Story & Lesson Highlights with Lance Rousseau of Glendale

We recently had the chance to connect with Lance Rousseau and have shared our conversation below.

Lance, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
These days, my main focus is getting my books onto physical retail shelves. Earlier this year, I released my first children’s coloring book, Ralphie’s Calling, which is now available through major online retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million. With this being my third published title, my goal is to expand beyond online distribution and build a strong presence in brick-and-mortar stores as well.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Lance Rousseau, and I’m an illustrator who has been drawing since childhood. That passion led me to earn a BFA in Animation and eventually move to Los Angeles to pursue my career. Over the years, my work has appeared on major networks such as Disney Channel, Comedy Central, BET and many more.

In 2016, I founded 10 Remsen Entertainment, where I create and publish books worldwide. Our IPs stand out for their character-driven storytelling and the original worlds inspired by my experiences and imagination.

Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
The first moment that comes to mind is from 2019, when I was checking out the comic-book store scene here in LA. My first comic, Grizmok Deli, had just released that year, and I was browsing the shelves to size up the competition. This might not sound great, but I expected the quality of comics to be at a much higher level. What I actually found was the opposite. The standard of what customers could buy in stores was much lower than I expected. That realization gave me a burst of confidence and reassured me that the work I was doing was more than enough, if not better.

Is there something you miss that no one else knows about?
It would have to be when I first moved to LA almost ten years ago. In a previous interview, I mentioned a promising role at a studio that fell through. Long story short, that situation left me living out of hotels for a couple of months. Even though that period of time was challenging both mentally and physically, it was also oddly freeing. Not being tied down to a 9–5 was refreshing. I spent most of my days traveling around LA, working on my portfolio in coffee shops, applying for jobs, and relaxing at the beach whenever I felt like it. I definitely miss that.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
Unfortunately, it comes down to the classic idea that working hard will automatically lead to success. In my experience, it doesn’t matter how talented you are or how much effort you put in. If you’re not connected to the right people, your dream of working in the industry might never happen. I can’t tell you how many rooms I’ve been in where someone was offered a gig simply because they knew the right person or from word of mouth. I’m not saying you shouldn’t work hard, I’m saying you should work smart. Make sure your work meets industry standards at the very least, and network relentlessly in both digital and social spaces.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
That’s an interesting question. It’s definitely not the latter, but I’m not sure I was born to do this either. I realized early on that I excelled in art and simply stuck with it. Over time, I figured out how to turn it into a career and make a living. Maybe what I was born to do is still on the way. I’m not finished yet.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FH7HT79T
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lancerousseau/
• Other: https://www.10remsenent.com/