16 Oct Let’s Talk: Shawn Alleyne and Xion Network

BY ALEX SMITH

SERIES INTRO: For these strange times, Alex Smith for cinéSPEAK presents a recurring series of articles and interviews that will take a look at the electric Philadelphia sci-fi, fantasy and speculative futures community! This series will showcase the region’s fantastic arts through a Black, Afrofuturist lens, highlighting the spirit, energy and dreams of a movement coursing through the city. You may not know such a movement exists, or you may be already deeply empowered by the movement– regardless, welcome to Phuture Philly.

Angelic, blue beings with empowered rubies for eyes; robotic cyborg lions; teen anarchist ninjas in hyper-tech battle suits: this is the world of Shawn Alleyne, the mastermind behind the enigmatic art studio Pyroglyphics and the architect of the multi-media brigade Xion Network. Both enterprises explode from Alleyne’s mind with one driving purpose: to create imagined worlds that futurize and augment the Black experience, and, as Alleyne puts it, the Nubian experience. 

I met Shawn Alleyne 12 years ago; we were both working in a small cafe, having bonded over a shared passion: comic books and hip hop. We’d pass the time with the usual conversations two comics and sci-fi obsessed brothas in close proximity would have: we pit super-heroes against each other (he’s a Marvel guy, I’m more of a DC fan), we’d argue the potency of emcees and producers, in between making bagel sandwiches and stocking the coffee bar and ringing up the yuppies who’d traipse down from their condos to shop for organic treats and gourmet food by the pound. Since then, Alleyne has pushed forward, quitting the food industry, and using his art to make a living. His is a world of dynamic characters, constant motion, creation and hustle, at the core of which is no mere capitalistic pursuit, but a need to give back to his community, to help other young Black children realize their worth through his workshops and teaching. At the core of his beliefs is that young, Black, Nubian people have a future, and that they can be heroes. We sat down with Alleyne and chatted about the power of comic books and art and media in a society that looks to marginalize.

ALEX SMITH FOR CINESPEAK: I’m aware a little of your journey, having met you many years ago in the food industry, but you were one of the first artists I’d ever met who decided to leave customer service or the 9 to 5 to work for themselves. What was the catalyst for that transition? How difficult were the early years and what were some of the pitfalls you encountered when you started freelancing? How do you think you’ve grown?

SHAWN ALLEYNE: For me, when it came to making the move from slinging sandwiches to full time lead-slinging artist, it was a combination of things. A cocktail of thoughts of getting older and questioning my destiny; mixed with a nomadic job to job journey not feeling happy; capped with getting laid off and haphazardly starting my art business full time cause I wasn’t doing anything else. They were all building blocks in me trying to find what would make me happy. And once I went into my art full time, I never looked back.

The early years were really rough. At first it was manageable because I was on Unemployment while I was doing my art, so I had a trusty little safety net, but once that ran out I went into full panic mode. I’ll never forget the moment I realized “oh shit, this is real!” It was all trial and error and financially I fell into a hole that I feel I am only now recovering from. The main issues I encountered were not managing my time correctly and not understanding how to diversify my income. I think not knowing my own worth also contributed to a lot of issues. This led me to taking low paying gigs I had no right considering, working on free projects for the “exposure,” and not understanding contracts. Now that I think about it, I would say it all stems from not understanding business and I recommend to any one to take some kind of business course. Last, I was also developing my style and building my skills, so projects took longer than they should have. 

Over the course of the years I can say the major way I’ve grown is in developing myself as a business and as a businessperson. Before, it was “I just want to draw.” And while that’s great and you should never lose the glee in whatever it is you do, it’s just as critical to make sure you are able to monetize what you do. With that said, not all money is good money. I’ve locked in what I want in a client, and I think that’s an important element to emphasize. As much as a client is choosing you, you are in a position to choose the kind of person you want to do work for. Knowing that will save a lot of headaches. I’ve also expanded my merchandise and found out the kind of artist I want to be. In addition to tightening up my contracts and not working for free. That’s a big one. (laughs) Over the years I think I can say I’ve grown artistically as well. 

CINESPEAK: How would you describe your work from when first starting out versus now? What artists or creatives do you look to as inspirations?

ALLEYNE: When I first started out I would say my work was very “raw” and energetic. I would just put pencil to paper and go for it. While that has a certain level of appeal and freedom, I would like to think that my style now is more refined and thought out. I can’t lie though, there are times I feel I am missing some of the “grit” of my earlier works, and I’m seeking to incorporate some of that flavor back into my current pieces. 

Aside from how I draw, another major change in my work is what I draw. Over the years as I’ve studied myself more, met other artists of Nubian culture, and been exposed to more things, I have migrated to fuse the things I already loved– elements of sci-fi, mythology, and comic book art– with my Caribbean roots, love of hip-hop and social stances to manifest my concepts.

