You are listening to the USDN on the
DFPN.
Oh
what is up everybody and welcome to the
united states department of nerds where we
are for the people by the people and
of the people today's episode is about
something bigger than comics it's about
building something from nothing because
joining us tonight is a creator coming out
of colombia pushing into the global space
and building his own universe one
character at a time
From Draco and Sambos Incorporated,
we're talking about the grind, the vision,
and what it really takes to create your
own line in the indie comic world.
This isn't just about art.
This is about ownership, identity,
and legacy.
Ladies and gentlemen,
the Council of Nerds is now in session.
Alejandro, welcome to the USDN.
hello jeff um it's a pleasure to be
here um yeah hey dude it is really
awesome to finally get you on the podcast
i know you've been scheduled for quite a
while now and that's just been the nature
of the podcast for the last couple of
months is we're booked months in advance
so i'm happy to get you on and
to get
your voice and your work out in front
of the rest of the world.
So let's jump into it, man.
For those who are just now discovering you
and just meeting you for the first time,
who are you and where does your story
begin in comic books?
Okay, so I am,
my name is Alejandro and I am thirty-one
years old and I started in two thousand
and nine.
I get in love with manga.
I started on manga.
Draw a copy in Night of the Zodiac.
I don't know if you know the anime.
I'm not familiar with a whole lot of
manga.
Yeah.
And I started copying and I'm good with
the storytelling.
So I challenged myself to create my own
universe.
and i i end my school here in
cali colombia and i started my studies in
university in fine arts and fine arts give
me this
concept,
this conceptualization that comic needs
and this semiotic and these matters that
help on the storytelling.
And I started from in two thousand
seventeen,
my my entrepreneurship called Rake
Ensemble Inc.
And yes,
I started developing my own universe.
I grew up learning from DC Comics,
that is my, from the two great brands,
is the one that I'm more attached to.
And also with the MCU,
that I learned to organize a universe,
that Marvel Cinematic Universe is a
very...
It helps you a lot on how to
organize a universe.
Yeah.
Yeah, tell me.
So growing up in Colombia,
what was it like for somebody interested
in comic books and that kind of things?
What was your access to get comic books
and manga and things like that?
Was it readily available?
Can you go down to the comic book
shop
No, no.
Comics in Colombia is a new thing here.
So it's very hard to see a comic
shop like you see in the States or
in Canada.
but um there's a lot of people that
loves the comic uh when the mcu started
on uh this is started uh boom here
in colombia okay so there's a lot of
people that that loves a
the comic books.
Colombia has a very good literature things
with Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
So we have the passion,
we have the love for the comics,
but there's no an industry like Marvel DC
comic, Dark Horse Image,
or manga in Japan.
But
we are growing we are growing on that
matter and you're leading the way my man
with your own line of comic books um
so what was there a moment where you
said i'm not just going to draw but
i'm going to make comic books what was
when was that for you where you were
just like i have this talent i'm going
to use this talent to make comic books
Well,
in two thousand and eleven I was more
younger and I was more immature on how
the world works and more in the comic
and art industry.
and i come to the states and i
go to disney and and see and i
watch all the the process of wall disney
with his industry and i was i and
i was thinking i i wanted it to
to make the same and grow my own
universe.
And I started,
before I started drawing comics,
I started drawing toons,
like Mickey Mouse and all these things.
And I started drawing two dragon toons
that are called Draco ensembles.
That's why I started,
And from these characters,
I grow all my universe.
That's why it's Drake Ensemble Sync.
OK.
Yeah.
I learn from my own.
I was...
I started drawing and improving my skills
on myself.
But in... Before I...
After I ended my studies on Minority,
I started watching the tutorials of David
Finch, and James Ray,
the box office artist.
Oh, yeah.
And I get in love with that kind
of
of way to draw and how they tell
stories.
That's Mark Silvestri's school.
So I go to that kind of school
and I started to my own universe.
So what is Draco and Sambos?
Draco and Sambos Inc.
is my own comic brand here in Colombia.
I'm trying to build an industry like
Marvel and DC created in the States.
