Meet Ethan Murphy | Comic Book Writer & Creator

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

Hi Ethan, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
“If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” I appreciate the sentiment but don’t think “work” is a bad word. If you love what you do, you’ll enjoy the work you put into it. Anything worth pursuing requires a lot of effort. Nothing just happens on its own. Especially not good things.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I first got into storytelling when I was about or so. I became so obsessed with comics and movies that I would spend hours breaking them down while I still had a bedtime and nightlight. My first love has always been “story” and I officially dedicated my life to telling the best ones possible in college. I went to film school hoping to be a big director but soon realized that getting my visions on the silver screen was rather unlikely. So after talking with my brother, I decided to work on a new canvas in got into creating comics. I could tell the same stories but with a much more manageable budget and control.

I’ve been fortunate enough to create and self-publish dozens of comics over the past decade. But as much as I adore the finished products, I’m most proud of the team I’ve assembled and work with. The people that work with me are some of the most talented artists in the business and watching them bring the images in my head to life is a process I never get tired of. It’s not been an easy journey but having them by my side has made it worth it. There’s no such thing as a “self-made man.”

Ultimately, I want people to know that storytelling should be personal. No two voices sound alike and no two people express themselves the same way. My stories are just different versions of me splashed on the page. Nothing more. Nothing less.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve only been in LA for a little while so I’m not the best tour guide just yet. But If I was to give someone a tour of my favorite spots I’d definitely want to show them Universal City Walk. It has amazing restaurants, theaters and an actual amusement park around the corner. I’d also want to hit up Koreatown. The energy and atmosphere are great and I’ve never had a bad meal. Last but not least is the Forum. It’s an institution for entertainment in this town and still gets me fired up when I go there.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would actually like to give a big shoutout to my parents, Ray and Thelma Murphy first and foremost. They’ve always supported and believed in my dreams. Even when I didn’t want to. I have to give another shoutout to my younger brother Khurrum Ali for sticking with me during the really rough times. No matter how dark and lonely my world got, I never felt alone with him around. I also need to give some thanks to my mentor John Lechago. He went out of his way to not only open numerous doors in the business for me but gave me the tools to do so properly. And last but not least is my best friend and co-founder Susan L. Holland. Even though she didn’t know the first thing about comic books, she’s been with me and the company since the very beginning. There wouldn’t be one without her and I wouldn’t be here without it.

Website: echelongnovels.com

Instagram: @echelongnovels

Facebook: ThenandNowPodcast24

Youtube: The Then & Now Podcast

Image Credits
Susan L. Holland, Arian Tressel-Orner, Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Ray Murphy, Thelma Murphy, Romona Greene, Khurrum Ali, Erum Ali, Sean Murphy, James Peay