Alex Hoey
Alex Hoey is a San Diego-based comics artist known for dynamic line work and a comedic American-style cartoon aesthetic. His passion for storytelling started at a young age, inspired by the magazines and comics his dad collected.
"My dad got me into comics," Hoey said. "He had a lot of comics from the '70s and he had a lot of copies of 'Heavy Metal Magazine' during the late '90s to the 2000s. From there, I started getting into my own comics and finding what things I liked. I love comics so much that I eventually wanted to make my own."
Hoey is currently putting the finishing touches on "Strawbarian," a comic book about the last strawberry — Strawb — a barbarian who uses American Sign Language (ASL) and battles evil in a fruit-centered fantasy world. Strawb must defeat a banana sorcerer, the Yellow Crescent, to stop him from rewriting history and imposing tyranny.
"What I'm very excited about is that I am probably making one of the goriest, most hardcore comics I've ever made that a toddler can look at," Hoey said in 2024. "It's pretty much replacing the most barbaric R-rated scene of 'Conan the Barbarian' and replacing it with a Gushers commercial."
He added, "I just need to smoothie it all out, and it should be good."
In January, Hoey shared that the pitch for "Strawbarian" was coming together after "tireless nights" of work. The project is now being reviewed by potential publishers. He's inviting fans to support the project and see more of the "fruits of his labor" on Patreon.
Hoey is also deeply involved in the local comics community, teaching kids to draw with other local artists at Little Fish Comic Book Studio.
Juston McKee
Juston McKee calls himself a "chaotic art wizard.” He found his creative spark through comics, cartoons and Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). His art style — which he describes as "color gore" — combines bold lines, bright colors and punk influences to reflect his unique journey.
“I've always been a fan of comics and cartoons,” McKee said. “I was just reading and absorbing a lot of cartoons, comics media, and I think really early on, it kind of hit me that that's what I wanted to do."
McKee's path started with a childhood dream of launching a skateboarding company and designing his own decks featuring original characters. That passion eventually evolved into indie comics and zines. It also led to a creative collaboration with fellow artist and D&D party member Vi Pham on "LICHLANDS: Into the Undervoid." It's a 200-page graphic novel inspired by their D&D campaign. This story explores friendship, anxiety and adventure through a fantastical world.
McKee said his goal was to make something personal but fun — a comic for all ages.
The first version of "LICHILANDS" debuted at Comic-Con in 2023.
Balancing his creative pursuits with a full-time job as an IT manager hasn't been easy, but McKee remains committed to his craft, driven by the fulfillment of completing projects and the support of his community.
“Being an artist is isolating," he said. "Because it's just you and your art. But I think more importantly is knowing that and building community. I think a lot of my successes and the things that I'm able to do are due to the connections I make, and the people I meet and the little cracks of the door that are opened."
Andi Dukleth
Andi Dukleth developed an obsession for drawing around age 2, when her mom bought her a drawing table. But it wasn't until she was 10 — after seeing a Mortal Kombat drawing her cousin made — when it dawned on her how versatile art could be and found her calling in comics.
"That was kind of my, like, 'I wanna do that' kind of moment," Dukleth said. "From 10 to now, it's sort of been my life's dream to illustrate and work on comics and tell stories I want to tell."
Her style leans toward dark fantasy themes, influenced by Catholic imagery and Japanese and American anime like "Vampire Hunter D" and "Castlevania."
"Maybe it's like my Catholic upbringing," Dukleth said. "I don't consider myself Catholic now, but there's a lot of beautiful imagery within Catholic churches. And it kind of brings that suffering-for-a-greater-good kind of theme."
Dukleth continues to work with local comics collective The Accidental Aliens, contributing to its long-running anthology series. At Comic-Con 2024, she helped lead the release of that year's theme: "End of the World," featuring eight creators exploring apocalyptic stories.
"I picked this theme (in 2023)," she said. "I think with world events unfolding the way they have, it's gotten a little bit too close to home for some of us."
Dukleth is always looking collaborators — both seasoned artists and newcomers.
"The idea you have in your head, just get it out there," she said. "It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be your magnum opus. But I think it's a good start."
