Jeremy Haun: 0:01

A lot of times you base people, you base characters on friends or family or kind of in general, like little things about them. But when you do that, there's something special about it, because you're like, okay, i'm seeing through someone else's eyes, i'm representing through somebody else's eyes, and the thing that that does for them then is they see themselves in those characters and that's really a beautiful thing.

Porter: 0:26

All righty, folks, welcome back to Transacting Value. We're encouraging dialogue from different perspectives to unite over shared values. Our theme for season four is intrinsic values, so what your character is doing when you look yourself in the mirror. Now, if you're new to the podcast, welcome, and if you're a continuing listener, welcome back. Today we're talking our July core values of initiative, freedom and independence with comic book writer and artist Jeremy Hawn. So, folks, without further ado, on Porter, i'm your host and this is Transacting Value. Jeremy, how are you? Great man, thanks for having me on. Yeah, of course I appreciate the opportunity. I understand you're really busy and, from what you were saying, you got a deadline coming up, so I appreciate you making some time in your schedule also.

Jeremy Haun: 1:08

Thank you, Yeah, now, comics is a, you know, a never ending process. There's always the next thing that needs to come out. So we're always finding that balance of finishing something up, trying to get rested up enough to jump right into the next thing, and I am hip deep into the next thing.

Porter: 1:25

Dude, how do you know, like, as an artist of any genre, application, modality, whatever, but as an artist, how do you know when you're done? Because I feel like there's always something you can add, or one streak of hair, or one additional note, or something to make it more better. You know, more complete. So what is what does done mean?

Jeremy Haun: 1:43

I think the difference in publishing something for working on something that's not just fine art, i think if you're working on a painting, you're sitting there with it and you're looking at it and you might go back, you know, a week later or whatever. For me working on a project, you know, eventually the deadline is there and I have to hit that And often the deadline exists before I even, you know, start on the project. So sometimes it's like when it's something for a specific company, like this project I'm working on for DC Comics, it just has to be done enough. That's the thing You have to. You kind of have to just let it go and believe that you've put your all into it, leading up to that thing.

Porter: 2:23

That's got to be tough. Like you take time obviously out of your and build it into your schedule and all those things, but like you put you into your work. Like you, i mean the characters, the look, the feel, the design. Ultimately, i'm sure there's a little bit of stylistically you in the way you illustrate and how you write as an art form, right. So to accept, on one hand, this is publicizing me and my craft or brand or whatever applies, and then on the other aspect, yeah, but I got to be okay with a little bit of deviation. Like this is good enough. That's a hard lesson learned for anybody. I feel like It really is.

Jeremy Haun: 2:59

I mean and I think that I'm going to butcher it, but I'm going to choose to actually not even try to get the quote right at all Basically, seeking perfection prevents you from ever getting anything really done. That's my butchering of that. But basically, you want to be proud of everything you do, and especially as I get older and I've worked in this industry for 20 years, almost 24 years now And when you're making things for that long, you realize that people love reading these things, they live and breathe them to a degree And they want to know that we care. It might be a year, two years between albums by your favorite band, but when that album gets there and you hear it and you're like, okay, this is perfect, this is what I wanted and needed, it transports you to this other place. So I never want to be the person that is rushing things to the point that I am not proud of them anymore And I never want somebody to be like well, man, he really phoned this in, didn't he? Like he didn't, you know, because we don't always know what other people are going through or the time constraints or whatever it is that they're working within, and I've really made a point over the years to always just try to present myself in the best fashion.

Porter: 4:16

Okay, well, that's a perfect opportunity. Then, before I push much further, let's talk about you in your sort of best fashion, then that, at least in my opinion, obviously more central to our show also ultimately has to come down to when you're creating relationships with people in any modality, obviously yours, your preference being a little bit more as a illustrated art form I'm a bit more audio driven and as a podcast, but, you know, being able to relate to people or an audience of any kind, starting with what you bring to the table, maybe even what your values are, to be able to build commonalities with strangers, especially, in your case, whom you may never meet, and for people then to be able to resonate through again, in your case, with your artwork, and say this this hits home, i can see what's happening in here, but it's more than a picture. It's evokes some sort of emotion, or I can align with this. I understand what this character is going through, based on how well it's drawn and what it communicates, and so, the point being, this is the segment of the show called developing character Developing character Developing character, all right And for everybody listening if you're new to the show, and Jeremy in your case as well. just for a bit of a clarity here. developing character is a segment where I ask you two questions, both entirely from your perspective and as willing and vulnerable as you want to be with the answers, but they're about your personal values. And so my first question what were some of your values growing?

