This delightful work of art was created by none other than … Dave Valeza! Dave is a stellar cartoonist and illustrator, an all-around wonderful person, and… [puts hand on glass] a friend. I’m so happy to have trapped Dave in this imaginary space, where we can sit back and talk about all sorts of pressing topics.
Hi, Dave! Welcome! We’re sitting in a spaceship set today. Please feel free to take a seat, but don’t touch the buttons.
Acknowledged! Hailing frequencies are open.
This image was one of three drawings that you sent to me in a folder titled Book Report, which is deeply intriguing and also on-brand for you. Please elaborate: what was the book report on? Around when did you make these? Did you get a good grade??
I’m sure it was around 6th grade? I was already deep into Star Trek by then; when our parents would take us to the public library I’d be checking out two Star Trek paperback novels at a time. They kind of felt like “bonus episodes”? And in the time before streaming and DVDs, I was a kid hungry for whatever Star Trek media I could find.
Haha, I did get an A! I’m so grateful that around 6th grade my teachers started realizing I was way into art, and they were very encouraging about it.
Book Report, circa 1996ish.
If we had been friends then, I would have been stunned by your ability to draw things that weren’t people. Do you remember what you liked to draw at the time, and how you felt about your drawings? Was there anything that you thought of as your specialty?
In 6th grade, twice a week, the teachers would swap classes and specific subjects. And let me tell you, those art/world history sessions… blew my MIND. Seeing art from other cultures around the world, it just sent my brain into overdrive to depict all the stuff I was imagining at the time. I loved cramming details into art assignments, that I sometimes ran over the time limit in class.
I remember once, a teacher read me for filth when giving the assignment prompt: “You don’t have to draw every leaf.” Haha, they weren’t wrong!! Because I was so hyper-focused whenever I could draw at school.
My mom was a nurse and would bring back boxes of dot matrix paper from her work; the reverse was plain so it became my canvas. I would draw characters (Star Trek, Sailor Moon, etc) and their accessories and cut them out! And the next sheet of paper became a backdrop – a starship bridge, a classroom, or just SPACE! I would draw starships and just arrange them on a backdrop to create massive space battles. I was OBSESSED!! This was my 12-year-old brain making fanfiction, every day after homework.
I love this SO much. Peak transformative fandom.
Do you remember how you got into Star Trek? What was it like being a young fan? Any fond memories there?
I think it was definitely seeing an ad for re-runs of Star Trek: The Next Generation that would air at 11pm. I couldn’t stay up that late, so my dad taught me how to use the VCR and let me use a couple of blank VHS tapes! I would set the VCR to record episodes and watch them the next day before school. But Pokemon would also air in the morning, so I was getting up at 6am to watch the TNG episode first! But then they started airing the Original Series re-runs at midnight so I’d tape those too – I started getting up at 5:30am every day!!
My parents would take us to Blockbuster or Hollywood Video and I’d find the movies on VHS there… and by the time I started high school, Deep Space Nine and Voyager were both airing new episodes on TV. Aside from anime, Star Trek was definitely a fandom that defined my pre-teen and teen years – even going into college!
You once pointed out to me that a set on The Good Place was, in fact, an old Star Trek set. I’ve noticed that you have a really keen eye for detail – you’re good at seeing small aspects of set design and costuming, and using them to make inferences about plot, character, and broader themes; and also, sometimes, blowing minds with fun television trivia. Is this a skill that you began to develop around now?
A little bit during this time, I think! Going into my teens I started checking out Star Trek novels less, and started seeking out production-related materials more? One time my uncle treated us to a trip to Barnes & Noble; and I saw a set of art books that dove into the costume, prop, and set design of various Star Treks! I read those books until they started falling apart!!
It enriched my experience because I could re-watch the media and see something new: the thought and craft put into visual and story ideas and their execution as an episode. Seeing the work and intention people put into making a TV show & films, it really clicked how it’s applicable to so much art and media. And those art books, seeing the work of people who drew art for a living… it made pursuing art as a career seem possible!
Yes!! The first step in thinking about art as a career is realizing that it’s even an option to begin with.
Okay, so… speak to me of your Online Times. Did you get into online fandom at some point? What was that like for you? Did your work start to change in any way because of it?
Kind of! I used to frequent a message board or two – but really as soon as we got internet, I started looking at a lot of fanart and fanfiction. Seeing what other artists were making really inspired me to try and level up my own work – I was working at my high school paper at that point and the drawings got VERY anime! I didn’t really have a way to post drawings online though, that was really my only outlet in terms of sharing art beyond my friends!
Contributions to Dave’s high school paper: “Prom Night,” “Ready for Summer,” “Should I Get A Tattoo.” Observe with caution; these might actually function as a time warp.
You were also kind enough to share fanart of a variety of other subjects, including sentai, Sailor Moon, and Final Fantasy. Are there common threads there? How would you say your childhood passions have informed your art today?
Oh I was big into anime/manga, video games in my teen years – Pokemon, Digimon! I think I’ve always been drawn to things where visual design was a prominent element. Whenever I find a new movie or series that I enjoy – or even watch old episodes/films – it’s like comfort food. You can see and sense every ingredient, every element, and just savor it every time. And visual development is something I really enjoy about making art and comics now: it’s just costume, prop, and set design! It’s where my imagination loves to play.
What are you into now, and why is it awesome?
Haha well, I’m still into Star Trek!! I’ve been watching some of the new series, and I enjoy all the newer Star Trek films also. TV now is very cinematic, but there’s still budget cheats and little details here and there and I live for those!! I’m still into a lot of fandoms from my childhood – Power Rangers/Super Sentai (Kamen Rider too!) I think I’ve always been drawn to things where design is a big element… it’s always great comfort food to me.
Okay, followup question. I have historically been a grazer – I’ve only seen a few scattered episodes of Star Trek and Power Rangers. If you could sit me down for one series of each, which would you choose?
Hmm, oh gosh!! For Star Trek, I’d have to say Deep Space Nine – it’s such a richly written show. What kind of sets it apart is there’s a large cast of supporting characters with story arcs… it’s like a high-budget soap opera – everyone gets their high drama moments, I love it!
For Power Rangers it’d have to be Lost Galaxy – it’s very much like a Star Trek show; lots of special effects, while being super mid/late 90s… very visual and a really sweet group of rangers. Haha, and BOTH of these series are set on space stations – I have a bias!!
If you could open a little window back into the year 2000, what advice would you give yourself?
Oh, if I could open an actual portal to 2000, like in a Star Trek episode… I’d cram a flatbed scanner through it to myself, timeline be damned!! As for advice… just keep drawing and sharing with the people you care about! Like grade school, I was fortunate to have high school teachers who encouraged me to keep drawing and pursue art as a career. That kind of encouragement in my formative years gave me so much momentum. It’s helped me get to where I am now, and I’ll always be grateful.
Anything else you’d like to mention? Upcoming projects, people you’d like to shout out, things I really should have asked but didn’t think to…?
Currently I’m working on a graphic novel project with an author and publisher… but that’s all I’m allowed to say for now! It’s definitely a project I’m excited to share more about – maybe sooner than later, here’s hoping!
Also I just launched a Patreon! I’m posting from my backlog of sketchbook drawings each week – things I’ve drawn while biking around downtown – along with occasional comics and doodles. Definitely check it out if you’d like, I’m just getting started!!
I’m looking forward to enjoying everything you make! Thanks again for your time!!
Thank YOU, Gale!!! As a certain starship captain once said: It was fun! 🖖🏽
Go follow Dave on Patreon! His posts spark joy!