Comic illustrators share inspiration and vision with fans, fellow artists

8 min readJun 12, 2020

Cesar Flores and Erik Arreaga, two premiere artists in the comic world, share insights on their career in our series highlighting various artists in Southern California

Art is hard to escape — it’s everywhere you look. While there are many different types of art, one that is often overlooked is the comic world. Here, we’re showcasing two Southern California comic artists who share their love for their genre.

Meet Cesar Flores
Originally from Los Angeles, Cesar now resides in Apple Valley with his wife Helen and son named Grayson.

Comic illustrator Cesar Flores with wife Helen and Grayson

Genre of art: Comic illustration

How long have you been doing this type of art?
Cesar: I’ve been doing this type of art for around four to five years.”

What’s your attraction and interest in this type of art?
Cesar: I’ve always had a love for comics since I was young, but what really got me into living the art of comics were artists like Jim lee, Marc Silvestri, Whilce Portacio and many more. I still remember picking up an issue of X-Men that Jim Lee drew and was amazed by it.

How long have you been an artist?
Cesar: I would draw when I was a kid all the time but when I got to high school I sort of let it go for some reason. About four years ago I started selling comic books at a collectible show called frank and son collectibles and there was artists there and I became really good friends with one of them. His name is Nick Hernandez and he helped jump start my love for art especially comic art.

What do you do with your art? Do you participate in shows like fairs, conventions? Do you sell online or do commissions?
Cesar: Instead of selling comics at the Frank & Son Collectible Show, I’m now selling prints of my art there twice a week. I’ve also done some comic conventions and have been a part of free comic book day as an artist for comic shops. Right before the COVID pandemic happened, I started doing art walks. I do commissions and have done sketch cards for Marvel, DC Comics and Rick and Morty.

Why is art important to you?
Cesar: Right after high school I was aimlessly working paycheck-to-paycheck for years, not knowing what I wanted to do with my life. Then I fell into art and started drawing every night after work, working on my goal to get paid for doing something that I love. Without art I would still be aimlessly working.

What do you want people — both fans and non-fans — to know about your art and the comic world?
Cesar: Comic book art is often looked at as kind of trivial. Many people don’t realize that being a comic book artist or an aspiring comic artist like myself, is that it’s a very difficult job. Not only do you have to know how to draw everything, but you have to learn about perspective, composition, lighting. You’re not just the artist but you’re also a director. You have to learn how to tell a story with your art. I’m still working on all those things and have so much to learn. Hopefully one day I’ll be good enough to have some kid look at my art the way I looked at Jim Lee’s art and be amazed by it.

It’s hard to gauge with COVID right now, but any future plans for exhibits, shows, etc.?
Cesar: Right now, the only shows that I know that I’m going to be doing is Frank & Son Collectible Show and the Riverside Art Walk. If comic shops do free comic day, I might be able to do that also.

Anything else in particular you want to share?
Cesar: If anyone’s near Hacienda Heights on Wednesdays, Saturdays or Sundays, stop by Frank & Son Collectibles and say hello!

Right now, the only shows that I know that I’m going to be doing is Frank & Son Collectible and the Riverside Art Walk. If comic shops do free comic day, I might be able to do that also.

If anyone is near Hacienda Heights on Wednesdays, Saturdays or Sundays, stop by rank & Son Collectible and say hello!

Meet Erik Arreaga
The San Diego-area native resides in nearby Chula Vista with his wife Geraldine (and high school sweetheart, married for 23 years to and is an elementary school teacher). They have one daughter, Jasmine, 23-years-old, a graduate from San Francisco State University with a degree in cinema.

San Diego-area comic illustrator Erik Arreaga. Photo credit: Thomas Mathew

How long have you been doing this type of art?
Erik: Oh wow, I’ve been interested in comic art for as long as I can remember, definitely during elementary school. So, I’d say going on 35 years or so.

What’s your attraction and interest in this type of art?
Erik: Growing up my brother was a hardcore comic book collector, so I would always go through his books looking at the art and just being fascinated on all the styles artists were creating at the time. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, comic illustrators were the most influential to me. It was during a time that comic illustration took a major turn. Also, it was pretty cool knowing that someone could make a career out of it so it definitely attracted me very early on.

Tell us more about how long you’ve been an artist.
Erik: I feel like I’ve been an artist all my life, it’s just something I’ve always been in me. Creating and just being able to be free with it. I very vaguely remember, I was 5 years old or so, drawing on notepads already creating my own superheroes. They were stick figures, but the art seed was planted. Professionally, I got my first professional work around the age of 14 and was attending conventions promoting art.

What do you do with your art (example: fairs, conventions, do you sell online, are you commissioned, etc.)
Erik: I was born and raised in San Diego, so naturally San Diego Comic-Con has been an amazingly important part of my life. It’s where I got my first professional table and have been an exhibitor since the late 1990s. That jumpstarted the passion to travel to other conventions around the country, like Seattle, New York, Orlando to name a few. Just recently I’ve been lucky enough to have my work take me to shows around the world to other countries. I can easily say that attending shows is where I make the majority of my business, but I do sell online on my website and connect with fans on social media who ask for commissions. I’m a very social person, so interactions with fans is important to me.

Why is art important to you?
Erik: I think art is life. We’re surrounded by art from the moment we wake up to the point when we are heads down and go to sleep. Art is therapeutic and is an incredible outlet. The great thing about it is how an artist can create. The process of it all fascinates me, from the concept to the finished product. If you notice on my social medium platforms, I always post videos on my art process. I think many, like myself, get inspired by the actual work it takes than the actual finished piece.

What do you want people — both fans and non-fans — to know about your art and the comic world?
Erik: Support independent artists! Probably one of the biggest suggestions I could give. There are so many artists that go unseen because they are overshadowed by the “big name” professionals, but have so much to offer. Supporting an independent artist can make all the difference. When it comes to me, I think for the most part is just to be open minded. I can go from the average superhero to “mature” content in a blink. I try not stay in a guideline of subject matter — I want my fans to witness it all.

While it’s hard to gauge with COVID right now, do you have any future plans for exhibits, shows, etc.?
Erik: Yes, that pandemic really hurt artists like myself and many of my colleagues who rely on many events and shows to sell artwork. I would like to please ask everyone to reach out to an artist online and support them during this time, it could really make a difference. For now, I’m taking this time as a positive moment to reconnect with myself as an artist. Creating new material and finding new ways to showcase not only my work, but myself. However, to stay safe I’m looking at early 2021 to start getting back out there.

Anything else in particular you want to share?
Erik: If someone is inspiring to be an artist my advice is: don’t stop. I encourage parents to nurture it from an early age if they see an interest, however, don’t force it, let it come naturally. Support is the key element, let them share how they see the world from their perspective. The only expectation you should have on an artist is that they don’t stop creating and share it with the world.