ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Cesar Flores On Horror, Fatherhood, And A Decade At Frank & Son’s (INTERVIEW)
Artist Cesar Flores has been a key player in the artistic community for many years and now he sits down with us for a chat about his artwork, inspirations, and fatherhood. All that and more below.
Walking through the bustling halls of Frank & Son’s Collectible Show in the City of Industry feels like stepping into a collector’s paradise—aisles lined with rare action figures, vintage movies, and stunning artwork. Among the many talented artists who showcase their work here, Cesar Flores has carved out a space of his own. For over a decade, he has called this weekly event home, sharing his distinct artistic vision with fans and collectors alike.
Describing Cesar’s work as simply “dark” would be an understatement. His portraits and sketches possess a haunting beauty, blending melancholy with a deep love for ‘80s and ‘90s horror and anime. Beneath the eerie details, there’s an undeniable emotional weight—a quiet sadness that lingers in each piece, drawing viewers in. We sat down with Cesar to talk about his inspirations, his creative process, and why Frank & Son’s remains such an important part of his artistic journey.
Image Used By Permission From Cesar Flores
MacabreDaily: So Cesar, you've been here at Frank & Son’s Collectible Show for a little while. But how did things sort of start for you getting into drawing? I know that you've been into creating your own stylized artwork for many years, but what really was the kickoff to say, ‘Hey, I could actually maybe make a living at this’?
Cesar Flores: “Well, basically, when I started doing Frank’s, it was more so just selling comic books. It was where I could just do something different from my normal day-to-day life of being a manager at a restaurant. The management of Frank’s set me up next to Nick Hernandez and Michelle Carrillo, two top-notch artists here. I used to draw when I was a little kid, and you know, when you get into high school, they don't reinforce that type of mentality to keep drawing. So I would always see these other artists drawing. I was like, ‘Man, that's cool. I want to do that, but I don't want to do that exactly. I just want to draw.’ And I told my wife, girlfriend at the time, Helen, I'm like, ‘I want to draw again for fun.’ She’s been very supportive and agreed that I should pursue it. So I would do it all the time, every night, instead of just drinking and playing video games. Nick was a really big influence, to an extent, on what I was doing, and would always push me forward and keep on me about different ways to utilize my talent. I never started doing the art to make money off of it. It was more so for fun. At a certain point, Nick was like, ‘Hey, make prints out of this.’ So I ran with his idea and have been making my own art prints ever since.”
MD: For that transition, from selling comics to making art, how long did it take you to find your own voice as it were?
CF: “I think I'm still finding that, and it's coming in small, little bursts here and there. I think it shows a lot more in my sketches, where I can see this is like a style that just came natural to what I'm doing, because there's no pressure. I don’t have to do my art in a certain stylistic way, or be like someone else. I get to do my own thing with no real stress.”
MD: You use whiteout in a lot of your work. I found that these pieces stand out and don’t really follow a set structure. Your artwork has been noticed by some of your favorite artists in the comic industry, like Jim Lee, and you even had contracts with Marvel for trading card artwork. Is everything coming together for you now? Do you find yourself with more trepidation when taking chances with your artwork since so many view it now?
CF: “Well, yeah, being scared and having trepidation would be pretty much spot on in describing my viewpoint when I start a piece. It is nice though to be at a weekly show like Frank & Son’s where we see so much foot traffic and changes. You can really strive for new pieces to create every week so your booth is fresh and updated. That takes a lot of effort but if I want this to really work, I have to be here and hustle. I’d like to focus on sequential work a bit more, but again I get a bit scared my work would come off stiff or not flowing right, and a lot of times I have self-doubt in that regard.”
Photo by MacabreDaily
MD: So you’re your own worst critic?
CF: “All day, every day, man. I am my worst critic, well besides my wife (laughs). What I mean is she won’t let me put out subpar work just because I need a piece done. She looks over everything I do and gives me advice or makes me look at things in a different viewpoint and this helps me tremendously. It’s hard sometimes to convey so much in a small print but I try and approach each piece with a mindset of expanding the character from what I know an adding my own flare to it. I find scenes from movies or panels from comics I enjoy and try and recreate them or take what was already established and bring some of my talent to it.”
MD: Well, it sounds like you have a great support system in your family, friends, and wife. Would you be this dedicated without them supporting you, and how important is that level of support for an artist?
CF: “That's honestly the best thing an artist can have, is a good support system, if not so much financially, but more so for a mental and emotional state. I have good friends like you, and also Nick, you know, you guys help support me and move me forward, giving me positive feedback and you guys will let me know if something isn’t looking good. My wife, same thing, she's really supportive and still pushes me to pursue this because I love it. She was the first one to suggest I do conventions. She's the one that's pushed me into doing more conventions and making sure we move forward with this. So support is one of the top things that an aspiring artist needs.”
MD: So as a father and a husband, how have you been able to balance your time with your family and your business to make it profitable.
CF: I've lucked out with the support side of it. My wife and I both work from home. I also have the support of my in-laws who we currently live with. My parents are some of my biggest supporters as well. My mom is constantly liking, sharing, and commenting on my work when I post it to Instagram. I have time to take my oldest to school and my youngest knows that I work on my art to make a living for him and his brother and mom. Between 8 pm and midnight is when I usually start working on bigger pieces, but I find time at various points in my day and I’m very grateful. My wife manages the boys when I’m working and is truly the unspoken hero in all this. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. She’ll be visiting Korea pretty soon and that’s going to change my time frames a bit but, with the support of those I mentioned before, I should be fine.”
