Kevin Grevioux, a multi-talented creator celebrated for his work on the “Underworld” movie sequence and groundbreaking comedian guide characters like “Blue Marvel,” has constructed a profession outlined by creativeness and originality. His ardour for storytelling, rooted in his childhood fascination with monsters and mythology, continues to encourage his work throughout a number of artistic mediums.
“My old flame was dinosaurs as a result of what are they however actual monsters?” Grevioux mentioned, reflecting on the origins of his artistic pursuits. He defined how biblical references to creatures just like the Behemoth in “Job” and dragons additional ignited his creativeness.
“All of that, you understand, coming collectively actually sparked my curiosity in cinema and comedian books,” he mentioned.
Rising up within the Sixties and 70s, Grevioux noticed that filmmaking wasn’t a broadly thought of profession path for Black creators.
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“Particularly if you happen to’re Black, the humanities so far as movie actually wasn’t one thing you went into,” he mentioned. “These had been for singers or athletes, however nobody ever talked about being a screenwriter or director.”
As a substitute, Grevioux pursued science, incomes an undergraduate diploma in microbiology from Howard College and learning genetic engineering in graduate college. Though he didn’t full his grasp’s program, he credited his educational background with instilling a curiosity and self-discipline that influenced his artistic pursuits.
This mix of scientific precision and inventive storytelling discovered its most iconic expression in “Blue Marvel,” a personality Grevioux created to problem conventional portrayals of Black superheroes.
“We hadn’t seen a Black character like that created by a Black creator,” he mentioned. “Many of the superheroes we’ve recognized and beloved have been created by white males, which is okay.”
With “Blue Marvel,” Grevioux confronted the complexities of race and heroism, setting the character’s story throughout the civil rights period.
“It actually put him within the thick of that interval and explored the sensible penalties of a Black man having that a lot energy throughout a time when folks weren’t prepared for it,” he defined.
The character, conceived when Grevioux was simply 12 years outdated, stays a cornerstone of his work and continues to encourage his present tasks, together with an upcoming creation referred to as “Megas.” Transitioning from appearing to roles behind the scenes, Grevioux gained a deeper understanding of storytelling dynamics.
“As a fan, you are likely to ask a whole lot of questions—why did they go on this route as an alternative of that one?” mentioned Grevioux.
“As a director, it’s a must to take all of that and reformat it in a manner that’s digestible to a bigger viewers whereas additionally appeasing everybody concerned. It may be troublesome however deeply satisfying.”
Grevioux emphasised that storytelling transcends mediums, whether or not it’s movie, comics, or animation.
“Storytelling is storytelling,” he mentioned. “Although totally different mediums are disseminated in numerous methods, the essence of storytelling stays the identical.” He urged aspiring creators to diversify their expertise.
“It’s important to study to diversify your artistic lexicon. That manner, you retain working.” Seeking to the long run, Grevioux acknowledged the rising affect of expertise in storytelling, notably synthetic intelligence. “AI isn’t going away; it’s right here to remain,” he mentioned.
“You higher determine the right way to incorporate that into no matter it’s you do, or else you’re going to be left behind.” On the similar time, he inspired creators to keep up their ardour for authentic content material, advising them to “be creating one thing new each six weeks and see the place that takes you.”
One remorse Grevioux expressed was not studying to attract at an early age. “Discover ways to draw,” he mentioned emphatically.
“You may be your personal creator. You don’t have to rent anybody to conceive one thing for you, and that’s a robust factor.” He believes inventive self-sufficiency is invaluable.
As a staunch advocate for originality, Grevioux spoke out in opposition to merely modifying present characters to extend variety.
“Don’t change a longtime white character to Black and name it a brand new character,” he mentioned. “Create your personal characters, your personal tales, entire fabric.”
His work at DarkStormComics.com, the place he has launched tasks like “Darkish Storm” and “Djinntara,” displays this philosophy. These characters, he defined, are designed to push boundaries whereas exploring fashionable cultural complexities.
“We have to create our personal superheroes, our personal fantasy tales.”
Nonetheless, he cautioned in opposition to supporting tasks solely primarily based on identification, urging audiences to prioritize high quality and creativity as an alternative.
“If we’re going to achieve success at this, we want one another’s assist, however it could’t simply be about illustration. It needs to be about making nice tales.”
Trying again on his profession, Grevioux attributed a lot of his success to remaining open to new alternatives and embracing change.
“I got here out right here to be purely a author, possibly a producer,” he mentioned.
“I by no means needed to behave, however when you get into the trade, you type of acknowledge that possibly you’ve got a expertise to work in one other discipline for some time.”
As he continues to increase his artistic portfolio, Kevin Grevioux stays dedicated to telling tales that resonate. His recommendation to aspiring creators is as sensible as it’s inspiring.
“Don’t be afraid to sort out something. One factor can result in one other, and also you by no means know the place it would take you.”
