by DEZ MENDEZ//Feature Editor
Living two lives, Marc Watson doubles as a beloved comic book creator and professor.
Watson moved to Lubbock in 1999, having grown up in El Paso. Watson has always been focus on his art since he was younger, although his medium has changed a lot since then.
“The combination of extreme unchallenging boredom at school, with the inspirational awesomeness of Sonic the Hedgehog and The Simpsons, had me doodling all the time,” said Watson.
Drawing fan art was an obsession of Watson’s, but that all changed when he picked up a copy of “Sonic the Hedgehog #10” from a gas station during a family trip. That issue is what inspired Watson to start creating his own ideas. It helped Watson express ideas to others and to make a difference.
“Art can be the purest form of an expression of who we are,” said Watson. “ By creating the works, I am giving life to my ideas and beliefs, as well as my greatest passions.”
Watson has showcased his art work in varies countries such as Australia, Germany, Italy, France, England, Spain, Brazil and many more. Watson’s art is also in some private collections from around the world.
“I have been showcased on MilkTv in Victoria, Melbourne, Australia,” said Watson. “ I have also done various album cover designs.”
Recently, Watson has been focused on creating graphic novels as tools for education.
“ I have released several books, with the latest being a comic that teaches one point perspective,” explained Watson.
Watson’s comic is now in the hands of most Lubbock area art teachers from grades K-12, some teachers in the Houston area, as well as in a high school in Germany.
Watson’s earliest involvement in the art community, started in 2002 as Vice President of the National Art Honor Society at Coronado High School. For the last 10 years off and on, Watson has been involved with the First Friday Art Trails and local art shows in Lubbock.
Lubbock-Con is another great community that Watson is strongly involved in. The newest roll that Watson has is as an administrator and moderator for Lubbock Artist Collective, which is a group of artists working together toward shared goals.
Watson participates in the Pokémon Go art drop in Lubbock, also run by the founder of the Lubbock Artist Collective. This event is free to the public and is put on by local artists. They draw the characters and place them around town for people to find.
“First off, I play Pokémon Go regularly, so no shame there,” stated Watson.
Watson’s latest creation is “Meteors ‘n Milk,” a story of an alien and cow that fall in love while trying to survive a post-apocalyptic world.
The characters come from various events and concepts in Watson’s life, as well as influences from specific people. His characters are a unique existence, so he writes and illustrates them as he feels they are portrayed.
“You can not say, ‘Oh, so this is you and that is her, because the truth is they are their own identity and that is important to me,” said Watson.
Watson wants the readers to be able to connect with his characters, as they would know them personally and feel what they would feel.
In 2002, Watson decided to attend Texas Tech University. He began working on his Bachelor of Fine Arts. Watson found himself teaching others how to do certain techniques and concepts.
Watson began to attend the Lubbock Sketch Club, founded by Warner Brothers character designer Will Terrell.
“Working with Terrell, I ended up doing a lot of events where I drew with children and adults,” said Watson.
After receiving his BFA, Watson then later went on to pursue a Master of Art Education degree. This past August, Watson graduated with his masters and took a teaching position at SPC as Professor of Art Education.
“I love teaching and it is truly a passion of mine,” said Watson.
Watson’s passion is to be able to give children a better and more accessible world. Watson also believes in transcultural education that places no child or student at a disadvantage.
“I am teaching not only students but the future teachers as well,” said Watson. “ I am inspired by the abilities of art and teaching that I possess to make a positive difference in this world.”
Watson’s advice to other artist is to remember that you are always learning, and that no one is better than anyone and you can learn from one another.
To check out Watson’s work visit: http://www.meteorsnmilk.com
Facebook.com/meterosnmilk, Twitter.com/meteorsnmilk, tumblr.com/meteorsnmilk, Instagram.com/meteorsnmilk.
[Photo by DEZ MENDEZ/PLAINSMAN PRESS]
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