Meet Daniel Parada | Artist-Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Daniel Parada and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daniel, why did you pursue a creative career?
I have always had an inclination in creating stories since I was a child. Drawing was a way for me to put down on paper what was going on in my head. Growing up I found art to be an accessible medium to convey my ideas, share the things I learn, and create the stories I wanted to tell. Both of my parents had something of an artistic background, my mother who wrote poetry, and my father who painted. So, my artistic pursuits were something they always supported. I was also encouraged by teachers and peers in my classes who believed I had a lot of talent and things to offer. For me it is both something I enjoy doing and feel the best way I can contribute something meaningful to the world.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art and comics intertwine with my second passion which is history, specifically, Mesoamerica. I do work recreating historical fashion/clothing or scenes of the past using extensive research. My comics also have a focus on Mesoamerica whether it is my alternate-history dark fantasy Zotz, or my current project, Dream Rider, a sci-fi epic which takes influence from the cultures of this region. For this reason my art is sometimes speculative fiction and sometimes historically accurate (or as close to). However, both rely on a lot of research as well as sharing a goal of making history more accessible and generating interest with others. This was definitely not easy to do and there were a lot of challenges. Firstly, because it is something of a niche subject it was hard for people to find me. Even though I was confident this was only a matter of time given the lack of good representation in this area. It is hard being noticed unless you are posting every day on social media. Such things can get mentally tiring and doing this while balancing work commissions, selling and making comics, researching, dealing with personal issues it is hard to find time for any of this. One thing that is important to add I needed to learn is giving myself time to rest and relax to prevent burnout. A lot of people work 9-5 jobs and take a day or two off. But with my line of work I draw from 9 am and stop around midnight. Giving breaks every now and then and no days off. And for all this not earning a steady income. The art industry is rife with exploitation and unfortunately society does not value art the same it does for other ‘real jobs’ I have had people tell me. Even though I work longer and for less pay. I was lucky to have people with large followings to give me some shoutouts early on to boost me on social media a bit. The second was to balance my time and learning to say no when being offered low rates for commissions. Along the way I did also make many friends and met fans who wanted to help me. Another major help has been patreon which allows me to get some extra income while I do work. In the beginning it was hard to earn a decent income or any money at all and it took years of stubborn persistence. I did some odd jobs and part time to earn something temporarily and took these as learning experiences or even inspirations for my stories. Some people may have quit but I was too stubborn and kept hope that I was destined to do what I was doing.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well as I live in San Francisco I would show them my neighborhood, the Mission district first. I don’t really go to bars so I wouldn’t know where is a good spot to drink but we can explore that if they’d like. For food there’s plenty of options: Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Vietnamese, Mexican. Spanish, Salvadoran, Cuban, Guatemalan restaurants,… Or there’s In and Out. Or we can buy ingredients and cook something at home too. I don’t eat out much at all since it’s pricey but I am welcome to try something here and find out. I would hope they are up for walking, we can walk for hours around the city, there are museums like the De Young where I can give them a little tour of the Mesoamerican collection there. Or enjoy Golden Gate park itself where the museum is situated in. There is also the Academy of Sciences right across from the museum. Since I don’t have a car we would get around walking or taking some public transportation. We could also walk up to the many hills we have like Bernal Hill near my house or Twin Peaks. Taking a bus across the golden gate we could also hike around the Marin Headlands, Mount Tamalpais or Miur Woods and enjoy the redwoods. There are some nice beach areas here as well around the Sutro Baths, Ocean Beach or Baker Beach. I also enjoy Japantown which is only about an hours walk away from my house. There are some great bookstores we could go to like Green Apple Books and the Cartoon Art Museum in Fort Mason. Near my house is also Dolores Park where we could people watch.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
In addition to my family I want to give a shoutout to my girlfriend, Louise Fogerty for all her support and who is a great artist herself.

Website: artstation.com/daniel-parada

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kushkatan/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Zotzcomic

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Zotzcomic/

Other: https://www.patreon.com/Zotz