And I'm trying to build
an industry independent to the American
industry or Japanese industry.
I'm trying to build my own thing and
helping other new artists here in Colombia
and tell them that it's possible to work
on comics,
create their own brands or or yeah live
live with it that is right now this
hard but I'm trying to get an easier
life in the in the comic industry here
in Colombia no I like to hear and
I know before we had gone live a
friend of mine who was on the podcast
not long ago with his book he had
actually flown to
down to columbia i believe it was columbia
to meet his artist to go to a
local shop like a small comic shop to
do a sign-in of the book that they
had did together so it's really cool to
see
the industry there growing and for people
like you creating your own companies to
help that industry move forward in
Colombia is to me that's the coolest thing
ever is taking something that doesn't
exist there yet
or it does, but just in small pockets,
but trying to push it to a bigger
scale, not just in your hometown,
but through the whole country.
And that to me is just really cool
to see you doing that, man.
So why just create,
why create a brand instead of just being
an artist?
You could have just been an artist and
did work for other people.
Why go all that way to create this
whole brand
That's a very good question that I'm still
asking myself in this entrepreneur
process,
but I don't like to copy or work
with another
intellectual properties i like to to
create my own i i i challenge myself
to create my own characters to to make
a new thing to innovate on in in
a comic industry in a global comic
industry that
already have Superman, Spider-Man,
and all these superheroes that we all
know.
And I'm trying to create new superheroes,
new universe that show the audience new
things and new perspectives from the
superhero genre and all the genres that
you can draw in a comic.
So is all your characters and your IPs,
are they all within the same universe,
or are they separate?
I have two lines that are a warrior's
power that are my superheroes.
And a school that is a zombie industry.
Zombie universe, sorry.
Zombie universe.
OK.
So let's jump in and talk about your
projects that you currently have right
now.
Let's talk about Archer of Heat.
And how did that project come together?
Because that's the one you had sent to
me that I got to read.
And I like it is dude,
it's just this cool new concept that I've
not had a chance to read something like
it before.
So how did that come about?
And how did you put that together?
Okay,
I create these characters in my school
time.
When I was in school,
I get inspired by my classmates and
myself.
So I create with the personification of
the character.
of my classmates,
I create superheroes like their own
identity,
superhero identity from themselves.
So from a girl classmate,
I create this Archer of Heat,
this Captain Joel.
I developed her universe,
I create another ones and I create my
my comic universe to step-by-step which
comic I will be releasing,
which I will be working.
And so Archer of Heat is a galokinetic
superheroine, an archer.
That...
that I always loved archer superheroes
like Rean Arrow, Hawkeye,
like Legolas in the Lord of the Rings.
So I created her and I developed this
color kinetic power on her.
And I love the
I love that characters have these common
issues on their life,
these inside conflicts that make more
human the characters for the audience get
attached to it.
So that's exactly how I create Archer of
Heat.
I'm not listening to you, Jeff.
No, I'm listening to you too far.
What do you mean?
Oh, sorry.
No,
I had muted myself because I had coughed
and I didn't want to cough into the
microphone, so I apologize.
Don't worry.
It happens sometimes.
My cat walked in at the same time,
so...
You've been at this now for quite a
few years.
What has been some of the important
lessons that you've learned across this
journey into comic books?
What I learned is don't be rushed on
the process to love every part of the
process.
I am a, I have to say,
I'm a hand drawing comic artist.
I don't like digital art.
I prefer a traditional comic art.
So what I learned is to enjoy the
process too.
enjoy the penciling, the inking,
all this part.
And I'm the only one working on my
universe.
So I write, I draw, I ink,
and I color my own comics.
So...
I haven't learned a lot of the writing
aspects.
I learned a lot about the drawing skills.
And as I told you before,
I said I love this David Fincher,
Mark Silvestri style.
So I love these details that they do
on their drawings.
What I learn most is to enjoy the
process.
Oh, no, dude.
I mean, if you're not enjoying it,
I mean,
it's kind of like you're cheating yourself
if you're not enjoying it, right?
Yes.
So tell us about some of your other
projects that you have going on.
You have Golden Fleet.