Jeremy Haun: 5:35

up. I was raised by a single mother and two wonderful grandparents. From an early age, especially growing up on a farm From an early age I learned the importance of work ethic, and I think that for me that's something that's continued through my entire life. My grandfather always had this mantra. It was basically just like do what you say you're going to do the way you say you're going to do it. Anything else can fall away if you think about that thing. It's basically just like try to do things to the best of your ability and try to be respectful of the people that you're helping by doing what you say you're going to do. It's something that I talk. I have two sons. It's something to this day that I think has become one of the most important tenants of who I am and how I am. You can't always do exactly what you say you're going to do the way you say you're going to do it, but you've got to try. You've really got to try, and so for me, that's an important part of who I am to this day.

Porter: 6:38

Well, quality is a lot more apparent in your work. Like I said, you can't represent yourself in first person to a lot of your fans, but Jack Kirby, for example, hundreds of millions, if not more, people around the world have seen his work and maybe even still don't know that he drew a lot of his characters, or a lot of the comics, or a lot of the graphic novels, in some cases especially too, and so showcasing quality, i think, is easy when it comes to illustrating or as a cartoonist, but I think, connotations aside, as an artist, being able to build resonance, emotional resonance, in depth through what you draw, and conveying that quality based on, in your case, your values and work ethic and the integrity that you aspire to maintain throughout your career. I carry quite a bit, and I think that leads me directly to my next question. All that being said, question number two What are some of your values now, if they've changed at all?

Jeremy Haun: 7:33

I mean, i think that those core values growing up have stuck around. I think that one of the things and there's a weird thing with it people talk about genuine interaction right, even corporations now companies are talking about like we care about you, that sort of presentation. But one of the things that I found during, especially during the pandemic, was genuine relationships with fans, with the people that I interact with, were the most important thing. Anytime that I spoke from the heart about my work, it really meant more than just putting things out there into the void, and I think that it becomes a thing where, for me, i realized that I had to make choices about the things, the stories that I was telling, and finding out like why I needed to tell that story, and that became more and more important. And being a genuine person, being open and honest with my audience, has really been really great for me And for as much as I feel like I've given to my audience. I've gotten a lot back from that And it's been really important.

Porter: 8:44

It's always nice to hear that the products I guess that we create are appreciated, but I think it's a totally other level when you start to see that you're making a difference, or even just when pieces start to click. All right, if folks stay tight, we'll be right back on Transacting Value. Alrighty, folks here at Transacting Value, we write and produce all the material for our podcast and house game perspective alongside you, our listeners, and exchange vulnerability and dialogue with our contributors every Monday morning. But for distribution, buzzsprout's a platform to use. You want to know how popular you are in Europe or how Apple is a preferred platform to stream your interviews? Buzzsprout can do that. You want to stream on multiple players through an RSS or custom feed, or even have references and resources to take your podcast's professionalism, authenticity and presence to a wider audience? Buzzsprout can do that too. Here's how. Start with some gear that you already have in a quiet space. If you want to upgrade, buzzsprout has tons of guides to help you find the right equipment at the right price. Buzzsprout gets your show listed in every major podcast platform. You'll get a great looking podcast website, audio players that you can drop into other websites, detailed analytics to see how people are listening tools to promote your episodes and more Podcasting isn't hard when you have the right partners. The team at Buzzsprout is passionate about helping you succeed. Join over 100,000 podcasters already using Buzzsprout to get their message out to the world. Plus, following the link in the show notes, lets Buzzsprout know we sent you, gets you a $20 credit if you sign up for a paid plan and helps support our show. You want more value for your values. Buzzsprout can do that too. It's always nice to hear that the products, i guess that we create or appreciate it, but I think it's a totally other level when you start to see that you're making a difference, or even just when pieces start to click. You and I talked I don't remember when now It was a couple of weeks ago or a month or so, i'm not sure exactly but you had told me a story when you went with your family I think it was 30 days to Belgium. You remember talking about this? Yeah, yeah, you had mentioned. Forgive me, i can't remember. I think you said one of your sons was 14 or 15 during that trip. You said he was explaining how it was different to be in an area where people went out of their way to accommodate your ignorance. I feel like opportunities like that and maybe it's just in America and maybe it's just in my experiences, but I feel like opportunities like that are a lot few and far between. But when they do happen, the amount of depth in a relationship that they can create with strangers or even you and yourself, introspectively, it changes your entire worldview. Have you found you've been able to have impacts like that in your industry or as an artist in general, to be able to deepen relationships with people through illustration? Is that something you can convey?

