We had the good fortune of connecting with Adam Kobetich and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Adam, we’d love to hear about a book that’s had an impact on you.
Making Silent Stones Speak by Kathy D Schick and Nicholas Toth. I am fascinated by human origins and the fact that one can look at the fossil record and see a progression of features and behaviors that lead to modern humans. Making Silent Stones Speak details the work in experimental archeology that allows scientist to understand what proto humans were doing 2 and a half million years ago. This book has so captivated my imagination that i started a sequential art project this year that will tell the story a group of proto humans. I’m still trying to dream my way back down the millions of years to see what these people were really up to. Alas, i have yet to time travel, so i can only read and imagine and ask questions. Making Silent Stones Speak deals primarily with Homo Habilis, a “species” thought to have been the first tool maker, a species that is still in dispute today as to whether or not it is a separate species from some of the other more well established groups of proto humans. My graphic novel of this topic tentatively entitled “Pleistocene” will likely come out a year or two from now. This topic and this book have definitely shaped my life in the past several years.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I find it exceedingly difficult to talk about what sets my art apart from others, i feel like anything i say can be said by 20 others. I have often been worried that my pin up art will offend people, but it seems many women that see it find the characters to be strong and self possessed, exuding confidence, strength and sensuality. I would say that my work reflects both the life altering pain that the world brings as well as the awe-inspiring beauty that abounds. One of the works i’m most proud of is my short self-published 2019 graphic novel The Shadow Under the Leaf. The book is hand inked and hand painted and through about half of it i had an excruciating shoulder and knee injury from getting hit by a car on my bicycle. i was also working at coffee shop at the time and almost everyday after work i would race home and bang out a page, sometimes two. I did the cover art last, i had no idea what the cover was going to look like, with my self imposed deadline looming and stress building, it just came out of nowhere and viola, the book was finished and i got to debut it at the Staple Independent Media Convention here in Austin. This year i’ve been really focused on cleaning up my work, still after all these years learning what to leave out! My recent works reflect that and i’m pretty pleased with the progress. I’ve been going back to study one of my favorite comic artists, John Buscema, i basically learned how to draw the human from from copying his work as a kid. I have a new comic out this year, The Wayfarin’ Stranger Meets the Lady Pirate, it’s a fully hand painted short, silent romance. I actually did this work back 2003 but I didn’t have the resources to get it printed back then. Digital printing has changed my world, it’s more accessible than offset, by that i mean since you can order a really small print run as opposed 2,000 copies you order 25 if you want. It does increase your unit price but non the less, that type of accessibility is a game changer for me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
if I had a friend visiting Austin, the first place we would go is The Barton Creek Green Belt. that would be at least a half day hike and we would bring our own food as there are myriad scenic spots to eat lunch at, whether you are on top of the 90 food cliffs at Gus Fruh or down in the creek bed perched atop the many boulders that sometimes crowd the creek bed. And in the spring it is likely to flowing with clear water, so the swimming excellent. Casa DE Luz and Bouldin Creek Café are the healthiest tastiest places to eat in town, so dinner or lunch can be had at one of those two places, but i prefer to cook for my quests. Casa is walking distance from the Barton Springs pool, even in the winter the water stays at about 68 degrees, but if it’s spring or summer, then paddle boarding or kayaking on Town Lake can be a pristine experience if you get out early before the crowds. i once saw i hawk flying over head with prey in it’s talons. There are many many other parks and natural spaces be explore and bike to. Outside of town south and west of us you’ve got Riemer’s Ranch, Pedernales State Park, to the south east, Mc Kinney Falls State Park and Mc Kinney Roughs Nature Reserve, to name a few. A yard party with several of my friends would be in order, most of us play music so sometimes a jam happens. I tend to stay away from nightlife so i have nothing to say about that. The Thing that makes Austin a good place is the Nature that is interwoven throughout the city and which surrounds the city.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family and especially my life partner.

Website: http://www.gatorhorsestudios.com/home.html
Instagram: @gatorhoese_studios
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EAx1-cOHMo
Other: https://www.artpal.com/gatorhorsestudio https://gatorhorse.threadless.com/womens/t-shirt/fitted

Image Credits
Morgan Hendricks Adam Kobetich

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