An Open Letter: From a Drop-out Kid to the Comics Community —

Dear Friends,

You probably think I'm nuts. You might be right.

I'm a drop-out kid from the N.Y.C projects. In the 80s, I walked into a comic shop looking for community and found my whole world instead. Met legends. Fell in love with the medium. The Joe Kubert School felt like a million miles away for a kid like me.

But dreams are stubborn. Years later, using my GI Bill, I made it through those doors. Got to learn from Adam and Andy and worked with Joe and Adam in 2008 to bring their correspondence courses to every military base — and made sure my home base at McGuire AFB, got books and videos, too. Full circle moment.

After JKS, I kept going. I went back to The Art Students League to learn anatomy and how to draw. While I was there, I introduced and helped develop their comic book program — no credit, just passion. Then in 2010, I started Dare2Draw using my military pension.

Our code is simple: "We're all creators, and we support each other. Period."

The moments that stuck with me weren't the big breaks. They were intimate moments with Will Eisner, Gene Colan and Joe Kubert. They taught me this medium is about connection.

Here's the thing: comics are evolving fast, but the people making them aren't always seeing the benefits. And now A.I. is shaking everything up. Human artistry needs us.

So, we're launching CreatorCØDE "LIVE" at our Gowanus studio.

We've got a tricked-out space with equipment, supplies, Wi-Fi, snacks — a place for working N.Y.C. comic artists to create together. But it's more than a studio. It's a way to connect these artists with real opportunities. We've been matching artists with projects for years. Now we're taking it further.

We're launching during Will Eisner Week 2026 (March 1-7). Eisner was a Brooklyn guy who spent his life lifting up this art form. Our first group of artists is in the studio now, carrying that forward.

This is about protecting human creativity. Plain and simple.

I'm asking for your support.

Fuel this space. Support these artists. Be part of something human.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-dare2draws-impactful-mission

A comic shop in the 80s and the Kubert School gave a drop-out kid from the projects a place to belong and a chance to create. This is me paying it forward.

Join us. Support human art. Support Dare2Draw's Creator CODE "LIVE".

Thanks for listening,

Charles Sincero

Founder, Dare2Draw Studios