Today we’d like to introduce you to Dani Julian.
Dani, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Art and writing have been intrinsic parts of my identity since childhood. I can’t remember a time where I didn’t want to be a visual artist and storyteller.
I was fortunate to be enrolled in the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts in 1990, where I spent my middle and high school years studying visual art, dance, theater, and creative writing in addition to general and “gifted” academics. I still consider this experience to be one of the most important periods in my life, as it cemented my passion for the arts and provided mentors I would have been lost without. I went on to attend college courses in the early 2000s, focusing on science and design, before returning fully to illustration and writing. Since then, I have never looked back, though I think my family would have preferred me to finish my anthropology studies and pursue an academic career. Ah, well… you can’t please everyone, haha.
I have always loved fantasy illustration and have drawn inspiration from trailblazers like Frank Frazetta Boris Vallejo and the varied talents showcased in Heavy Metal Magazine, contemporary fantasy artists Brom and Olivia De Berardinis, book cover illustrators Michael Whelan and Jody Lee, and comic creators James O’Barr, Wendy Pini, and Fiona Staples…to name but a few! I think you can spot inspiration from some of those names in my work even today.
As a freelance artist, I have worked in comics, film, character design, storyboarding, tattooing, and book illustration. My first love, however, is creating my own characters and shaping worlds around them. I dreamed of being a published fiction writer from a young age, and after a ton of rejections, I was lucky enough to land a traditional publishing deal in 2009. Since then, I have released a number of illustrated contemporary and dark fantasy novels, some of which have landed on Amazon Top 100 Bestseller lists in the Paranormal, Contemporary, and New Adult Fantasy categories on three continents.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been rough as hell! As a female, you have to really prove yourself. It’s still very much a man’s world creatively. I’ve encountered numerous male artists and writers who feel that women are supposed to be groupies, not peers, and when you don’t respond to their attempts to flirt, gush over their work, or sleep with them, they get offended. I recall seeing a meme on Instagram once that said, “Dudes think you’re only good for sex, but bro… did you know I can color?” I think that says it all in a nutshell.
I will never forget sitting in a live podcast group interview with several fellow publishing professionals, all of whom were men, and being given around ten minutes to discuss my work. The rest of the 2-hour time slot was spent sitting silently as they discussed their projects at length and mentioned how much they liked my décolletage. It’s something I think many women creatives have experienced and continue to experience. Things are getting better, but we still have a ways to go before women are considered equals in the creative field.
It’s also a constant struggle to remain relevant as an author and illustrator. It’s really competitive out there, and you have to pour your blood, sweat, tears, and (yes) money into your endeavors. And on top of it all, I’m a single mom, so my son always has to come first. Trying to create work, be a good parent, and remain relevant on social media becomes mentally exhausting. It’s very worth it, but it certainly isn’t easy.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a professional concept illustrator and digital artist, as well as a writer specializing in fantasy and horror fiction. I started out in 2009 as a traditionally published author. As of today, however, all of my stories and artworks are published under my one-woman DIY operation, Quick Draw Studios, save for my audiobooks, which are published traditionally through Fireside Audio. I choose to self-publish most of my work these days, as this allows me better control over the quality and vision of the final project.
As an author, I was first published traditionally while in my late 20s. My first commercially successful novel, a rollicking, violent love story about rival vampire hunters stumbling on each other in an abandoned town, earned me some good beer money and a dedicated cult of fans who have stayed blessedly loyal. Black Dog and Rebel Rose has been reworked and republished a few times but has maintained its cult following. It is currently in development as a feature film, though that has hit a snag with the rough economy and recent (completely relevant) Hollywood strike.
My second book series, Shale City: A Punk Fairytale, is a passion project that is really close to my heart. I consider it my opus, kind of a nod to the dark epic fantasy worlds of Tolkien and Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, with its own unique twist. It takes place in a contemporary fantasy world flavored distinctly by punk rock culture. I came up with the concept a decade ago but was too scared to proceed with it. I was deathly afraid that I would offend people in the punk community, some of whom were dear friends. I finally spoke with my editor, who told me to go for it because it was a totally new, off-the-wall concept that she felt people would embrace.
Bless her, she was right! I regularly get messages from punks worldwide who absolutely love these books and are thrilled to have an epic fantasy world and storyline that is about them. Some send me fan art they have created. I’ve even used some fans as character models. I’ve kind of become known on Instagram as the “girl who paints punks with tails and horns” as a result. It warms my heart and keeps me plugging away.
Shale City follows a young father and his magically gifted daughter navigating a brutal world that, more often than not, wants to tear them apart. I tackle a lot of tough subjects in these stories, including feminist and queer issues, racism, trafficking, grief, addiction, and self-harm. While entertaining and not crazily overt, it has a lot of elements that hopefully encourage the reader to really care for the characters and think about the issues facing their fellow humans in the real world. Book 3 is set to release sometime this year.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Never stop learning and growing. I once had a concept artist mentor tell me, in grand Karate Kid style, to “Keep painting the fence.” Even on hard days, I try to sketch at least one thing, even if it’s garbage. It keeps me motivated, and it fires my ambitions. No artist ever sees their work as perfect. One is always working to level up. That’s what life is all about, right?
Pricing:
- Character Illustration/Band Art: $150-$500
- Book Cover / Film Poster Illustration: $350-$1,200
- Tattoo Flash Design: $150-$450
- Book Editing: $800-$3,000 (depending on length)
- Signed Paperbacks: $30 (includes shipping)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/daniquickdraw
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniquickdraw/
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Dani-Julian/author/B08NM4GKPW
Image Credits
Dani Julian
