Me: You’re originall from Philly, what’s the small press culture like around the city?
Alim: West Philadelphia born and raised! Well not really…I was born in Philly but spent some
years in Rhode Island as well, Gansett Gang!! LOL. As for the small press culture in
Philadelphia, I’m not entirely sure. There are a few comic shops out here that will
happily house an indie title or two and the community is always happy and proud to see
someone doing their own thing. I did have the pleasure of meeting a few other creators
at a book signing which was awesome. Oh, and we have Frank Percy. That guys a
national treasure so I guess we’re winning.
Me: I read that you had a background in business management, what the heck drew you
toward comic books of all things?
Alim: You must be looking at my severely outdated LinkedIn profile. Really have to update that
thing one day. Comic books and cartoons have always been a passion of mine. As a
child I collected books and made up characters and stories all the time. It’s so fulfilling
to be able to peek behind the curtain and make my own stories come to life! I’ll be
honest, I really want to have an animated series one day. I began with making comics
with that goal in mind, but now that I am doing this I’m so in love with the process that I
don’t think I would ever stop.
Me: SweetPea is fantastically illustrated and executed, about how long does the production
of a book this quality take?
Alim: Well issue one took me an entire year to put out, issue two was produced in about four
months. I’m very deliberate about this script so I have to take time to make sure I’m not
leaving anything on the table. I have a team that I’m working with to produce the book
and I pay out of pocket for everything, that’s the biggest hold up. One day I’ll be able to
make this a full-time priority and pump out graphic novels every month! Big shout out to
my team, Yuseph, Mike, and Steven who help make this thing a reality. They’re beyond
patient with me.
Me: The story is very sentimental and the dialog feels natural. It feels like it comes from a
very ‘true’ place. What inspired you to make SweetPea?
Alim: The Diary of Sweet Pea comes from a place of concern, I think that is what makes it so
powerful. The world I’m raising my children in can be very cruel and sudden. So when I
write this script I’m trying to express the impact of a harsh environment on young
children. On the other hand we have the nurturing guidance of a loving father. This
ideology of being a good person is clashing with the reality of the world Sweet Pea is
living in and we have to just see where it goes.
Me: Do you have any conventions or appearances scheduled for this year?
Alim: I’ll be appearing at the Great Media Comic Con on April 12 th . I don’t have anything else
locked in yet but you might be able to catch me at a few others. I really want to finish
this introductory arc of Sweet Pea this year so I can get to the REALLY juicy stuff so I’m
trying to focus in on that this year.
Me: How many issues of SweetPea are planned at this point?
Alim: Officially? The four intro issues. But if we are talking about all the wild ideas I have in
my head to move forward, sheesh. I have spin-off ideas for side characters that don’t
get a lot of focus in Sweet Pea’s story. A wild trajectory for the MC that I think will
surprise a lot of readers. ‘Director’s Cut’ version graphic novels…. I dream big. I think if I
were to limit myself I could probably tell the story I want too in 3 or 4 four issue arcs
though, so we’ll see. It depends on demand honestly.
Me: Where can people buy your books?
Alim: Right now the best way to get your hands on a copy is through my TikTok shop, which is Alter
Ego Arts. You could also just look up Sweet Pea Comic on there and it should pop up. I plan on
getting a website together soon but didn’t want to set that up for just two issues.