Jeremy Haun: 11:36

Absolutely Again. growing up an incredibly forward kid in Missouri on a farm, i never thought that the ideas that I have, the things that I draw, would allow me to see the world in a brab and the story that you told. I not only get to travel to conventions comic book conventions all over the world and get to see things and meet new people and experience to see the world through their eyes, but that experience that you're talking about, I got to take my sons to places where English was not the first language. They got to see and experience lives and the way that these people live and to get a broader sense of the world around us. That's been fantastic. Again, that comes because of the stories that I tell, the opportunities getting to do that. It's because I make funny books for a living.

Porter: 12:37

There's a quote you brought up last time, pretty similar to using your career to enrich your family. You said the more you learn about people, the richer the tapestry becomes. I don't want to misquote you, but I think I'm pretty accurate. What do you mean when you say that?

Jeremy Haun: 12:53

I think the world is. You're going to have me thinking on this for a long time. I'm going to be thinking about this and I'm going to message you later and be like, oh, in this, but again, growing up in such a small town, a small place, i didn't have any idea of the world outside that. You know, i'm sure we've got we've all got TV and we've got a lot of opportunities through YouTube or whatever it is to see the broader world. But you learn about humanity from other people, from seeing things outside of your viewpoints. We all don't think the same. We all don't believe the same. We all don't ask. Often you live your life just trying to get your stuff done. You know we're all trying to do our jobs and we're all and I think it's very easy in that sometimes to become myopic, to think in a you know like, oh, this is, this is what's in front of me. So this is what I have to deal with. But understanding that there is a broader, more beautiful world out there that we can experience and we can learn from is really important And I think that in what I do, one of the most important things that I've learned is that I have a very specific story that I can tell, but I also need to be able to tell stories from other points of view And the more that I focus on if I'm telling a story and it deals with family you know now this person over here, their experience with family might not be exactly like mine, but there are common threads And I think the more that we learn about other places and cultures and belief systems, we can kind of pull those elements back into the larger stories that we tell. So even if I'm telling a story about family but maybe it's a story also about aliens debating or whatever it is, if I'm pulling in different aspects it will hit a broader audience And there's always that connective thread, that thing that runs through it, that people can see and hopefully connect with from the work.

Porter: 14:57

I mean, despite the fact that that's difficult and sort of a lifelong journey, i suppose you know, learning to acquire perspectives or interpret them in a way that, like I said, leads to some sort of resonance is difficult. But you brought up how you're. let's just say, your audience, your readers, any sort of following for any type of artist, wants to feel valued, also wants to be heard and appreciated and understood. And that's not even for people that just have any sort of following or influences or whatever capacity, right, it's well, for example, even just one-on-one interpersonal relationships, romantic ones, marriages, dating, whatever, or friends in a schoolyard or whatever applies. people, i think, like you mentioned, humanity just want to feel like they have value and be heard and community and be understood. And I think maybe, now that you bring it up, you know that you said earlier wanting to know that we as artists care about the readers, the listeners, the people consuming our material. maybe that's how you show it, maybe that's how you show appreciation and gratitude not you but you generically appreciation and gratitude and resonance by incorporating other perspectives and building a worldview and adding social currency and emotional depth and, you know, richness to the tapestry. Maybe that's how it's conveyed, absolutely, and I think that that connection pays off every single time.

