything establishment? I was not that wasn't my cup of tea. So when I came to America, I was like, fuck the beat. You know, basically, if the Beatles or the Rolling Stones out there, you know, it's what they stole it from Muddy Waters, you know, with my just my super like, tunnel vision kind of like, you know, pro black American, you know, rootsy kind of views on everything. Yeah. No, it's America was like, how do we, you know, check out the Beatles. Oh, it's a pretty fun good i Oh, wait a minute. How they're amazing. Okay, and then you know, and then I was like, able to just also accept some of the, you know, like, not just accept but appreciate the what, I think that's the beauty as you grow up, you're like, Oh, I'm I can have empathy for other cultures. As the more I get to explore, but also have the wisdom and judgment to say just because something is a law or a tradition, don't make a burden. Good. You know, like those idiots that wear those shirts, shout out to you that listening that go like, you know, where's that shit? My rights over your feelings. It's like, motherfucker, I was raised up right on slate, like doesn't make sense. You know, like, certain rights over the years haven't been good. That's why we were able to challenge that issue and go, that's a bad, right. This is a good one, you know, context, hopefully.
Lincoln Bradshaw:Right? So let me ask you this. So you moved in American when you were 18? That was like what mid? 90s? Right. 9191 91 Yeah, so that was what that was hip hop with big. Alright, so on that on that How long did it take you to get your first pair of American Nikes
Sebastian A. Jones:It was big. Oh, that Tribe
Lincoln Bradshaw:Called Quest? I recognize it. I see it the Love Below.
Sebastian A. Jones:Yes. Yes. Theory and we got Midnight Marauders Midnight Marauders
Lincoln Bradshaw:Liga that I see that that is, man. And that is that is a great that is you know, and hip hop obviously shaped. It has a big influence on who you are. Right? When you move to America. And your sister. You did mention how your sister kinda likes it. Oh, just be American. Just take the I take you know, change it up. What did you identify with when you first got here?
Sebastian A. Jones:Oh, man. Um, my mom was married to a very famous movie star movie legends. My mom's best friend. My mom's better. I was married to a character. So okay, hold
Lincoln Bradshaw:on, man. Like, that's the second bombshell you threw at me? Like, okay, mom's a Bond girl. mom's best friend was married to Cary Grant. Continue.
Sebastian A. Jones:Yeah. So when I came to America, visit America as a kid. I had a very kind of, obviously skewed perspective. Rice, when we would stay with Kerry, you know? That that was my family. Right? So when you're a kid, you know, you know? It's just like, another dude, you know? Yeah. And my my mom's mom, she when I was grew up in England, my mom's mom just lived till she passed my grandma, my Nana and she passed. She grew up in the Council of State. Right. So I was able to kind of at least have a glimpse into different lifestyles and different worlds from a young age from like, Oh, this is this landscape. This is this landscape. This is where my family is around different landscapes. And I don't think I really, actually it dawned on me until maybe I hit my 3030s 20s late 20s That So when I when I moved to I immediately I started dating one lady who lived in Boulder and hill so, so I spent the majority of my time being able to have perspective to say, okay, these are how these folks live in Beverly Hills and there's about I spent the majority of my time in Leimert Park and so they felt like okay, well that's that's really where I'm getting grounded in Lima. And I don't know if you know, Lamar park at all,
Lincoln Bradshaw:if you're not familiar with it, but I'm definitely definitely gonna search it up.
