Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Remo.
Justin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always based my inspiration for creating art around storytelling. No matter the medium or composition, my work had to tell a story. So, when I discovered graphic novels, it was eye-opening. A medium that combined writing with illustration in a harmony completely dependent on the ideas of the artist, one with an immense history of rules and fundamentals made to be broken. I wrote stories all the time, but when I began thinking of a visual novel, that’s when the idea for “Dust” was born.
“Dust” started as just sketches on the borders of my homework papers in high-school. What I originally thought to be just another narrative concept I would never develop further than doodles, ended up becoming my most inspired and determined piece of creative work.
I wrote a script for the first volume of Dust my freshman year at The Maryland Institute College of Art in 2019. The series would follow the misadventures of a group of medieval knights, chasing an assassin across the wasted desert remains of a post-apocalyptic Earth called “Prometheus”. For two years, with the help of many of my art school peers, I fully constructed the skeleton of the series; its characters, locations and every intricate detail as specific as how weather patterns rotated and the agriculture of the various domains I designed.
The first issue of the series was self-published in 2021 after six months of illustrating pages. It was cheap, low-quality, and lacking most sequential art fundamentals I would come to understand today; but it was real. As soon as I held the first copy in my hands, I knew that this was exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
I continued college classes, working multiple jobs, and enjoying my life in Baltimore, but “Dust” never left the back of my mind. There was never a moment in time where I was not thinking about what I would do next with the series. After I released the second and third issue, things really started becoming real for me. The Ratcliffe Center for Creative Entrepreneurship saw my unwavering determination to have my comics seen and proceeded to fund, promote, and partner with ambitions for two years. Thanks to their team, I developed the tools to transform my work from just a comic series into a professional small business. In 2024, I entered my series into the UP/Start Venture Competition and after winning a generous donation from the RCCE, Dust Comics LLC was established in the summer of 2024.
It’s about one year since that victory and I can happily say that my company and comic series has gone farther than I could have ever imagined, especially this early on. My teammates and I have attended numerous comic conventions, indie zine festivals, and art markets across the east coast. We’ve built a sizable community of readers, writers, and artists all supporting our journey. And, with the help of Inkwell Management, we are finally searching for a publisher to partner with “Dust”.
The fifth issue was just released last week, concluding the first volume of Dust. Taking a look back on all that I have accomplished since those original sketches, I could not be more happy about what I do. I have not slowed down since that first issue’s release, and believe me, that won’t change.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I can’t imagine any graphic novelist has had a “smooth road” in their career, but I can say that the support of my family and the friends I made at MICA helped tremendously in maintaining my momentum. Comics are not necessarily the most wealth-accumulating industry for indie creators, or at least during early careers, so really the biggest struggle has always been finding time to make them. Balancing my studies and my creative passion definitely made things difficult. Following graduation, the same could be said for my job, but if there was any chance to have my comics seen, I took it without hesitation. I care so much about this series and have already given so much to make my dream a reality.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Aside from my graphic novel series, I am also specialized in printmaking. In college, I studied various techniques like intaglio, relief, screen printing and lithography, which provided me with an inspiring collection of methods in which to create art. I have been designing and printing my illustrations since 2022, but I would say I am most proud of the solo exhibition I unveiled at MICA, titled, “The Last Times on Dogwater Beach”. I spent an entire year carving a massive group of woodcut prints that were featured alongside the works of my printmaking peers, and to spend hundreds of hours physically forming these works, I cannot describe the feeling of getting to see them framed and hung up. Those prints are still in circulation, featured in exhibitions internationally.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
The end goal is to have “Dust” adapted to video, much like many other graphic novel series that have inspired me. Whether it be live-action, animated, movie or series, I simply want to see my story told through film. I’m a big animated series nerd and a huge movie lover, so the dream is partnering to transform my comics to life on the big screen. Of course, before that can happen, I need to finish the series.
I just want this story to be read. In 5-10 years I hope to see “Dust” featured in every bookshelf, display, and sleeve collection in comic book stores across the world. I hope to grow my community beyond an already thriving number of fans and hear what others have to say about the series. I’m not sure how far along or behind I will be by then, but I know that no matter how long it takes, I will do everything I can to get there.
Pricing:
- The Dust Prologue is $5
- Dust Chapters 1-5 are $10 each
- Stickers are $4
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.justinremo.com/dust
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justinremo_print/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-remo-7756672a6/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1z4Of6s_22I3keQT_6MLFA