Jeremy Haun: 16:22

You know that thing. You know like we all want to be seen and understood, and I think that you know something that I thought of as you were saying. That was, i had a character in a book that I was wanting the idea. This character, in this post-apocalyptic landscape, had started a small town and he brought all these people together and was trying to basically figure out a way to sort of rebuild civilization, sure, out of all the dragons and everything. But the story started out and we were creating the character And I think sometimes it's just easy to be like, oh, you know, this is like generic guy, right. So I was like, oh, you know it's, you know, like Sam Elliott, you know. I was like, oh, you know, he's kind of a gruff guy. But then I had to think about it and I was like there was this friend of mine and I really always liked the way that he spoke. It was a. He is very matter of fact, he always gets to the heart of things. And so I reached out to the friend and I was like, hey, you know, i've got this character that I'm thinking about And I kind of like to base it on you And we got to talking about stuff and he grew up in Mongolia and traveled around a lot. You know, his parents moved quite a bit but then he ended up in the States and I was talking about, you know, kind of wanting to base this character on him And he had this moment whenever we were talking about it. He's like you know and he enjoys comics and he enjoys pop culture and stuff like that. But he said I've never really seen anybody like me in such an important role in a story and a comic before And he was touched by the idea that, like in a lot of media you know, it was like, oh again, like generic white dude Sam.

Porter: 18:05

Elliott was the idea.

Jeremy Haun: 18:07

Like, okay, wait a minute, but it can be a guy that is literally from Mongolia, that looks like him but also speaks like him. And I think that those moments of thinking about things and going these characters, the representation of characters, can be anyone. So like, how do we reach out and show somebody you know, how do you show a 15 year old kid reading a character that lives in Brazil for the first time that they can be a hero too? They can be, and so that's the thing I think about. It's like, as I go on, it's like trying to represent other points of view, trying to kind of broaden the spectrum of the people that I'm representing in these books. So that's the thing I think about. It's like, as I go on, it's like trying to represent other points of view, trying to kind of broaden the spectrum of the people that I'm representing in these books. And even you know, a lot of times you base people, you base characters on friends or family or kind of in general, like little things about them. But when you do that, there's something special about it, because you're like, okay, i'm seeing through someone else's eyes, i'm representing through somebody else's eyes, and the thing that that does for them, then, is they see themselves in those characters, and that's really a beautiful thing.

Porter: 20:18

Billions of people eight maybe now in 2023, eight billion, some odd people around the world, and you're attempting, to whatever degree of success is almost irrelevant to this point, but you're attempting to convey to each of them a unique experience through one picture, Like you only. What's the analogy of pictures worth a thousand words and you're looking for eight billion words. You know what I mean To try to convey any type of anticipatory meaning in relevance to anybody who might read it. I mean, that's a huge undertaking And for your worldview, for your creativity, like how do you not burn out? Like you must sleep great.

Jeremy Haun: 21:02

I don't know, i never.

Porter: 21:03

I wish, i would, i wish, i would Like what a process, creatively, that must be for you to try to think through and feel out. You know like you've got to be aware of your biases, i assume. Otherwise they're going to be every drawing, right From Batman and Catwoman to anybody else you work with.

Jeremy Haun: 21:19

Yeah, well, i think one of the most important things that in my storytelling is there are universal truths to humanity. We deal with loss, anger, love, friendship, connection. We have all these things that they're universal truths. These are things that we all experience on some level. And if I'm genuine and if I'm going at it from a real, various point of view, i was just so curious. When it comes to my storytelling too, you know, it's like I only want things to be as real feeling as possible. One of the things that I think that for the larger audience is like I'm still telling monster stories and superhero stories and all of these things I'm still talking about. Like my favorite kinds of stories are like you set up a relationship. In the beginning of a story, you've got a couple and they're driving across the country to move to a new place and they're not sure that their relationship is going to work out And they're scared and they don't know, and the thing that she hasn't told him yet is that she's going to have a baby. But they're going to have a baby And then something crazy happens. An alien spaceship lands in front of them and they have to fight for their lives to survive against this crazy thing.