Sebastian A. Jones:Okay, so So basically, the park is kind of a cultural black mecca for Los Angeles. And okay, so yeah, you know, if you're, if you grew up in the 90s, and you went to Limerick Park, they had there was like an Eric or project there's an area there where they had this thing called Project blowed and it had freestyle fellowship, who were like, the hardcore 90s, the dopest MCs in Los Angeles. I remember used to my friends run this book with Juju. I started out running, my family followed me out and I run a record label with them. So I ran a record label putting out Coltrane and jazz and funk an old soul. Yeah, this is actually an old album cover right here this Yeah, that's why Wow. blues album put out so. So I was very entrenched in that life, and the the big Hollywood, kind of that kind of shit. It just didn't. I found the conversations are very vapid, and flat and boring. And just didn't move my spirit, I guess. You know, a lot of the friends and family kind of didn't really come to my, when I was 18. I was very, very, you know, like most 18 year olds was somewhat very rebellious. So for anyone that turned their back on me, you know, like, I was like, I don't really give a fuck, you know, so. So I think I just, I've, I fell in love hard for hip hop in the 90s. In the same way. I fell in love very hard for funk. And also, okay, so quick story. I had a I had a winter birthday party with some friends when I was like, 1213. And everyone's making up. Right, so I was the only kid right? I was, I was the only kids and then and the the music that was playing. So shout out to whoever's mom that is put on this cassette cord, Atlantic, so Balance Volume One, and I was like, I didn't recognize some of the songs. So I started jotting down shit like Otis Redding, Salman de, you know, Aretha, like all these people, like, Who are these people. So with my pocket money, in my part time job, I would save up, I go to the store and go, best voters reading and then I'll get the list and then like, oh, shit, and then I would hit hip hop. And then I start to bridge like the the tapestry of roots, music. And then I was very, I was very a non believer. And then in the Creator, and then I heard John Coltrane, I was like, and then I was like, it was like, oh, writing massive connective sense. And then Alice Coltrane and his wife and then I was like, Oh, shit, and then running a record label. I ended up putting out compilations with Alice Coltrane on it and Ferris on those in all these various things that literally, if you if you know me, and you read any of my share, and you go, okay, okay, there's the when people go, what's your biggest influence? You're writing comic books, I'd probably say, Akira Kurosawa, James Brown, Spike Lee, Sergio Leone. You know, Alice Coltrane, muddy waters and muddy probably I'd really like go into music. Nina Simone, Nina Simone, Nina Simone Graham. So that's really that's really where my heart and soul is that
Lincoln Bradshaw:that is another layer man. That's a whole that is a whole that's a level of depth there just to for one, you come across the pond, and then you and you basically embellish yourself into this culture, this hip hop culture, right? I mean, you never let it go. I mean, it's seeping through everything they do from the comics to to the to the album cover like you put out an album cover a blues album cover, bro and I'm just for the fans. out there who are listening. I am looking at this album cover and it is is hot man. It's hot it is. It is actually pretty dope. I would I would hang that in my house is black art any day of the week? That is pretty dope. But you drew and just so you know, I want to make sure you did you draw that right that is your credit.
Sebastian A. Jones:just lied. Like oh man, there's a record store in Los Angeles. I'm
Lincoln Bradshaw:sorry, I shouldn't have done that now.
Sebastian A. Jones:There's a recklessness Angeles called Amoeba Records. It's kind of the big record store in Hollywood's and the guy that painted the murals outsides. I gave him his first real job. Doing album covers painting clean paintings for album covers for my different albums I released. And then so and then there's another and he did pass away. But then there's another. There's another artist I work with called Michael Massenburg, who is like, we did a really, it was really famous for collages. He did a really famous thing of watchtowers back in the days, Michael Massenburg. So shout out to shout out to him. But yeah, I was very much immersed in that world. So that so I really love these two like that together simultaneously, which is like music, and a lot of Dungeon dragons role playing a lot of live action role playing run running around the forest, with weapons and shed, like, these are my two universes and they're just colliding, and then manifesting and comics and books and those types of things. So I you know, I think it's just a, I've just feel like a bit of a gateway for, you know, for, you know, these, these stories that need to be told, and these standing on the backs of these these prophets, you know,
Lincoln Bradshaw:you know, and as you continue on this down this route, like, I know, everybody, every writer runs into blocks, right? Tell me how do you stay motivated in writing and developing these stories?
