Hip Hop and Comics Vol.1: LeSean Thomas (TMNT, Arkanium)
I saw on your website you’re a fan of MF Doom.
I love that nigga man he is crazy funny. I loved that dude. I love Thirston Howl, Def Jux, all them is hot man. They funny cats. C. Rayz Walz is my boy right now he is blowing too with Def Jux. I know him and Breeze Evahflowin pretty well. Actually, me and Breeze used to work together at UBO. He had a website called Hiphop Online Knowledge 2 (Hok2) and he was the host and him and C Rayz Walz would do battles and shit but it never got off the floor. The first time I heard of him was that legendary underground battle with him and Pumpkinhead and we stayed friends ever since. I pretty much like everything [though] except for country. I like to keep my ear to the street whenever I can and get the new mixtapes.
What hurdles do you think blacks have faced, if any, in the comic book game?
Brothers drawing comics is very few and far in between. I don’t really face any hurdles because I came in the game ass backwards through Dreamwave anyway. I got hired off of my artwork alone they didn’t know I was black until after they hired me. I never dealt with any adversity. My first two projects, Arkanium and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, were both through Dreamwave and those guys been showing me nothing but love. When you think about the question of black dudes in comics though you can’t help but ask the question why are there so few. I think a lot of it has a lot to do with motivation, drive, encouragement and the community too. There isn’t a strong support for art in general in the black community. As fucked up as it is a lot of the encouragement for activity in the black community to gain success is through shortcuts like drugs or physical shit like athletics. You never hear kids saying I want to grow up to be an artist. To this day, it’s not really encouraged and you kind of have to find it yourself. It starts with the kids first.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being in the comic book industry and what’s the most difficult?
I think the most rewarding aspect of comics based on the experience that I’ve had is to actually have fun on what I’m working on. I think the minute it stops becoming fun and becomes a chore it’s time to let it go. The toughest part about drawing comics is that you have to do everything in twenty-two days. I would really like to take my time and work on stuff. Your artistic integrity as a monthly comic book artist is always compromised. You always have to worry about the quantity and not the quality.
It’s time for the bullets portion of the interview. I’m just gonna throw em at you and you have to pick one or the other.
Who would make a better pimp Al Sharpton or Hugh Hefner?
Al Sharpton
Which taste better oranges or apples?
Oranges
Gummy bears or Twizzlers?
Gummy Bears
Fried or Grilled Meat?
Grilled
Do you prefer Brazilian or Puerto Rican women?
Puerto Rican mostly because the only Brazilian I ever met was at a video.
Would you prefer a freak or geek?
Freak
A psychotic or a crackhead?
A crackhead because she won’t kill me
Weights or calisthenics?
Calisthenics. It ain’t nothing like lifting your own weight.
Steroids or Creatine?
I don’t know what the other one is so I’ll go with steroids.
Sean John or Phat Farm?
Phat Farm
Tennis or Timberlands?
Tims
Hat or haircut?
Hat
What rapper is better Fabolous or Loon?
Mase
Haha
Nick Cannon or Puffy?
Puffy
If you had to choose a place to live, would it be in Compton or with Al Qaeda?
Al Qaeda man
Bath or Shower?
Shower
Final Question. The U.S needs your help. Where the hell is Osama Bin Laden?
Osama got a sex change and he’s working at the Pentagon.