Porter: 22:39

I see nonfiction story. Yeah, Okay.

Jeremy Haun: 22:42

Yeah, it's nice, but I want people to care so much about the relationship of those characters and the fact that she needs to tell him this thing and she's scared about their relationship and she's scared about them moving in the first place. But there's this other thing that's coming And, like, i want people to care about that as much as about the crazy stuff with you know the alien and you know her having to fight back to protect him because he's hurt with a giant chainsaw or something like that. That's the funny, weird, goofy stuff that happens in pop culture stories. But the heart of it has to be about those people. And again, we have universal situation. We're all very similar when it comes to so many things. So I think that I take those things and I tell those stories from those points of view And I try to look at the broader world around me and say you know, okay, well, i'm a white dude living in the middle of Midwest, you know. So how do I then tell a different aspect from a different point of view? I wrote a story. It's called The Red Mother. Ultimately, it was about this evil kind of wanting into this woman's world, right, okay, but the story, the major part of the story was about trauma and about loss and about getting past that. She had this thing that happened in the story She loses her eye, she and her boyfriend are out. Something happens they get attacked, he gets taken into the darkness, pulled away, and she loses her eye. She wakes up, he's gone And so she's trying to get past the physical loss of her eye plus the loss of her boyfriend. So it's a story. It's a monster story, a horror story, but it's about dealing with trauma and loss. Now, first of all, i'm a dude And I was telling us the point of view from this woman's point of view. I also have both of my eyes. I don't know exactly what that's like, but one of the things that I got to do in doing that was I got to interview a woman that lost her eye and learned so much about dealing with that because then she was older in life when she lost her eye too And the kind of mourning that you go through with that kind of loss, and there was so much perspective that I was able to gain from that. But then I was able to tell that story that connected with people dealing with their own kinds of loss, not just a physical loss of something, like a body part or whatever, but other things. And I kept getting people reaching out to me and saying like the story meant so much to me, it connected with me on this deeper level. And again, it's a monster story, it's a cosmic horror story about, but that's the thing that fascinates me, it's the human element. Whether I'm telling a story about that or about Batman or whatever it is, i want to go at it from the human element, where we can see not just my perspective but and everything I get realized is my perspective But it's me examining other perspectives and giving credence to those things.

Porter: 25:59

Well, i mean, you have to have, i think, a certain level of creative liberty and freedom to exercise your viewpoints right And then obviously interpret them however you feel might be appropriate to your storyline and setting and character arc and all these other considerations. But you mentioned something I think you put it really beautifully. Actually, the last time we spoke you said I think you called it a minor miracle The more hands that touch a story, the more camera, the words you used, the better of a story it can become. Essentially I think was roughly paraphrased how you, how you brought it up The more hands that touched the story, though, and I think from a certain physical perspective, like a movie, for example, or a movie set, that's a lot of people touching that storyline physically special effects, camera guys, videographers, audio editors, directors, whatever, everybody between actors. But I think what you're describing too, it sort of applies right Now that I think about it, where you're drawing on all the experience and exposure and lessons that you've learned, perspectives of other people, like this old lady you just described, for example, and her story. All right, if folks sit tight, we'll be right back on Transacting Value. Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter to George Washington in 1787 that agriculture is our wisest pursuit because it will, in the end, contribute most to wealth, good morals and happiness. Did you know that, even at a nearly $1 billion valuation, farmers markets nationwide still authentically serve their local markets as direct to consumer farm fresh models of freedom, self-reliance and teamwork? At the Keystone Farmers Market in Odessa, florida, those same ideals also cultivate an agritourism experience, preserving the old ways of wholesome, family-oriented, sustainable growth of produce and people For premium quality produce at affordable prices, opportunities for the kiddos to feed the baby cows or to simply wander the garden and watch your future meals grow. Visit Keystone Farmers Market on Facebook or come by in person to 12615 Tarbon Springs Road, keystone Farmers Market, the place with the boiled peanuts. You're drawing on all the experience and exposure and lessons that you've learned, perspectives of other people like this old lady you just described, for example, and her story, and conveying those emotions and the fact that we're able to identify and interpret the experiences of people around us as humans, as people in the world, and use that for somebody else's benefit. I don't know as sort of an ambassador of experiences or facilitator of I can't think of a cooler title but of things for people to grow through life together, but even in comic books. It's such a cool opportunity that you've got. And also, let me just back up for a second. If I were to say you're a cartoonist, am I qualifying you wrong? No, i'm a cartoonist, yeah.