Right now,
I'm developing the second issue of Archer
of Heat.
Okay.
I'm also preparing the script for my first
Colombian superhero.
Oh, okay.
An anti-hero.
And I am developing another one.
doesn't have yet a script,
but I'm developing another one,
a Brazilian superhero,
is that right now we are living in
a very global world.
Doesn't matter if you live in Colombia,
you know what happens on Brazil,
on the States, on Canada.
So I'm trying to develop
characters that not only come from
Colombia, but it comes from Europe,
from the States, Colombia, Mexico,
Argentina, Japan, Africa.
So they are more superheroes from Earth,
not from any specific country.
Okay.
No, I like it, man.
I like that you're not just like,
you're looking at it from a global scale
and bringing it to life, dude.
That's really cool to see that you're
doing that and that's something that you
are working on.
Can you kind of walk us through your
process from your idea to like a finished
comic page?
Because you're writing,
you're also doing the drawing, the inking,
the colors, you're doing everything.
Kind of walk us through that process a
little bit.
yeah okay normally before i start a
process i read a lot i read a
lot not not only comics i also read
books and and
I love the process, for example,
that use manga.
The manga normally investigate,
read a lot, for example, from mythology,
myths.
So I read a lot on that.
And from that, I took the...
I create my superheroes.
I also...
create a concept for the conflict.
For example, Archer Pit, with her,
I normally, and his calokinetic powers,
I try to, with her,
all his story is from his emotional
emotional vulnerability.
So I grow all his story around this
emotional vulnerability.
So I tried to do that,
create a logline with that.
And I start from them.
and create the character and the story and
all the characters around her.
Also, I think I, and yes,
that's how I, the writing part.
And then I, with InDesign,
I create how I will be a,
establishing the pages and how I will be
drawing the panels.
And from them, I start the layouts,
the thumbnails,
and start drawing on my table.
So do you lay out a storyboard and
then start the whole process of drawing
it?
Yeah.
Okay.
I like it, man.
I like it.
So I know you said you prefer...
Do you do like...
everything by hand?
Or do you do the drawing and then
do you take the picture of the drawing
and then upload it to your iPad and
then do the coloring there?
Or are you just straight colors and all
on paper the whole night?
No.
I only do the drawing and the inking
on paper by hand and the color in
Photoshop.
I scan the drawings and in Photoshop I
at the colors.
And I think that's how most people are
doing it these days anyways.
I don't know how many people are actually
inking, or not inking,
but doing coloring by hand anymore.
So it's one of those things where I
kind of feel like,
I don't want to say people aren't doing
it,
but I think it's one of those processes
that's kind of dying off as new technology
comes to life.
I don't think that that is dying.
I think that also adding this AI growing
and developing right now is that we are
going,
it's the AI and the digital is growing
so, so,
so fast that people will get saturated
very easily.
drawing by hand or not only drawing a
painting and all this art that is that
was normally doing by hand people will be
We'll be getting back to it lately.
For example, Snowbird,
this short film from Aaron Blaze.
I don't know if you see it.
I don't honestly get to watch a whole
lot of TV at all.
It's a short film from...
old to the traditional animation artist
from Disney create his own short film
By hand.
And right now it's also winning prizes and
Academy Awards and all of this.
So people are trying to return to these
traditional ways to do.
So I don't think that is Zion.
this process.
No,
it's one of those where I don't want
to see it disappear because like the
colors and the drawing,
I think you lose some of the passion
when you do it through, you know,
whether it's Photoshop or what have you,
the passion isn't there.
you know, when it's done that way.
So I really do prefer to see things
done by hand the traditional way.
So what part of the process do you
really enjoy the most?
The pencil and the ink.
Okay.
Most of the inking part.
As I said before,
I watch a lot of these David Finch,
Mark Silvestri tutorials and their
process,
their lives on YouTube or this process of
the box office artist, James Race.
And this obsession with details,
the inking part is the most that I
enjoy most.
Okay.
So what do you think is actually the
hardest part about finishing a project?
Finishing the process.
It's starting and finishing the process.
Yeah.
