Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Christner.
Jason, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Hi there, so my name is Jason Christner. I’m a 45 yr. old guy based out of Alliance. An amazing wife of 20 years, 2 great daughters, and far too many cats.
I’ve been the Business Development Manager with Serpentini of Tallmadge for the last 4 years. But that’s only one of my “jobs.”
When I’m not on the clock there, I can usually be found glued to my art desk, working on pieces of comic and pop culture art. Art is and has always been my stress relief and my therapy.
I currently am a contracted artist for the Upper Deck company and draw cards for their Marvel Comics properties. I have done hundreds of unique, hand-drawn sketch cards for them over the last 2 1/2 years with them. The ability to work on the characters that I grew up loving has been an incredible journey.
As well, I’m one of the co-owners of the annual Hall of Fame City Comic Con based in Canton. My focus on the team is advertising, design, marketing, and helping book our celebrity and creative guests.
So, to say I wear a LOT of hats might be an understatement.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As an artist, the road is only as smooth as you make it. Everyone will have their struggles. The biggest struggle an artist will deal with rejection.
But you need to be able to use that rejection as a tool to motivate you to improve your skills. As well, you learn to be persistent in marketing yourself and making sure people know who you are. Then, you try again…
Every rejection gets you that much closer to someone saying “yes.”
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an artist that specializes in colorful, semi-realistic art pieces… no matter how big or small. My art is normally on blank comic covers, small 2.5×3.5 cards, larger 11×14 pieces.
As mentioned earlier, I am currently contracted with Upper Deck and work on hand-drawn sketch cards for their Marvel Comics properties. I have been fortunate enough to draw hundreds of cards for them.
The most recent card set release that features my work is Marvel Premier. These are deluxe format cards that are randomly inserted and sell in collectors tins of 5 priced at roughly $600 (!!!) per package.
I was also fortunate enough to do artwork for one of my favorite musicians, Myles Kennedy (lead signer of the rock band Alter Bridge). I designed and drew tour badges for his European tour. This will forever be a highlight for me.
As well, I am an independent freelance artist that routinely opens up for commissioned work (when I have time). I’ve been lucky enough to have fans of my work order pieces from me as far away as South Korea and Australia.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I tend to keep things as a pretty open book about my life, so there won’t be much that can be viewed as a surprise.
If anything, it may be my age.
I got back into art in my mid-30s after stepping away from it to focus on family and career in the automotive industry.
It was my oldest daughter who got me back into being creative. She (I think she was 6 or so at the time) found an old sketchbook of mine because she was looking for paper to draw on. She flipped through to find some of my art from when I was younger. She didn’t know I drew as well. So, it became a teaching tool and relit the creative fire.
I haven’t stopped since.
Pricing:
- 11×14 art (color or B&W) $100
- Sketch covers (color of B&W) $80
- 2.5×3.5 personal branded sketch cards $50
Contact Info:
- Instagram: artofjasonchristner
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/artofjasonchristner