Jeremy Haun: 28:50

A lot of the way that the descriptions and comic books themselves are an interesting thing, because people think of comic books as a genre. It's a medium. First of all, comic books when people think about comic books, they often think about superhero stuff. Right, that's the language that we have now. There's so much broader than that. You can have everything. There are literally stories that are really in depth, amazingly researched nonfiction projects. You've got biographies that are fantastic. You've got opportunities for social commentary. There's stuff that you can. There's westerns and romances and horror and all of these things, not just the superheroes as we see them. So I think it's important always to say, first of all, comics are a medium, not a genre. Within that you have writers and artists And you can polish up artists a little bit. You can call yourself an illustrator if you want. Sometimes comics are called graphic novels, which is just a more elevated term for comics. Part of the reason that we call them graphic novels, I think, is because for so many years comics were not taken seriously, so people were like, oh, we'll call them graphic novels. It gives a certain gravitas to it, right? Sure, i jokingly, like I said earlier, i call them funny books sometimes. I think that the work speaks for itself and I think we have to take it seriously. But the terminology that we use there's a lot of different terms. So you said cartoonist. Yeah, i'm a cartoonist. Cartoonist typically means someone who writes and draws a story. That's the terminology we use. So it's actually a perfect terminology for what I do, because I both write and draw. I'm not just a writer or an illustrator or an artist. I would actually fall into cartoonists.

Porter: 30:43

Yeah, okay. So let's say that this, semantics aside, as a cartoonist of, let's say, primarily comic books, why then would you call them, in your experience, interpretation, however you want to take this, why would you call them comic books and not just picture books? Because to me, comic is like stand up comedy, comic, but I don't see many comedic books, like filled with pictures and things, for example. Is there any relevance to that at all or am I over analyzing this?

Jeremy Haun: 31:11

No, it started. I mean, there is comedy in them But there's not always comedy. I think it's just a terminology. That started back in the 50s And I need to do my research and actually the comics history and to be able to explain exactly where it comes from. But there were a lot of newspaper strips that came out And then we started making comic books, collected periodicals And I'm going to mess up, i'm not know exactly where that comes from. But yeah, it's like I said, i jokingly call them funny books, like that's another thing that they would say. And I guess if you're thinking back to like Archie and Jughead and stuff like that, that is a real part of it. But again, as a medium, it's a huge, broad spectrum of stories that are out there.

Porter: 32:00

Yeah, not to put you on the spot, i just got curious right, because, as well, anybody for example, people going through high school now, kids in middle school, college, even art and humanities is a sort of fading focal point for schools And I think it has been arguably on the decline for the last few decades compared to other harder skills. But there's a. There's the guy I talked to the other day, for example, And he said the only way you can truly get good at any craft is to not only be good at the hard skills you learned in school but the soft skills you can develop along the way to compliment them. And, yeah, and I feel like, when it comes to storytelling, understanding that it almost doesn't matter what the label is cartoonist, illustrator, graphic novelist, for example what you're able to convey, the resonance and the depth and obviously the quality of the skill set that you have, is what makes the difference and is what showcases the quality of your work and the appreciation of the people that are doing it and obviously adds to your rapport and portfolio and all these other things as well. I guess really the last, well, for the sake of time, really the last question that I have for you How did you actually get started If anybody else were interested, like, what are the steps to break into the comic book industry? I mean, you've worked Black Adam, you know walking dead aspects of these, you've worked Batman And you know. Meanwhile there's kids at home that are drawing phenomenally well or hoping to draw better one day, and right now they're just working on a face with a cross and trying to get lines symmetrical. Like how do you get from them to you?

