Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joshua Newborn. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Joshua, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
My work ethics come from being blessed with two amazing parents, who are very different people. My father instilled very strong and grounded work habits into my life at a young age. He was a dedicated worker for the city of Los Angeles until he retired and when I was young pops introduced me to activities which required much disciple such as martial arts, drawing and photography. My dad really laid the foundation or brickwork for everything that I am doing today showing me hard work, organization and dedication.
My mother on the other hand was a beautiful and free spirit. She never really stayed at one job very long and was always coming up with ideas for new businesses. Knowing it’s a fact that most businesses will fail, it takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there and start a business. I watched my mom go through this process again and again, putting herself through financial strain and sometimes damaging the relationship with my father. But, I don’t think I would have started the journey I’m on if I hadn’t witnessed it. My mother instilled courage, persistence, and the notion that it is okay to take risks sometimes and be yourself.
Both parents equally fueled my creativity and encouraged me to express myself. But, its from the the combination of these two individual’s, the mixture of my fathers calm fortified discipline and my mothers exciting and fun chaos that has birthed the man I am today, along with my ethics and work principles.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
In December of 2022 I started a publishing company called Stoned Road LLC and published my first science fiction novel called The Story of Defcon 5. In order to understand how I got to this point, we have to rewind the clock all the way back to 1996. At this time, I had just moved to Pasadena and finished high school. I was enrolled at Pasadena City College where I formed a ton of new friendships based off two simple things, art and music. My network of friends were always gathering and participating in everything from hip-hop cyphers to art shows. Inspired by the talent that i was surrounded with, I took a couple friends likeness and in a 24×36 sketch book created a series of comic book panels which I titled Defcon 5.
Fast forward to the year 2013. While my sketches of Defcon 5 were locked away in my garage collecting dust, I started working in the cannabis industry. The regulations of legality at that time were constantly in flux and series of misfortunate events led to me being on the run from the law for a year. During that time, I fell into a deep state of depression, feeling like all hope was lost and that I would end up in jail for a long time. I desperately needed something to focus my energy on, so along with returning to college, I decided to write out the complete story of the Defcon Five. Luckily, after the police caught up with me and six months of court trials the charges were dropped and I was a free man!
I finished writing the story in 2019 and to my surprize the small five page comic book had evolved into an eighty thousand word novel. I went through an extended period of time finding and working with the right editor, then came across Cheyenne, who was the perfect fit. A year later, the novel was finished and I took my simple cover drawing to an amazing artist named Kristian and he brought my vision of the cover to life with perfection. An amazing team has made this journey feel so right.
The book has been out for about a year now, we just celebrated the 1 year anniversary on December 5th or as we call it D5 Day! In the last year I have done two really fun conventions, AlienCon in Pasadena and ComicCon LA where the book was well received. I love getting people excited to read it. Also in the past year I have written two more books which expand the Stoned Road Universe. My writing process is now much more streamlined and organized now than it was with the first book which allows me to develop the stories faster.
The two titles soon to be released are:
Black Bunson: Birthright – A story about how young time traveller gets his powers.
Defcon 5: The Venus Chronicles – The thrilling sequel to my first novel.
Looking to the future of Stoned Road, I aim to expand outside of just books. We recently published a series of workbooks and journals to inspire others and help creativity flow. Along with the low content books, I am currently in the final stages of development of The Defcon 5 Board Game! A brand new style of game which is kind of like monopoly meets dungeons and dragons. And finally, I find myself returning back to the original concept as I plan to produce a series of comic books which will be tied to the Defcon 5 storyline. These stories have become so much a part of my life that I think I will be dishing them out for the rest of my days. Meaning, there’s much more to come!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Patience – Understanding that it’s not going to happen over night. But, as long as you’re making a little progress here and there and you keep at it, you’ll make things happen. For me writing has been like a journey where I started out just walking, then jogging, then running. Now, I’ve built this machine which travels like a spaceship, but I wouldn’t be here without patience.
Experience – When I write, my biggest inspiration for ideas is the the experiences I’ve had over the years. Experience can be so many different things too. Going to a new place, trying a new hobby or just having a conversation with an elder. Life’s little events can be a type of fuel for creative people like me. To explain this I refer to an instagram post I wrote awhile ago.
“Get out. See things. Do Stuff. Travel more. By plane, train or your own two feet. Meet new people. Build your brand. Follow your dreams. Set them goals. Be prepared to fail. But, do not quit. Take a break. Smile more. Let someone you love, know that you do. Hug, often it’s better than a handshake. Break a rule. Jump outside the box in a leap of faith. Take the risk. Absorb the energy of day and shine at night. End up in a new place. Let the unrewarding relationship go. Read more. Research your favorite things. Rely on understanding. Fix what’s broken or just get rid of it. Stack knowledge. Spread love. Acquire wisdom. Speak free but remain compassionate. Fight the systems of oppression. Let go of restraints to your character. Be you… Be good. Live.” @jk_newborn
Listening (Without Reacting) – A vital tool I use which has developed my ability to create such things as Defcon. Hearing people’s stories and criticism has definitely made me a better writer. Outside input is vital because we only see the world through our own eyes and sometimes that can be limiting. Something that makes sense to you may not be so evident to another, therefore, networking and communicating can be very useful in growth. Allow yourself to absorb the ideas around you.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I love collaboration, it’s been the heartbeat of everything I am doing. I’m always looking for artists, writers or creatives to partner with. After all, you can’t build a city on your own. In the future I would definitely like to have a team of artists to help me with the comic books I plan to publish. Also, any 3d designers who work with modeling or animation. The stories I am creating have the potential to explore so many different avenues of entertainment, and I don’t plan to hold back. You can do so much more if you are not doing things on your own.
Contact Info:
- Website: thestonedroad.com
- Instagram: @thestonedroad
- Facebook: Stoned Road
- Twitter: @thestonedroad
