Meet Steven Prouse | Writer
We had the good fortune of connecting with Steven Prouse and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Steven, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Right out of film school, I wanted to tell stories. While Wilmington was the hot spot on the east coast at the time, those jobs were more production and I wasn’t ready to relocate. I always loved comic books, so I focused my creativity there. I didn’t realize it was so hard to be noticed in the comics field as a writer when you don’t have an artistic partner. Rather than allowing that to stop me, I partnered with 803 Studios founding members Chuck Brown and Anthony Hightower. We released our first collection of regional short comic book stories in 2004. Our studio grew to include members around the world and to publish many creatives in more than 10 publications and a series of books for other publishers.
Studio members have pursued many amazing career paths. I focussed on a project management career for years, but after becoming a father, I began writing again. With my independent publishing background, I made some fun Christmas gifts for my sons. The need to share my work with others caused me to venture back out into the self-publishing waters and release new books.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have spent the last 4 years refocusing on writing. While I refuse to stick with a single genre or medium, I feel like I’m producing the best work of my life.
My story “Entitlement” was produced for episode 18 of season 4 of the Grey Rooms horror podcast. Between 3 of my screen and teleplays, I have 6 quarterfinalist and higher laurels in screenwriting festivals. I’ve republished a collection of all of my short comic/graphic short stories in “Notes From a Monkey With a Hand Grenade” including the entire issue of The Ride that I wrote for 12 Gauge Comics (published originally by Image Comics), and I followed that with “Notes From a Monkey With a Hand Grenade II,” a collection of cosmic horror short stories. My first novel, “Handlebars.” remains on the list of “favorite books ever” by several of my readers.
I couldn’t be more excited for the reception my works have received, and I’m looking forward to everything I’m lining up.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a bit of a homebody, but Columbia has a lot to offer. For an afternoon of fun, we’d venture to Firefly Toys and Games or Transmission Arcade on Main Street for some pinball and arcade action before heading to The Joint for some solid jazz and drinks. New Brooklyn Tavern opened up a new spot in Five Points and is quickly reclaiming the title of the best venue for live music. Art Bar is the best for a drink, solid music, and some of the best people in the city. We have RIverbanks Zoo, SequiSesquicentennial State Park, and Congaree National Park if we want to get back to nature. The Big Mo Drive-In in Monetta, SC delivers the best Friday and Saturday night. And no SC visit would be complete without a trek to Shealy’s Bar-B-Que in Leeseville.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I really have to go back to my original 803 Studios crew.
Chuck Brown currently writes on titles for DC Comics, but he has written comics steadily for years including the critically acclaimed Bitter Root with Sanford Greene and David Walker.
Anthony Hightower continues creating art. Most recently, he created covers for books by local author Steve Vassey.
Dre & Sammy Lopez created PIENSA: Art Company, a design and art studio. Their phenomenal work has found homes on busses, billboards, and publications around the region.
Eraklis Petmezas spent his years generating his own books (found on Amazon) while supporting and growing the Charlotte, NC comics community.
Corey “RocBottom” Davis is launching an animation studio with titles “Jetboy” and “Shadowclub Karma.”
Rob Hicks, living in Phoenix, AZ, has continued the indie publishing tradition with several independent and adult titles.
They’re all inspirations in staying true to the 803 Studios creative drive.
Website: https://stevenprouse.com/about
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tartaruchus77/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089911435278
Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSouthCarolina is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
