Meet Marcus Kwame

We recently connected with Marcus Kwame and have shared our conversation below.

Marcus, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Imposter syndrome is something that many creative people deal with. The feeling that our success or recognition is somehow unearned or undeserved comes up frequently in my conversations with other artists. Those conversations were important in my overcoming imposter syndrome. Finding out that there is a name for this feeling, and that so many others experience it, helped to minimize the power that it once held in my mind. Additionally, I’ve always been a hard worker, constantly working on my personal and creative growth. I’ve put years of work into getting to where I am today, and when I think about all of the late nights of work that helped me get to the point that I’m at today, I know that it’s not an accident. To anyone dealing with imposter syndrome, resist it at all costs. It’s good to grow and improve, but imposter syndrome is not a path to progress.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’m an illustrator and fine artist. I love to draw, paint, and tell stories. My love of art started in childhood and never slowed down. Comic book art is one of my favorite forms of storytelling and I’ve been illustrating graphic novels and shorter comics for years.

My two most recent graphic novels are collaborations with David F. Walker: Big Jim And The White Boy and The Black Panther Party: A Graphic Novel History, both published by Ten Speed Graphic. Big Jim is an exciting reimagining of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that follows Jim, an enslaved man on a journey towards freedom, and his sidekick, Huck, in the antebellum South. The Black Panther Party is an Eisner Award winning graphic novel history of the revolutionary Black Panther Party. I’m honored and humbled by Big Jim’s inclusion on Forbes, The Washington Post, School Library Journal, and Library Journal’s Best Graphic Novels of 2024 lists. I’m still processing all of the good press and positive reaction.

My next graphic novel project is an adaptation of a Harriet Tubman biography with writer Joseph P. Illidge, which will be published with Harper HarperAlley.

When I’m not creating graphic novels, I love to paint and create india ink drawings. My paintings and drawings tell stories as well. I love to share the craft of art creation with students in workshops when the opportunity arises.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The three most important qualities that were most impactful in my journey are curiosity, attention to detail, and a strong work ethic. My curiosity has led me to be observant of everything around me. It’s also fueled my mission to explore social issues in much of my work. Attention to detail is valuable. Good artists make mistakes all the time, but they’re able to recognize mistakes and problems in their work and find solutions. A strong work ethic has led me to strive for continuous growth. It’s also instilled fearlessness in me when approaching challenging and intimidating projects.

I would recommend that anyone who is early in their journey focus on building these qualities. Each one of them is tied to one’s growth as a person. Your individual growth and your creative growth are connected, so working on yourself is key. Learn from life and build your craft.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

I’m thankful that my parents supported my creativity from an early age. They saw how devoted I was to the arts and provided me with opportunities to explore. My mother would get me a new sketchbook every payday. I’d fill those sketchbooks with drawings. Each sketch was a building block on my journey.

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