Yes,
and normally when you are in a process,
your mind starts to create a new one,
so...
So you're getting in a position that you
want to end or stop to create a
new one.
And yes, sometimes you get lazy.
I don't know.
Human mind is hard sometimes.
um just so the the hardest part is
is finishing the process starting and
finishing the process dude i uh hundred
percent agree it's the same doing this
it's one of those where i know i
have work to get done whether it's
creating clips or writing questions for an
interview
It's one of those sometimes it's like you
got to give yourself that kick in the
rear end to get yourself going.
But then once you're going, you know,
you can crank them out really fast.
But, man,
it's just so hard to get yourself there
sometimes.
Sometimes, you know, you have to –
literally just force yourself into it.
And it's hard to do.
I wholeheartedly agree with it.
So let's talk about a little bit about
like the social media concept of
creating because without it,
we're nowhere, right?
We rely so heavily on our social media
to whether it's advertising your
appearance or advertising an upcoming
appearance of somebody else.
Social media is a grind upon itself,
despite the workload that we are already
doing in regards to building interviews,
getting ready for a show and that kind
of stuff.
what which like what works for you in
that in that mind frame of is it
instagram is it youtube is it tick tock
what kind of works for you to help
bring in people to the projects that
you're working on you have to understand
you have to understand and accept that
social media is growing the world oh yeah
if you don't use social media it's hard
to to grow up
in the industry um instagram is very hard
instagram if you don't get the algorithm
it's very hard to and it changes so
often it that's been my hardest that and
threads i think have been the hardest to
to kind of to crack into like i
would say like the last
three to four months, probably,
I've gotten my best growth.
And I'm still continuing to see that grow,
thankfully.
But yeah,
those two are the hardest to by far.
Instagram is a very good channel for your
social circles, for your friends,
your family,
all these people that know you and you
know them.
But for artists, your...
best help is youtube and tick tock and
more tick and tick tock is is the
most friendly social media for artists it
helps you a lot to to grow up
tick tock a lot a lot a lot
and youtube youtube is more a consistency
you need to be more consistent in youtube
it's hard because uh create a
A real or a short or a great
video is very hard.
So these short videos on TikTok is more
easily TikTok.
The algorithm of TikTok is very friendly
for new artists.
OK.
No, I go back and forth on TikTok.
Like, do I want to start TikTok,
just share my short clips on?
Because I get good traction with those on
Instagram and YouTube shorts.
So it's one of those where I'm like,
if I could leverage TikTok to grow my
other platforms, it may be worth it,
but I don't know.
Because you never know what the algorithm
is going to be and whether something is
going to work on one platform or the
other.
um so what kind of content works for
you is it like your where you're
illustrating or what you're writing or
you're coloring what kind of content on
your social media gets you like the most
reactions
I don't show my writing part.
Normally the writing part is on my
backstage process.
But I normally...
sometimes I'm doing my own characters and
other times I'm making commissions or fan
arts or projects with another with another
universe for example right now I'm making
a
a cinematic process,
a poster of DC Comics, of Superman.
Okay.
But normally my insights on social media
react more when I'm drawing my own
characters than when I'm drawing other
intellectual properties.
Okay.
Yeah.
Dude,
it's such a tough nut to crack on
social media, man.
But it's once you find what I think
works for you is when it really starts,
you know,
the algorithm starts working in your
favor.
It's just finding what works like.
I know my, uh,
my shorts go to everywhere.
They go to Facebook, they go to Instagram,
they go to threads, blue sky.
And it just depends on who I was
talking to or who the interview was with
that really determines what kind of
reactions I get because they're there to
see the person I'm talking to.
So for me, it's like,
I have to borrow.
um the lights and the clicks and the
follows from that person basically and
trying to bring them over to enjoy mine
as well because i'm talking to your
favorite today but i hope to maybe the
person i'm talking to in a couple of
days you will also like and give them
a follow and follow me as well because
To me,
that's like the inner circle of life of
social media, right?
When you do what I do from my
perspective is I have to dip my hands
into everybody's pot of gold, so to speak,
and try to convert into my followers as
well.
