By Adam Blanchard
Over his time at SUNY Plattsburgh, senior Steven Vazquez has become proficient in putting his creativity into motion, setting story-rich comic panels onto paper.
Vazquez grew up in the Bronx surrounded by comics, manga and mythology, which he uses to create action-packed stories that touch on real world issues. Having an interest in a wide range of comics, he welcomes conversation about the many stories he’s grown up around.
“I like stories, but we don’t always want to read a whole book to get there,” Vazquez said. “We also want to have visuals, which I like about art.”
Vazquez cites manga such as “Dragon Ball Z,” “Jujutsu Kaisen” and “Naruto” as a few of his main inspirations. His journey began simple, replicating different Pokemon, but has developed into creating his own original comic..
The comic follows a similar formula to that of many shonen, a manga demographic centered around action and adventure. Vazquez combines parts from traditional Navajo beliefs, Algonquian folklore and Norse mythology to create the comic’s main character, Timid the Brave, who strays away from shonen protagonist cliches.
Vazquez said Timid’s character has become a product of his environment, succumbing to overconsumption and greed.
“He’s not really there for his people because, eventually, he wants it all,” Vazquez said. “It’s like the ‘Might Makes Right’ kind of sequence.”
Vazquez has thought carefully about the characteristics of each character in his series, having concept sketches as well as storyboards for each scene. Each sketch captures the individual character’s personality as well as highlights the developments the characters face throughout the story.
When he’s not working on his comic, Vazquez can be found helping out throughout the art department. As a member of the Art Acquisition Board, he and the board work to acquire and provide meaningful, educational works of art to SUNY Plattsburgh’s campus.
Vazquez also works in the art museum as part of a museum internship, where he archives data, moves art displays around the Myers Fine Arts Building and keeps art clean. Vazquez said he accepted the internship to get more art handling experience. He said there’s more to art life, emphasizing the effort that goes into maintaining and displaying art.
Some work of his has been displayed at SUNY Plattsburgh, with Vazquez recalling a sculpture he made focusing on a baseball cap he received from his father, an important object to him. Currently, Vazquez has both sculpture and drawing pieces displayed in the 2026 B.A. Art and Design Senior Show, located in the lobby of the Myers Fine Arts Building.
When asked about his future, Vazquez said he hopes to eventually create an independent studio to create comics. Before going independent though, Vazquez said he would ideally work under a larger company such as DC or Marvel to make a name for himself and gain experience.
Vazquez’s favorite comic book character is Spider-Man; He looks up to the story behind his creation and hopes to create a household character that people look up to like Spider-Man.
“He started off as a comic. He started as an idea, like someone we could resonate with,” Vazquez said. “And he became bigger than that. A name you can say anywhere and they know who he is.”
To see more of Vazquez’s work, visit his art Instagram, @art_with_a_v.
Steven Vazquez’s storyboard Sketches
