Meet Jared Hickman | Comic Artist & Illustrator

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

Hi Jared, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk can be uncomfortable (or terrifying!), but it’s impossible to achieve your dreams without it.

When I moved to LA years ago, I took a huge risk. I threw everything I owned into my Camaro and drove across the country from Oklahoma to start a new life. I knew exactly one person here in LA and had no job lined up. All I knew is that I wanted to be a comic artist, and I wanted to be as close to the industry and conventions as possible.

I then took a risk applying for a job as a video game tester at THQ, and I ended up testing games professionally for years.

While game testing, I took a risk applying to move into a position as a Production Artist. I got the job and grew a ton as an artist. A couple years later, I was promoted and given the official title of ‘Illustrator’.

Fast forward to 2016, and I did my first WonderCon. I had maybe fifteen prints of my half-finished work and a meager book of my lunch hour sketches. I was almost completely ignored and fell flat on my face. It took me SIX years to try again.

I did my second WonderCon in 2023. I had a ton of finished and polished prints and a beautifully printed book of my ink work. My art had improved tremendously. A lot of people came to my table and admired and bought my work. It was incredibly gratifying.

Because of WonderCon, I’ve met some talented illustrators I admire. They’ve helped me get my work published and are planning on working with me in the coming year!

The irony is that I absolutely HATE taking risks. I’m incredibly shy and tend to love my comfort zone. If I could, I’d stay in all day eating pancakes with the AC on full blast! But I do my best to push myself, because I want to be part of something bigger than myself. For me, that’s comics and illustration and the amazing community of creatives in those industries.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What I think sets my work apart is that I love to focus on emotion, joy, movement, and melodrama. I try to make sure everything I draw is in motion. Even when someone is standing still, there should be tension and drama in the pose. I’m a huge fan of Skottie Young and Toby Cypress. They both focus on the emotion first. They exaggerate poses in service of the emotion they’re trying to convey. I’m also a huge fan of Sean ‘Cheeks’ Galloway. His work is filled with so much joy and energy. I tend to naturally bring that type of thing to my work.

Maybe the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that creatives need to try to seek advice only from safe and supportive people. Bad advice or critique can damage your confidence and derail your work altogether. I was told by an editor at Comic Con once that I was ‘not a superhero artist’. Just because someone seems to be in authority or is a successful artist doesn’t mean their advice is valuable to you as an individual, and it definitely doesn’t mean they’re going to be kind and respectful of your work!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My absolute favorite place to visit is Stuart Ng Books in Torrance. It’s a magical place filled with every art book you can imagine.

If I could, I’d live at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios. It’s like living inside of a fantasy novel.

My wife and I make a yearly trip to Donut Man in Glendora. They have seasonal strawberry donuts, and JPM Comics & Games is right across the street!

I also have to mention Disneyland, or my wife might kick me out of the house for the night!

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?
My wife, Karen, is my champion and biggest supporter. Her smiling face and innate kindness always bring people to my table at conventions and shows. My Schnauzer Moby is always keeping me company. My baby girl, Violet, is my reminder to stay excited and astonished by literally everything.

Professionally, my friends Livio, Tony, Sean and Eva have been so generous and supportive. I wouldn’t be anywhere near my dreams without them. Good people are EVERYTHING in life. Risks aren’t really risks when you have peers who are helping you make the climb.

One thing I would say to other creatives: don’t just seek skills, goals or success. Seek to belong to a community of peers you admire. Don’t be shy at home, like I was for a long time. You have something to offer. Get out to conventions, art shows, or take a course. Everything else will come easier with the goal of community in mind.

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