#GiftIndie Spotlight: Jose Cruz

Alpha issue 3 cover.

On today's #GiftIndie Spotlight, it is my pleasure and honor to present Silver Island Studio's Jose Cruz.

Jose and I go way back on Yahoo Groups that grouped together Puerto Rican comics fans and creators, so our careers have actually grown together.

Jose has participated in many popular Puerto Rican comic groups initially as an artist. But as time went on and the more he worked on his own creations, he also turned into a very capable writer as well.

I have had the pleasure of having collaborated with Jose on a couple of Silver Island Studio properties like Paths issues 1&2 writing characters like Blindsight and Hannah the Dragonfang, as well as the origin issue of El Gran Matatan.

But the character most tied to Jose Cruz is the fantastic character Alpha, that is becoming one of Puerto Rico's premier super her characters, and is poised to become global. Jose has been kind enough to give some insights to his indie creations. 

El Matatan.

What are you currently working on, or have you launched a crowdfunding campaign recently?

I am currently working on my main character Alpha, the series as such and mini series of the character, including the one from his origin, by the way, not long ago a campaign was launched through Kickstarter with Subject Alpha # 1, which is the English language version of the Alpha # 1 comic.

 What made you want to create comics?

Like most of us who are  
in this medium of comics, whether we are writers, artists, inkers or colorists, we are collectors of comics from an early age, I also liked to draw precisely superheroes and robots, after many years, they gave me the opportunity to draw my first comic locally and from there I wanted to create my own characters and stories.​

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Blindsight issue 1.

What advantage would you say making an indie comic have over working on a mainstream comic?

​The advantage for me, in addition to having more freedom in creating and not having so many restrictions, is to do something different than usual but offering stories that the comics of yesteryear offered and unfortunately no longer do and they only want to sexualize characters and direct agendas, that is the difference and advantage for me between the indies and the big two as they call them.

What would you say to anyone that’s on the fence about creating an indie IP?

​I would tell them to do their best, not to be conformist with their creation, not to be self-conscious or afraid of what is indie, not to fear believing that they will never achieve anything or that because they are not of fame or name like the greats, they will not have Success, as long as it is about being creative but original.

What’s your biggest influence?

My biggest influence, when it comes to comic book writers or artists are artists and creators, Jack Kirby and Bob Kane, John Byrne, Dan Jurgens and Jim Lee.​​

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Paths issue 2, featuring X-pire and Hannah the Dragonfang.

What lessons have you learned from creating independently that you wish you had known before you started?

Lessons that I learned when creating indie comics that I would have liked to know before, because I had done it much earlier, for me, wait a long time and life is short and when you have even an idea like that, it is slight or not concrete, however you want to expose it, use it, translate it . 

What do you suggest to indie creators do to make their work stand out on the stands or on virtual stores?

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​That they work seriously on the cover, the cover is the first thing you see on a store booth or it is what we usually see first in a digital version. A well-assembled cover, which is legible if it has text, use the correct fonts, the main thing, the art, that draws attention and the theme, at least something that has always bothered me, mainly about the big two and that is not It is from now but even from golden times, it is when they expose you something on the cover and that art does not represent anything in relation to the interior content, do not do that.A good title logo, that calls, that in some way in its design , connect or reflect in any way with the character (s) or story.

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Paths issue 1, featuring Blindsight, Matatan, and Hannah the Dragonfang.

Give us your elevator pitch about your project and why it’d make a great gift!

​My stories are recommended for all ages, entertaining, with non-sexual content, not that those who have it in their publications are wrong but it is not my selection, I just try to make stories like the comics I grew up with and collect and love all of my youth and that I still love, that is based on that, history, characters not forced or sexualized or using hidden agendas. My stories are therefore highly recommended and more to be a gift not only in this Christmas season but in any other. Support independent creators and artists, there is nothing to envy the famous greats.

Thank you so much to Jose Cruz for taking the time in answering these questions and spending some time here on this blog.

If you like the more classic super hero comics, you can definitely check out Silver Island Studio over at www.facebook.com/Silverislandcomics 
​and contact them for more info on ordering any comics or merch that is available.

Thank you all so much for reading, catch you all on Sunday with the next spotlight, artist Diane Negron. Stay safe and have a great weekend!
​-Alvaro

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