by Mike RhodeRockeats Alcoreza's exhibit at Artomatic is heavily-influenced by graffiti and popular culture, especially animation. We reached out to him to ask our usual questions, some of which are less relevant to a painter than a cartoonist.
What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?
I do a mixture of urban street art and realism.
How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?
Acrylic paint, sometimes oil.
When (within a decade is fine) and where were you born?
I'm from DC.
Why are you in Washington now? What neighborhood or area do you live in?
I live in Arlington, VA's Green Valley.
What is your training and/or education in cartooning?
No training or education, but I feel if I take classes my talent will develop greatly.
Who are your influences?
Hip hop, anime, people
If you could, what in your career would you do-over or change?
I would've took art more serious back in middle school. I had a conflict with my art teacher at the time. I didn't continue with art. I completely dropped it. I recently picked it up again. I know for a fact if I continued doing since middle school to high school, my art would be amazing beyond amazing because I would've learned so many techniques and been guided to produce better art.
What work are you best-known for?
My backgrounds (the patterns you see in majority of my art is called THE 88's).
What work are you most proud of?
Nothing really I feel like I could do a lot better when I look back at my work.
What would you like to do or work on in the future?
Make comic strips, funny crude humor or create a book for kids. That would be the dream.
What do you do when you're in a rut or have writer's block?
I hate when that happens; listening to music sometimes helps.
What local cons do you attend? The Small Press Expo, Awesome Con, Intervention, or others? Any comments about attending them?
Awesome con, but I would like to attend more. I'm not that informed about when these events happen.
What's your favorite thing about DC?
Our go-go music. Our sense of style, the way we talk, and also the fact we are at the nation's capitol.
Least favorite?
Traffic
What monument or museum do you like to take visitors to?
Corinto gallery
How about a favorite local restaurant?
El Pollo Rico - it's in Arlington - it's crack.
Do you have a website or blog?
Websites would be https://www.facebook.com/24mobrockeats
https://www.instagram.com/24mobrockeats/
Later I will create my own website.