Sebastian A. Jones:Oh, yeah. Um, I think, okay, I mean, it's a, it's a big question. I feel like I'm a salmon swimming upstream or is right, where you're kind of me, I'm not a hashtag type of fucking dude, I'm not an auto tune, dude, I'm not a current trend kind of dude. So I think the motivation is the stories that I sound probably really obnoxious. But wherever. So, I think the motivation for me is certain things assign certain folks can be trends, and by the time you're framing a trend, that trend is passed you by, I didn't create this stuff 30 years ago, for the current trend of today. So if the trend goes, I the trend will go and I'll still be creating the stuff that needs to be told. And I also feel like there's you know, without being all conspiracy ish. I also feel like, they're oftentimes when new celebrations of things come out it then it's an it's a beautiful thing, and then a dangerous thing, because then there's the focus on the cosmetic, and then at times the, the, the, the working, the work that needs to be done on the spirit can come without also being a current trend. You know, it needs to be nurtured that you know, it's like a muscle right? Where you just have to constantly work on something to see a bit of results, right? So if you work out and oh shit, six months time, I might have a two pack, you know? Shout out to Tupac. Right? But then if you're looking at working on your spirit or your creative, that's like preventative medicine you got to continue to do that shit and and understand that you're putting in the work. You might not see the reward. It might not be a vanity thing. It might not be someone's going to validate you like oh shit, I didn't know if I can work I look at you look at look at you, you know, like all that kind of shit. Right? But if you work on your mental your spiritual no one's giving you the data for like, Oh, you must be frickin working on your shit. So I think for me, how do I stay motivated? Is I am a big believer in. There's big corporations Trump. I'll give you I'll give you this example. When I came out with Nairobi in the untamed script. years ago back in 2004. There were some people interested but they were like, I'll make your movie, but can you make Nairobi I was like, No, I'm good. Thank you. Then when? Interesting, and then when I had to do soup book the same, it's something similar, right? Then I try to get investment early on. And they were like, Oh, wait, no, there's not enough. No fantasy readers fantasy is a bit of an F word in comic books. Okay? And then wait, and your lead characters are black. Now, there's not enough black readers or people that would buy black comics, okay, in a way and your lead character is a female, there's no female readers or female. It's. So it's like, yeah, I'm trying to do free, right. And so no one no one gave me any investment. So outside of my mom shout out to her with a very small seed phrase. But but but, but she's awesome. So, so. So all that all that to say is I created this because I needed to tell these stories. And I think, and I, and I feel like some and then I shopped around these ideas, and a lot of comic companies were like, Oh, you could you could just tell and even the government pretty honest, like, oh, yeah, but maybe to release history in Black History Month. I was like, oh, okay, cool. This is your announcement. comic that you want for what corporate I don't give a fuck. So I just was like, Oh, I just spent 10 years running a record label, I don't want to spend another 10 years doing the same thing. Doing I just did once want to create stories, bro, I just want to do this. And then someone else do the fucking heavy lifting, you know, just crushed want to create, right? But in order to protect the integrity of Niobe in the vision of what we were creating here with a couple of guys, I work with Josh and Darryl is like, oh, shit, we need to we need to, we need to protect this, this vision. And I think, you know, and understand the privilege that I've had, as far as the upbringing I've got, you know, God's hooked me up with some really good looks, you know, so shout out to him and the British accent. And that gets me in a few doors. Now, I'm being cheeky, but what I'm saying is, I recognize the privilege that I've got. And yeah, man. And even and just to be honest, it's like, I just need to tell these fucking stories. So I don't think I think if suddenly there's a million black fantasy TV shows and movies, or there's zero, I'll still tell these stories. And tell them in the way I need. I want to tell them and hopefully there's some folks out there that vibe of it. I'm not doing any of this shit for a like on Facebook.
Lincoln Bradshaw:You did mention trends, right? Like, and I don't I know. You're not into all that. But it's kind of weird how you kind of fell into one though, right? Just fairly. I mean, if you think about it, like you literally along with the other 11 artists, you guys kind of, you know, you guys have an opportunity. Do you see this landscape for black comics and black comic writers and black artists? Do you see that landscape changing in your world?
Sebastian A. Jones:Yeah, fuck yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, we just, we just announced denouncement with T Franklin. This black lady writes Harlequin and Stephanie Williams black lady who writes Nubia to work, you know, at stranger comics as writers to start my whole goal honestly, bro is like, you know, as I'm getting up there is to start to hopefully, take some steps back and see fresh perspectives within the world of asunder writers who are more gifted to me and far more brilliant to just kind of like, okay, wow, that's a much better idea. Fucking, that's fantastic. So right now, I'm co writing with tn staff. And we're just brainstorming. It's like, oh, shit, that's great. And it's just bouncing back and forth, boom, right off to the races and then I can just go, I can keep taking further steps back and then yeah, the more black and brown and all the rest of it writers and artists, you know, like, in the world of London, the better like Niobe when we did that first book. I co wrote, Nivea shares life with the metal Stemberg. And we didn't realize at the time it became the first nationally distributed comic book with a black female author, artist and heroine. The history of entertainment is a piece of history. It's kind of crazy, but it was all from a stat stemming from. I was like, Oh, I might be mixed but I'm not a young 15 year old girl. I need to see if I can have fat perspective and we're writers right so, you know, I think when people are like oh representation is ultimate of course is is authentic representation is everything but but how do you like okay, we also want to make sure like or if I'm writing a story about a demon or a call or this or an alien I'm not any of that shit but how can you best you know fit within or bring your own experiences to x y&z But? But yeah, no, I'm all about wanting to best serve comic books by having the best and most well equipped mentally and spiritually creators to bring forth this shit. You know?