So you're still building Sambos from
scratch right now.
What is keeping you motivated and keeping
you going when you just feel like,
you're getting nowhere like what keeps you
going and pressing that forward the i know
that i have a lot to tell uh
to my readers so that is my uh
my main motivation motivation and uh i'm
I'm trying to become with Reconsemble Sync
like DC and Marvel is in the States
here in Colombia so
That motivates me a lot because I know
what I'm carrying on me.
I know it's hard.
Right now, I'm having my comics on Amazon.
I'm in Global Comics.
Okay.
but it's hard it's very hard when you're
in the economy and just starting it's very
hard because nobody knows you and and the
real the reality is that the industry is
is
how can I say,
is more focused on DC and Marvel and
the many American comic brands and manga.
But
I am really motivated.
Right now I'm trying to search this
publisher here in Colombia that can help
me distributing more of my comics here and
maybe thinking in an international way.
My goals are here in Colombia.
I want the comic industry here is a
thing.
So that really motivates me a lot because
I'm helping myself and also helping
new artists in the industry here in my
country.
And I love to hear you say that
because that's one of my driving factors
into doing what I do and presenting indie
creators like yourself here on the podcast
is to put you in front of a
newer audience that way we can expand
what it is your reach in your audience
to new people.
And it's really cool that you are doing
what you're doing for Columbia right now.
So how do you stay consistent when things
are kind of slow?
Like, if it's slow, and you know,
just you don't feel like you're getting
anywhere?
How do you stay consistent with what
you're working on and what you're doing?
Well,
you have to understand and accept that
it's a long process.
When you're starting an entrepreneurship,
doesn't matter where,
in the comic industry and other things,
it always will always take a while if
you want to get
get an after getting in the market and
getting a readers and so you have to
understand that there is a long process
it's um and enjoy it that the most
important thing is that you enjoy it
because
It is very normal that you have bad
seasons and that you will have good
seasons.
So if you enjoy it,
you will carry on all the process.
It doesn't matter if you have a bad
or good season.
So what advice would you give new creators
starting right now from nothing like you
did?
Hmm.
to read a lot, to...
use social media,
with social media like YouTube, Instagram,
you will know these artists like David
Finch, like Jim Lee, like Brian Benjamin,
like all these artists that already have
their career.
So do you know what is the style
that you want to draw or if you
want to write?
or if you want to color or ink.
And yes, that's my big advice.
And my biggest advice is to enjoy it
and don't rush.
Don't rush.
Enjoy the process.
Everything will come.
So what does making it...
look like for you?
That people enjoy what I do,
that I keep enjoying my process.
If for some time I
uh stop enjoying what i did i i
will i will stop doing this and um
and yes that people enjoy what what i
publish and that i still enjoy it still
enjoying it yeah so where do you see
draco and sambos in let's say three years
in comic cons like i i have been
my own stand-up there showing my comics i
right now i'm publishing my comics a
digital on in amazon but i'm trying that
my comics are getting sales a physical
yeah so seeing my comics on on in
shops
That's my goal for three years with
Reconsemble Sync.
Here in Colombia, in international,
that's after.
No, dude, I like it, dude.
You have to, you dream big.
And, dude,
there's nothing more than I want to see,
you know,
walk into my local comic shop one day
and see, you know,
your comic book sitting on the shelf or
going to a Comic-Con and seeing you and
your work there at the Comic-Con and you
selling your work,
that'd be like the dopest thing, man.
Just knowing where you started this
journey to finally being there.
You know what I'm saying?
Yes, totally, totally.
And will be a dream to sharing Comic
Con with all this, with David Fincher,
I know.
These things,
these artists that already have their
profession on comics.
Dave,
the only thing left to do is to
do it, right?
You got to make it happen.
Yes.
So if someone discovers your work today,
what do you want them to remember?
That's a very good question.
I don't know.
Come on, man.
My growing style,
the way that I tell my stories,
how I develop my characters,
and they feel...
emotionally attached with my characters.
The same way that people react with
Spider-Man or Superman,
I want to create the same.
That's a thing.
I like it.
