Check Out Moe Price’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Moe Price.

Hi Moe, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Born and raised in Rochester NY, I knew very early in my life I wanted to be a cartoonist. Sonic the Hedgehog Archie comics were an easy escape from my turbulent home life, so when I realized I could draw comics myself that would bring similar happiness to those around me, I was hooked. I applied to and was accepted into S.V.A., where I received my bachelor’s in cartooning at the height of the pandemic. Looking for jobs in the creative industry during covid was a struggle, especially when I had little to no contacts in the industry. I spent some time away from doing art full time and took up a job signing people in state-funded housing for the vaccine in NYC, moving on to working in a small comic shop soon after. After my fiancé was able to land a well-paying job, I was fortunate enough to have the means to focus on my art career once again once we moved back to my hometown, and I have been doing so ever since. Mainly my days are filled with editing for Submarine Treehouse, a small indie publishing company, as well as drawing and writing my LGBTQIA+ take on Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t been easy, that’s for sure. I count my lucky stars for what I’ve been able to accomplish, but most of my path was paved by my own hands. Few members of my family were supportive of my choice to become an artist; thankfully, my mom always had my back (otherwise, I’m unsure I would have had the courage to choose the life I did). My first comic, I drew professionally was fully completed (all that was left to do was for the colorist to finish coloring my line work) when it was unceremoniously trashed by the author. Thankfully, I was still paid, but it hurt to see so much of my work tossed aside and unable to be shown to anyone. Much of the job opportunities I found through searching endlessly on Twitter under calls for artists, most of my success I feel comes from my dogged drive to work in the industry.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create comics for people who haven’t had it easy; I specialize in comics that take a hard look at the psychological aftereffects of child abuse. My current work, “Frankenstein: Hearth Found,” confronts the difficulties someone who has never received love in their formative years has when they venture out in the world and try to find love. As someone experiencing the same dilemma, I feel obligated to create something that might help others who might be struggling also. I was told in college that the style of my artwork doesn’t immediately lend itself to the narratives I write, and I take that as a compliment. Who doesn’t love a good juxtaposition between word and image? Other than that, I think I’m known for the bold color palettes in my work. I’ve noticed that a lot of comics in the major players have only recently been dipping their toes back into more vibrant colors for their comics, but when I was growing up, everyone was obsessed with making everything look super realistic (resulting in very dull pages, in my opinion). Stylization over realism any day.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I wear my heart on my sleeve; I think it’s pretty apparent from my work what kind of personality I have, funnily enough. My work being bright and bombastic tends to reflect how I talk and my sense of humor. I suppose it might not be readily recognizable that I heavily struggle with depression and anxiety from how I draw. I’m honestly glad thats the case, I get enough queries into my mental health from the themes in my writing. I struggle with a lot of imposter syndrome, which I’m sure most artists deal with. I may have worked hard to get where I am, but I’m still always checking around and waiting for the floor to fall out from under me, which is terrifying. I’m working on it though, it just might take a while.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.moemoejuice.myportfolio.com
• Instagram: @moemoejuicy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094492571141&mibextid=LQQJ4d (Moe Price on Facebook)