Jeremy Haun: 33:37

Because I've been working in this industry as long as I have. The industry has changed a lot and how you get in is sort of a bit different. There's easier ways now. There's also some real challenges. Growing up or on that farm, we didn't have a lot, but we had paper and we had pencils And I read books voraciously and I read comics every single chance I got And I, you know I love movies and I was this creative sponge, right, you know I was taking in everything that I could And I think I terrified my mom in high school whenever she was like oh so what do you want to be when you grow up? And I'm like, oh, i want to make comic books. And you know she understood that I liked comics, she understood that I made things, but I don't think she understood the idea that there were people who got paid money to do these, these jobs.

Porter: 34:28

You can't raise a family on drawing comic books. What are you doing? That's. That's exactly. You kind of get that like yeah, how does that work?

Jeremy Haun: 34:34

So I, for me, it really became about like still trying to be that sponge trying to draw every single chance I got In college I was taking I went to a small community college here in Joplin and took every art class that I could and just tried to get better at things. And English classes I would take classes where I would write short fiction, various things like that. And I had this point where I realized that like I just had to do these things, like I had to sit down and tell my stories and to make these things. You know, you always have to practice, you always have to continue honing your skills, building those muscles. But for me, sitting down and just deciding that I was going to make comics, it was the real advantage. I made my own comics and printed them And then I ended up going to convention convention in Kansas City, which was the largest convention nearby And I showed that off and people saw it and they liked it And that led to the next thing and the next. You know, one of the things that I will, you know, and it doesn't matter what it is, whether it's music or sports or illustration or whatever you're doing, it takes time. You know, you think about your podcast and you think about the first one that you did, versus where you are now. Yeah, you look back and you're like, oh, i was so raw then. I wasn't, you know. Like it's easier now. I get it now.

Porter: 36:15

All right, folks stay tight and we'll be right back on Transacting Value. Who even talks about who we authentically are or why it seems like people care more about the characters they create than the character they have? Who even talks about what values are socially governing a business within a particular industry or which personal values are aligning a corporate vision? On Transacting Value, We do. Transacting Value is a podcast showcasing the role and impact of values and character development within the future of a respective industry mechanical, social, parental or any other industry that fits within a society. I'm Porter, I'm your host, I'm a millennial, long-distance father who's attempting to learn about people, teach about life and talk about values with complete strangers. No script, and we're inviting you to listen. In all of my deployments, one thing I've learned is that we need to increase dialogue showcasing the value of a value system and just start a civil conversation. Somehow, As Martin Luther King said, we're not judged by the color of our skin, but by the content of our character. To find where perspectives meet values. Join us every Monday at 9am Eastern Standard Time on all your favorite podcasting platforms, like directly from our website, Transacting Value Podcastscom. We'll meet you there.

Jeremy Haun: 37:22

You think about your podcast and you think about the first one that you did versus what you are now. You look back and you're like, oh, i was so raw then It's easier. Now I get it. Now That happens with everything. I think for me, just told stories and I put them out there, always with the idea that I wanted to learn and I wanted to get better. Sometimes we want to rush stuff, we want to be like I want to be at this point now I want to be the best guitarist. There is. The first time you pick up the guitar I get it. I wanted to be the best artist. I could be one. But every single time that you do something and it's in the doing I talk with, i go to conventions and I have people come up and they're wanting to do this for a living. One of the things that I say to them is comics are you don't do a page at a time? right? I say, okay, well, draw 100 pages and that's a daunting task, but you're going to be a different artist at page one than you are going to be a page 100. Then, when you get to that page 100 and look at where you are, and look back at page one and understand that these were my shortcomings. Oh look, i overcame these things. But then you're looking at page 100 and you're like now figure out what your next set of goals are and do it again Every single time you do that. I talk a lot about generational leaps and crafts. Do 100 pages, write a number of songs. You'll be a better musician at song 20 than you were at song one. It's about the repetition For me. I was very fortunate to come into the industry. When I did, we didn't have a lot of the easy access I'm not diminishing now but there is a benefit to being able to have stuff like Instagram where you can put your work out there and have people see your art. People get work like that all the time now. but even that comes with its own challenges. because everybody's showing their artwork on Instagram, you're kind of going into algorithms and stuff like that. Yeah, it's a lot. I came up through to Nancy. I came up through just I joke and say that I was either smart enough to never have a backup plan or dumb enough One of those two, and I'm not sure what it is, but you know.