Photo by MacabreDaily
MD: Speaking of your adaptation skills when it comes to your pieces, I’ve noticed that progressively, you have had a darker tone than most. Not to say that your artwork is bleak but more of a washed out feel. You have tribute pieces to artists like Junji Ito and John Carpenter movies such as “THE THING” and “THEY LIVE”. Do you feel that horror and dark artwork have been on the rise in the last few years compared to when you started?
CF: “Oh yeah! I think horror is this unknown entity, there’s a huge fan base for it that draws people in. It's on par with anime, probably even more sometimes. It's also because horror is not as available as anime is at times. So when people see horror stuff, they take notice. Horror's gotten really big over the last few years, especially when I first started Franks. 10 years ago, when I started here, it wasn’t as dominant as it is now, that’s for sure.”
MD: Not everyone will like your work, that’s a given for any artist. So would you say that rejection in this industry is a major key and a major thing that you have to deal with as an artist and be okay with?
CF: “Yeah, of course, like the thing with Frank & Son’s is we're in a corner booth where the only thing that separates us from people is this, like grid wall. And the thing is, like, we get critiqued without realizing that people are critiquing us, and our art is basically outside of our grid so people can see it. So when we put our stuff out there, we have to understand we're going to get criticized. We're going to get critiqued. Not everyone's going to like what we do. And that's fine, you know? And we get unfiltered critiques, because the people don't realize we're right next to them. When they're looking at stuff from outside, looking at the original pieces that are for sale, people will be like, ‘Oh, I don't like the way this guy drew this Junji piece, or did this one thing’, and they don't realize, like, I'm right there, you know? They're not trying to be rude. I'm sure if they knew I was there, they wouldn't say that, I mean, maybe they would. I appreciate it because it allows me to take a step back and ask myself if the pieces I’m doing need something more or are fine as is.”
MD: What mediums are you currently using in your work?
CF: “Right now I’m big into water color but I also utilize Posca markers. It just depends on what I have at my disposal and whether I am comfortable using it to its full extent.”
MD: Knowing you for many years, I would be remiss if I didn’t ask you about your love of The “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” I love the work you’ve done to recreate some iconic scenes from the “Turtles” movies and make them your own. Not many realize that the “turtles” can be very dark at times as well. They were not for kids when they first were introduced by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.
CF: “Yeah, they can. Especially like, as you mentioned, their first comic runs. I mean, when they came out, I wasn't into the comics. I didn't realize that there was a comic I was super young, so my first experience was the cartoon. Well, yeah, the cartoon and then the movie, when that came out, and that's, one of my favorite movies of all time. Thank you for noticing the amount of work I put into my “turtle” pieces. Every turtle is different. Every turtle is struggling with their own personal demon. You know, they're growing up. They're growing and they're dealing with their own strife. Like Leonardo figuring out how he is as a leader, how to be a better leader. Mikey has this internal anger, even before “The Last Ronin” came out, he had this internal anger that he never showed and masked it with fun. Raphael was just the one that couldn't control his anger, and was just like the Wolverine of the pack, you know.”
Image Used by Permission Of Cesar Flores
MD: Do you find yourself channeling those emotions from these characters into your representations of them?
CF: “Well, that’s a good question because I feel like every turtle has his own message so to speak and yeah, at times I have had bad days where I use my art to convey how I feel but that happens to every artist to a degree. My artwork, to many, has been described as ‘dark.’ Nick likes to call me the “King of Melancholy”. I was never trying to go for that style but I think I get in my head more than I should, especially after a few beers, and dwell on things to get me into an emotional state when I do start or finish a piece.”
MD: Based on all we talked about today, do you still have lingering doubts about making your artwork and the amount of time and dedication you have to give it?
CF: “There are more lingering doubts than anything else in my head. Everything is really expensive in regards to art supplies and tools to utilize. In all honesty, if I had a mortgage to pay or major bills to deal with, there’s no way I could make this work. Again, this is where my support system helps me so much. I never started doing this to make money. It just evolved, and it's continuing to evolve, and I'm hoping it will take me to a place where I can proudly support my family through my art, and I can tell my wife, ‘Hey, you don't have to work anymore. My art is paying for it. Just be my manager. You're better with money than I am. Make sure I don't mess up with money and that's all, that's all you need to do for the rest of your life.’ I want to give my wife and family that piece of mind. I want my boys to see my work and say, ‘Dad did it his way and made it work, we can too’. So I can’t stop. I don’t want them to see me as someone who gave up on what I wanted. I’m setting an example that they can do whatever they want, same as I did.”
Photo by MacabreDaily
MD: Where can fans of your work meet you and get your latest pieces?
CF: I am at Frank & Sons on Saturdays and Sundays, every week and will also be at Comic Con Revolution later in the year in Ontario, California. You can also check out my Instagram account for any new pieces.
We extend our gratitude to Cesar for sharing his time, passion, and insights into his artwork. His unwavering love for his craft is truly inspiring. Before we wrapped up, he shared five horror films that have deeply influenced him and continue to shape his artistic vision.
Here are the five horror films that have greatly influenced Cesar and continue to inspire his artwork:
“Halloween” (1978) – A film he loves for its subtlety and iconic theme.
“They Live” (1988) – Another John Carpenter classic that makes his top three.
“Gremlins” (1984) – A favorite, especially now that his sons are getting into it too.
“Alien” (1979) – The first installment of the sci-fi horror masterpiece.
“The Thing” (1982) – Rounding out the list with yet another Carpenter film, known for its incredible practical effects and suspense.
Photo by MacabreDaily
Stay up to date with “The Dark Side Of Pop Culture” by following Macabre Daily on Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky!