As far as inspirations, I have always based my work on comic book artists I grew up on, and there are those who directly influence my style such as Bart Sears, Travis Charest, Carlos Pacheco and Greg Titus. However, while I looked to those guys for tangible lessons on anatomy, details, etc, there are also those that influence me in a variety of ways– in things like imagination (Stacy ‘Blackstar’ Robinson); energy (Eric Canete); storytelling (Olivier Coipel, Pepe Larraz, Kenjji); design (Masumune Oshirow); just to name a few. Truthfully, I am attracted to anyone who has a unique style and isn’t afraid to let the world see that in all it’s true glory. The great thing is that now my eyes have awakened, I can be influenced by all of these people and combine it with my Nubian connections to produce work true to me. 

CINESPEAK: There seems to be a strong cultural and political element to your work. How do you inject your social ideas into your work so intently without being heavy handed? As well, it seems like cultural representation is important to you. Can you talk a bit about that?

ALLEYNE: Growing up, every character I created was white or Asian. It wasn’t until 2005, after meeting the amazing folks at the EAST COAST BLACK AGE OF COMICS (ECBACC), primarily Maurice Waters, Yumy Odum and Akinseye Brown, that I was exposed to a whole new world of characters that looked like me. These guys were not only unapologetically Nubian, their characters were unapologetically Nubian, and cool as hell as well! (I also want to credit Alex Smith for being the guy to hand me the ECBACC flier in the first place.)  When I met those guys and then attended my first Black Comic Book Convention, that was one of those movie moments where you have the lightening-strike turning point moment in your life. I went home and immediately started changing all of my characters to be Nubian. Any new characters I created afterwards were also of Nubian ancestry. A lot of the stories and concepts I then came up with were influenced by African culture and imagery. For the first time in my life I felt the joy, the pride, and the responsibility to represent who I saw in the mirror. 

My next major cultural artistic turning point was when I was flown back to Barbados in 2012 after being gone for almost 20 years and attended a comic book con called AnimeKon. I didn’t even know Barbados had a convention ‘til that same year and it was already 3 years deep. I am eternally grateful to my mom for showing me the article, and to Matthew Clarke for responding to my messages and for pointing me to Omar Kennedy, the co-founder of the AnimeKon alongside Melissa Young. They were responsible for getting me back and that opened my life to not only a plethora of comic book artists of Barbadian origin, but this allowed me to be exposed to new stories and worlds featuring Caribbean mythology and culture. I realized I had Nubian representation, but no direct Barbadian and Caribbean representation. It was a problem I was glad to have recognized and fixed. Now, anything I do personally outside of client work features characters and situations from the Nubian and Caribbean viewpoint.

As far as the political element to my work, I have to go back a bit. As a kid in Barbados I was inundated with imported comics from “The Big Two” [ed: Marvel and DC] and numerous comic book material from Europe, which featured predominately white characters. Not to mention all the anime and TV shows I watched where all I saw were a majority of white and Asian faces. So as a result, as I mentioned earlier, every character I created as a kid shared the same aesthetics, and I never thought twice about my characters not being my own race. You might think this wouldn’t be the case on an island where the majority of people were Nubian, but it shows the power of what you ingest.  Looking back I believe us people on the island took our skin color for granted because it was normal to us. Sure there were social-economic privileges, but not so much race wars. I wasn’t raised hearing the N-word and growing up no one made me feel inferior for my race. Conversely, I also never had anyone telling me I had to be proud of my race. My time in America changed all of that and I feel a sense of duty with my art. Art to me is more than just “cool” drawings. Art is a way to communicate my thoughts, emotions, and ideas. For me, it’s an escape, a way to heal and a way to bring people together. I view myself as an Artivist. With all of that in mind that’s why I inject political statements into my work. As I cope with what is going on outside my window there will be more images centered on social awareness and various ideas/topics I want to tackle.

CINESPEAK: On those lines, you’ve done workshops for kids. What led you to do these workshops? What have some of the reactions been from both kids and parents? Do you find Black and Brown kids to be excited about comics more or less so when they can see themselves reflected in comic book art and sci-fi in general?

ALLEYNE: The workshops came about the way a lot of things in my career seem to happen: the right person at the right time. I was working with a client on a comic who also happened to work for a non-profit organization that was in need of some summer programming. The client asked if I could put together a comic book curriculum and next thing I know I was teaching a class of 15 students. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Soon after that I encountered a guy at another convention who loved my comic book program and gave me a list of after-school facilities to call. I called all of those numbers that Monday and was teaching off and on ever since.
I’ve received nothing but positive reviews from parents and kids alike. The response has prompted me to adapt my class into an online workshop and that will be ready by the end of August. 