Lincoln Bradshaw:That's what Now I do want to ask you about you know, we kind of talked about acting I have to bring this up because I did see your your one. I did see your movie your one acting credit beyond the whitespace right that what it is beyond the whitespace Thank
Sebastian A. Jones:you very much very English.
Lincoln Bradshaw:Now that you know actually and I went back, I was like, you know, his English isn't too bad. You can kind of hear it a little bit, but I wasn't I'm not a I'm not a critic. I was just watching the movie. So that was your one acting credit. What Tell me about that. I mean, I saw that it came out a few years ago. Didn't hit the big theaters, but it is on Amazon Prime if anybody wants to check it out.
Sebastian A. Jones:Beyond the whitespace Yeah, go in. Here we're looking at me being a space pirates.
Lincoln Bradshaw:Exactly. So how did you How did you land that role? Like I mean, how did you even because you talked about acting, and I kind of see where everything's going now. Boom, you're in front of urine. And that movie had some hitters man like, as far as actors. There was a couple people that I definitely recognize the lead actor in it. What was his name? Home Home Academy? Yeah, home. McAllen is in there. And then Jocko Sims, the guy from He's now on, I think, New Amsterdam. He was on a couple of the shows. I just recognize a couple of states. And I was like, wow, there, you know, he got some pretty good company. Tell me about how that came up. And that whole experience?
Sebastian A. Jones:Well, um, it's funny, for about 20 years, I when I was young and pretty, I used to do a lot of commercials and modeling back in the days. So I probably did about 100 commercials. I've got a little bit if you want to really Google or YouTube some hilarity, you can YouTube Sebastian Jones commercial real and your CFC a few of them. Good Lord help me. But I did a lot acting right. And then one of my best friends who was an initial kind of partner and stranger, he, there was director of the movie and he's like, I wrote this role for you. Do you want to be in it? I was like, Well, I guess he wrote it so. And so yeah, he's like, yeah, come on down to the table reading and, you know, see how you feel. I was like, but I just knew you so. And Kenny, he's, he's a VFX kind of Guru and got to start I think working on the matrix and fight club and that kind of thing. Which hope was in your fight club, so yeah. So So yeah, I just was, I was in the movie because I was asked.
Lincoln Bradshaw:And and then one last thing. Yeah. For for young, black comic artists out there, or for young black artists in general. What would be your what would be your words of wisdom to those guys who are still trying to either you know, they want to stay? They have an aspiration, they want to be in that world? What would you say to those guys?
Sebastian A. Jones:I mean, I would say you, it is all about honoring the craft, and is also about a couple of things. Looking outside of your comfort zone for inspiration. So let's say you're an anime kind of dude. And we watch anime. You won't grow as an anime artist. Look at the great filmmakers. Look at the great storytellers. Read philosophers. Experience things without outside of your comfort zone. That is best served to inform your cultural perspective as well and your art form as a craft. Don't let any motherfucker put you in a box, including yourself. Don't follow a trend because as I said, if you do, you're marching to the beat of someone else playing the drum.
Lincoln Bradshaw:I definitely love that. I definitely love that. I appreciate you. Mr. Mr. Jones. Hey, this is Lincoln Bradshaw. We have Sebastian Jones from Stranger comics. Any shout out you want to give to anybody before we conclude the show? Is there anything you wanted to leave the people with?
Sebastian A. Jones:I'm sure it's my artist or maybe ours shout out to the rest of Stranger comics team and the stranger family all the fans the family strange family. Follow us on Astro edgy comics on any of the socials. I do a Thursday live on IG every week at six o'clock Pacific nine o'clock Eastern. My talk a lot of shit and you'll see you get a chance to wait to win stuff to get stuff. Stranger family and all the cosplay