Interviewer: Anthony Andujar Jr
Interviewee: Ronny Monsanto
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| Photo courtesy of Ronny Monsanto. Photo by @Jherlinpn |
Hello and welcome to the Artist Ant Interviews People Summer Series! Welcome to another edition to my latest talks with local and global creatives that are alive, hustling and thriving in their respective crafts! Today I have a special guest that I’ve known as an alumni of mine during my days as a Fine Arts student. He is an illustrator, and a fellow Tim Drake fan (for those of you who do not know that character, I suggest reading up about said Batman character haha). I’ve worked with him as a co-worker, and have had the privilege of seeing him growing into his work as an artist. Ladies and gents of the interwebs, please welcome, Ronny Monsanto!
Q0. Who are your inspirations?
RM: Ishida Sui, Adam Gontier, Shigeru Miyamoto, Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino
Q1. How did you get into art, most notably writing?
RM: As a kid I grew up watching cartoons and reading manga and comics and these kind of things inspired me to start writing my own stories and just doodling my own characters, it was mostly a hobby, things kids do
Q2. When did you take art seriously?
RM: You know? It’s actually pretty funny to me whenever I talk about how and when I started taking art seriously. I grew up surrounded by art, watching anime, playing video games, watching cartoons, movies, reading mangas and comics. All those were part of my daily routine and of course all of it involved art and I loved every bit of it, I always admired it; but even so, I never thought of it as a profession until really late. When I enrolled into college I didn’t really have any idea about what I wanted to do with my life, all I knew was that I had to enroll to college, so I decided to go for the Arts program.
I thought “I like art, so why not go for it? at least just while I figure out what I really want to do?” During my firsts semesters my mind was filled with the idea that I had to change my major and figure out what I truly wanted to do, the sooner the better, but as time passed–I got to learn more about these things I admire and look up to so much. Each class offered me a different perspective, a different part of its history and I started to love it in a different way. And through time being an artist just kind of grew on me, it is something that just happened without me realizing it.
Q3. What drives you in your daily life?
RM: This question is very tricky. This is not something that I always have in mind, but something that I constantly find myself thinking about. I’m constantly daydreaming about having my own family. Just getting home one day from work, seeing my wife and kids waiting for me, and spending time with them. That’d be a dream
Q4. What made you the person that you are today?
RM: Life experiences and my parents, I owe everything to them.
Q5. If you could speak to any living creator or inspiration, who would it be, why, and what would talk to them about?
RM: Hiromu Arakawa, I just have too many questions about Fullmetal Alchemist.
Q6. If there were any deceased creators , actors, singers, writers, etc that you would want to speak to, who would it be, and why?
RM: Satoru Iwata and Stan Lee, I’d love to thank them for making part of my childhood something just so beautiful
Q7. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
RM: Man, if I could pack my things right now and just go anywhere in the world even if it's just for one second I’d probably go to Dominican Republic. I’d give my brother, dad and best friend a hug. I can’t express how much I miss them, especially my best friend. If I’m talking out of nostalgia then I’d probably go to Salar de Uyuni, this is the world's largest salt flat and it’s located in Bolivia, it is a beautiful place, and looks like something from out of this world.
Q8. What is one thing that you fear?
RM: Just as everyone else (at least I hope so) I have this incredible fear of just not making it. Not being able to get to that place where I want to be, not being able to fulfill those dreams I think about so much.
Q 9. If you had a superpower what would it be and why?
RM: I know this is going to sound very lazy but I’d love a superpower that would let me learn skills just by looking at someone else doing it once or reading about it once. Something like, I see a video of someone doing skateboard tricks and just by looking at the video once, I already know how to do it as well. Or let’s say I grab a random “learn Greek” book and just by reading it once I already know how to speak Greek.
Q10. What catches your attention when you meet people?
RM: Whenever I meet new people I always look at their clothes and hair, that is always the first thing I try to notice. I like to believe that you can tell someone’s personality by their hairstyle, which is really ironic because I never do my hair.
Q11. What is one word of advice that you would impart to your younger self?
RM: Don’t overthink so much. I’ve always been too anxious, always overthinking even the most insignificant stuff, caring too much about things I shouldn’t, sometimes I even feel like I’m destroying myself which is sad and I know that this is something I’ve been dragging around since I was a kid, I feel like if I ever had someone with me to tell me these things, things would’ve turned out really different.
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| Plague Doctor art by Ronny Monsanto |
Q12. What are three books that you always remember or return to, and why? How did they shape you?
RM: I always find myself going back to The Catcher in The Rye, Death of a Salesman and The Divine Comedy. Each of these books helped me understand and deal with little things about myself and just life in general. I always felt connected to Holden Caulfield, his struggle with depression and just the blueness around him was something that I always sympathized with. Both Death of a Salesman and The Divine Comedy helped me see some aspects of life a little different, they make you understand that you have to learn to appreciate things more before you lose them.
Q13. If you could continue or remake a movie, or franchise, what would be your film of choice ?
RM: I’d definitely remake Tokyo Ghoul anime and make it just like the manga, they literally ruined it.
Q14. If you were to make a film, novel, or comic book based on an album, what album or artist would you pick?
RM: Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd, it’d be the saddest yet beautiful story you’ve ever read.
Q15. Who In this life, has motivated you to stay true to what makes you who are?
RM: Close friends, my brother and myself.
Q16. Where do you hope to see yourself in five years?
RM: Either teaching high schoolers or very close to that.
Q17. What are three albums or songs currently, that you listen to on repeat? And why?
RM: My man every day I wake up with a new song stuck in my head, although, for the past few days I’ve been listening a lot to Pop Food an album by Jack Stauber (specially the song “Buttercup”), “Got It In You” by Banners (acoustic version though) and “Carry On” by Xxxtentacion, there’s just something about each of these songs that help me in some way or another. Pop Food (album) just makes me happy, I started listening to it and I’m already in the mood to draw and act silly in my room, “Got It In You” lifts up my spirit, I definitely recommend this song to anyone that’s feeling a bit insecure or demotivated, “Carry On” I just like it because it’s a bit sad, there’s not much into it to be honest.
Q18. What color speaks to you the most and why?
RM: This definitely depends mostly on my mood but I’d say that my favorite color is by far blue, I really can’t tell what it is but I’m attracted to it. Some of the most beautiful stuff out there have some blue on it, the ocean, the sky, sour brite crawlers very berry. Can’t escape it, man.
Q19: What is your greatest weakness?
RM: I care too much, and because I care too much small things tend to affect me a lot.
Q20. What is your greatest strength?
RM: My perseverance and determination definitely takes this one.
Q21.What's one thing that you're proud of?
RM: I will forever be proud of the fact that when I was only 16 years old I was able to start chasing my dreams. I moved out of my country and have basically been living on my own since then, it has been hard but it has shaped me for the better.
Q22. What is a mantra that you tell yourself?
RM: I don’t do to others what I wouldn’t like them to do to me.
Q23. What is success to you?
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| Floral Study by Ronny Monsanto |
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