It’s amazing to see how students in my classes have grown to love seeing themselves reflected in their stories. It doesn’t always start like that. Most times they do the same things I did–create white and Asian characters–‘cause much like me that’s the majority of what they see. However, unlike me they have someone now who will guide them from an early age and plant seeds in their minds. Once I see that little door unlock into a world of what could be, it’s like seeing a sunrise for the first time. 

CINESPEAK: The Xion Network has been a project you’ve worked on for over a decade. When did it start and what was the initial idea behind it? What does Xion look like now, what does it do and who’s in it?

ALLEYNE: Xion is an extension of an idea originally brought to me by the ECBACC board. They wanted me to head up the networking wing of their organization called Synergy, but that didn’t work out. After I left the board, I realized I really missed that feeling of camaraderie. Xion’s mission was great, but I wanted to form a group for anyone. 

The Xion Network is a Philadelphia based Comic Book Networking/Social gathering group I formed with the intention of bringing together comic book and pop culture enthusiasts of all sorts on a monthly basis. Whether you’re a comic book artist, writer, casual fan, whatever, this is the place for you. The group had its first meeting held on Saturday November 1st 2008, at Bucks County Coffee at 40th and Locust, with the broad umbrella view for the meetings set up as a trifecta structure featuring a creator incubator, comic book gathering, and networking group. Since its inception the group settled into a monthly “drink and draw” format, now called Art Cyphers, where artists met to live draw cosplay models. During breaks various musical acts would perform to keep the energy going, and this was unknowingly the genesis for The Xion Lounge, an open mic showcase.

The goal is still the same: to build a support group for individuals in the comic book industry, as well as to build strong friendships and better business relationships. To promote the hobby and the art-form of comics. 

CINESPEAK: Yeah, you’re also doing poetry, fine art, music– how are all of these different activities and personas connected? Is your rap and poetry connected to your artwork, particularly within comics?

ALLEYNE: As someone else who wears a lot of hats once told me: it’s all just different extensions of my creative core. At heart I’m a creator– I have a lot of interests and I want to express myself in a multitude of ways. I don’t want to be boxed into one way of living. So many various things bring me joy and I want to explore where each of these paths take me. That is what life is about to me. 

When I rap and do my poetry that is another way for me to give birth to my thoughts and ideas. The way that words can be shaped and combined then put into the world is in itself another form of art. I treat it the same as creating visual universes because that’s what I’m doing except audibly. Another layer to my rap side is that I incorporate a lot of comic book and geek culture references into my bars, further melding the various sections of my personae. Not to mention that my rap name is taken from the classic anime M.D.Geist. That anime represents how I aim to be on the mic and how I treat my opposition. 

CINESPEAK: The comic book industry has been notoriously hard for Black creatives. Why do you think that is? Is your independent spirit a response to what basically accounts for systemic racism and exclusion? What steps should the industry take to become more diverse?

ALLEYNE: It’s hard for us as Nubian creatives for exactly the same reasons it’s hard for us in so many other fields: years upon years of white hierarchy, systemic racism, inbred cultural self-hate, and representational ignorance. 

I believe my indie spirit is a response to those things, yes, but also a response to not allowing others to control my destiny. When I first went full time as an artist I was hired by someone to work on a project I was really excited to be a part of. So excited that I allowed myself to be exploited. Ultimately, when I stood up for my rights, me and that client ended up parting on bad terms. However, he gave me a piece of advice in the form of an insult that was invaluable. He said “Shawn, you know what your problem is? You’re scared of success.” I took those words to heart and sought out to do anything art related to stay independent and never again let anything determine my fate. 

For the industry to become more diverse it needs to be attacked from multiple angles. One change needs to come from within. Mainstream publishers need to take more chances and spotlight, develop characters of varying races, cultures, and backgrounds. The same for the people they hire to create these stories.

Another angle is for indie creators to do the same. Also, while we’re at it, Nubian creators need to stop making color swapped versions of characters that already exist. If I see one more “black Naruto” or “black Goku” I’m going to dig my eyes out.

Last but not least, it’s on the fans of geekdom to demand change and stop settling for whatever scraps are thrown their way. This is a social media world and, as always, a capitalistic world. Let your dollars speak and let the message be spread that it’s time to do better. 

Alex Smith lives in the seams in the cloth of existence where he desperately stitches together universes with one hand and with the other, armed with an espresso tamp, makes valiant attempts to keep his lights on. A member of the sci-fi artist/activist collective Metropolarity, founder of the Queer sci-fi reading series Laser Life, and curator of the retro-futurist electro mash-up art-jam Chrome City, Alex’s stories and writings embolden the weird, strange, and revolutionary dichotomy of being Black and Queer in a world that marginalizes both. @TheyAreBirds (IG)