And I'm going to tell you what I
want them to remember.
I want them to remember Alejandro as the
dude who put indie comics...
On the same level as DC and Marvel
in Columbia.
That is what I want them to remember.
I want them to know that you're the
guy who's going to be responsible for that
happening in Columbia.
Because, dude,
you're motivated and you're doing it.
I'm certainly more motivated and you have
to, you have to.
A hundred percent, a hundred percent.
And I tell you what,
let's do this again in a year.
I'm open.
Or six months.
Let's say six months.
Let's,
let's do this again and let's see where
we're at and where you're at.
All right.
So put it on your calendar,
on the calendar with me in six months,
because dude,
you're going places and I really want to
keep up with the journey that you're
taking, not just your cell phone,
not just Draco and Sambos,
but the ride that you're getting ready to
take Columbia on and with your comic books
and with what you're trying to do to
help bring other comic book artists,
other comic book writers
along with you in colombia to a bigger
stage and dude let's make it happen all
right that helps me a lot and it
will be like a like a kind of
training for me on on this podcast bar
and speaking to
I like it, dude.
And if you want to do another podcast,
I know a couple of them who also
work with Indie Comics,
and I will shoot them your information and
your name and see if you can get
on one of their podcasts as well.
That way you can, A,
you can practice some more English with
them, and B,
you can talk about your work some more
with them as well.
All right?
Of course.
That will be a very helpful tool for
me.
All right.
I'll shoot them a message when we're done
here tonight.
But let's do some rapid fire questions,
all right?
OK.
Favorite comic artist?
I got a feeling I know what you're
going to say.
David Finch.
I knew it.
Indie comics or mainstream?
Depends on the character and the artist.
Okay.
Dream collaboration.
DC.
DC Comics.
Okay.
Do you prefer physical copies or digital?
Physical copies.
Oh, same, same.
It's nothing like holding a comic book in
your hand.
Or a book.
Exactly.
All right.
Alejandro, now's the time.
I want you to sell...
alejandro and draco and sambos to
everybody and then i want you to tell
them where they can find you on social
media all right yeah um you can find
all my comics on amazon i have three
comics there and you will see my social
media in instagram as draco and sambos inc
uh alejo rosales
In TikTok as Drakensambosing.
And in YouTube I have my Drakensambosing
TV channel.
There you will see my streamings.
My own streamings.
And my process.
I like it.
So for everybody wondering,
I will have all those links down in
the description.
It might be in the description now if
you look at the YouTube version of it.
All the links are already in the
description.
And when this goes live on both YouTube
and podcast platforms,
you will be able to find all his
links to his social media there as well.
Alejandro,
I can't thank you enough for giving us
the opportunity to talk to you tonight and
to let us introduce you to the rest
of the world, man.
It was such a blast to have you
on and to talk to you and help
you practice English, man.
I loved it.
It was fun.
You did so good.
so yes and i thank you also i
appreciate that you that you give me these
these chances on the podcast to get myself
known and
It's my first time in an English-speaking
podcast.
It's my first time in a podcast in
general, not only in English.
You did great.
You really did, dude.
And like I said,
I'm going to pass your information over to
a friend of mine who does something
similar to what I do.
He focuses a little bit more on the
process.
So you can talk about how the process
more with him,
because that's kind of what he does.
And but I'll shoot you his information or
shoot him your information and let you
have a conversation with him and see if
you can't get a date figured out for
you to appear on his podcast as well.
but ladies and gentlemen this is what it's
all about creators stepping up building
their own worlds and putting their vision
out into the universe alejandro is proof
that you don't need permission to start
you just need to drive to keep it
going make sure you follow his journey
support his work and keep your eyes on
what he's building with draco and sambos
It is going to be big,
not just for himself,
but for the country of Colombia and
possibly the world soon.
And to everyone out there chasing
something of your own, keep building,
keep creating, and keep pushing forward.
Ladies and gentlemen,
this has been the USDN Podcast,
where indie comics come to life.
The Council of Nerds is adjourned.
Y'all be safe out there.
Thank you, Jeff.
Yes, sir.
Alejandro, I'm going