Porter: 40:00

Because that's the reality. It could miserably fall apart at any point in that process too, and so a part-time job along the way doesn't hurt either. But tenacity and drive and ambition counts for a lot, and getting through with whatever frustrations and other issues you run into can make big changes. And to your point, if my math's right, as far as transacting value goes, you are our 92nd conversation And close enough to 100, i think, by a few counts anyways. That, yeah, totally different And a lot of positive directions from 18 months ago when this started with episode one. Yeah, totally different. I totally support your, i guess, working theory on that, with no doubt. And yeah, unreal, man, unreal. The industry has changed quite a bit, to your point also. But your start, like you said, paper and pencil initiative and just sort of sponging whatever creative outlets you had. Some of that, i'm going to argue, is tainted now with what you might find on social media that may not be as productive as it could be And it's a little bit more mind-melting than creatively driven, but it's there. And now, especially with AI, there's almost exponentially more input than there was that you could at least have without knowing what to search. Even You can find stuff that's inspirational. But in your case, if people want to find out more about you, your artwork, maybe even to contract with you and work on projects, partner get inspiration from your work. How do people find out more about you? Where do they go? What do they look for? What do you got out there?

Jeremy Haun: 41:39

I'm on most of the social media platforms. I'm not a huge, I'm kind of tapering back on how much I'm doing. that just because it's exhausting. But you can find me just under my name, Jeremy Hahn, on, I guess, on Instagram and Twitter. I'm under Jeron J-E-R-H-A-U-N on other platforms. It's just my name, Jeremy Hahn, J-E-R-E-M-Y-H-A-U-N. You can go to JeremyHahncom. That's my website. There you can kind of see my store on a way to contact me. at the moment. There's some other stuff up. You can see artwork and various things that I've done. It's a good way to kind of just sort of see more of what I've done And if you're curious about any of the stories, you can pick something up. I've been doing this for a while. There's a lot of stuff out there right now, So I'm pretty easy to find.

Porter: 42:30

Yeah, it sounds like it. You're basically everywhere. Well, for everybody listening, i appreciate you guys tuning in And so, for clarity here, all of the links to Jeremy's social and to his website, in whatever player you're streaming this conversation on, if you click See More, maybe Show More for the description and show notes of this conversation, those are also linked there as well, and you'll be able to go directly to his website from there and track that down and get in touch or gain inspiration. But for the time being, jeremy, we are out of time And as much as I'd like to get to other questions, say love you for the time being. So I appreciate the opportunity again, man, this was really cool, at least for me, as an opportunity to dive into an area that I'm not really familiar with at all, namely artistry as far as pictures are concerned, and super cool The amount of insight and, realistically, comparison to humanity that you brought to this. That is deeper than I was expecting, but I'm glad we got there and I appreciate your insight, man. So thanks again for your time too. Thank you, i appreciate it. Yeah, definitely, definitely. And for everybody else listening, like I said, i appreciate you tuning into our conversation, where we're focusing on our core values for July of initiative, freedom and independence. I want to thank all of Jeremy's friends and family and life experiences and followers in that little farm in Missouri growing up, and all the teachers in school that maybe, alongside your mom and grandparents, that wouldn't contribute to a productive job until you keep practicing, which then you did, and caused all this insurmountable inspiration and experience that you're bringing to the world. Man, i got to thank all of those experiences and people as well because, frankly, without them, there's no way this conversation would have had the depth that it did and, ultimately, your growth as a person too. So thank you to them. But, folks, for the sake of time, I'd also like to thank our show partners Keystone Farmers, market Hoof, clocker Farms and, obviously, buzzsprout for your distribution. Folks, if you're interested in joining our conversation, if you want to discover our other interviews or merchandise or anything else, check out our website TransactingValuePodcastcom. Follow along on social media while we continue to stream new interviews every Monday at 9AM Eastern Standard Time on all your favorite podcasting platforms. Until next time. That was Transacting Value.