In this episode I feature Native Tucsonan, Veteran Actor, and Comic Creator Jon Proudstar (Yoeme, Mexican, Jewish). Growing up in Tucson, Jon spent his childhood drawn to television and comic books as a source of entertainment. While in high school he got a small taste of what it feels like to be in the entertainment industry. Jon and a buddy of his both loved a lot of the same things, and one thing they wanted was to be a part of the local radio scene in Tucson. Together they found a way to get their foot in the door of radio, by catching up with a local DJ Cheryl Cruz, host of “The Cruise Control” show, and insisted on helping her with her records during her live shows. From then they would show up on Fridays and Saturdays to help her out and she soon began to teach them and gave them hands on experience working the mics, playing music, and working the board. They eventually were given the opportunity to host a show as Mikey Mike (Mike) aka catdog and Conan (Jon) at just 16 and 17 years old playing mostly slow jams, funk, soul, and some pop. It was how Jon got connected to KXCI those many years ago.
As Jon began expanding his natural abilities to go after what he wanted, he first began taking acting classes in high school and immediately got the attention of the Drama teacher who recognized his talent for acting after he participated in an improvs scene and encouraged him to run with it. Overtime Jon eventually worked toward pursuing a career as an actor. During his early years in acting Jon started as an extra before landing bigger roles in film and TV. One memory Jon tells so well during the interview is the time when the film Young Guns II was in Tucson and he was a stand in photo double for Lou Diamond Phillips. Over his career as an actor Jon has been featured in films and television shows such as Walker, Texas Ranger, Border Warz, Dude Vision, Last Stop in Yuma County, and the Hulu series Reservation Dogs. The series Reservation Dogs was a massive breakthrough for Native film into mainstream media and television. It is a series that connected so many people worldwide and showcased the talents of many Native/Indigenous actors, directors, writers etc. who have been in the film industry for many years as well as exposing the younger generation of Native actors.
Beyond the screen Jon wrote and created a one of a kind comic called Tribal Force, published in 1996, which is the first all Native super hero comic in the history of the U.S. The idea of the comic stemmed from his work in tribal communities where he witnessed the struggle that the youth were impacted by. He wanted to create something that the Native community, especially the youth could relate to. Thus, he wrote a comic strip that represent native/indigenous cultures that included characters who were gifted with different abilities that would be helpful in protecting the land, and their people. He worked alongside Ryan Huna Smith (Chemehuevi/Navajo) who was the artist and together they created a unique comic book and that would later get greater recognition and included into the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian’s Comic Art Indigène exhibit.
The most recent Tribal Force comics was created by Jon with the help from Chris Williams (pencils), Jake Isenburg (inks), Gene (colors and lettering), and Jesse Hernandez (artwork). Since it’s creation many people nationwide have expressed their love and appreciation for these great characters and stories that relate to their own personal experiences in life. Tune in to hear more details about the comics and Jon’s life behind the scenes to his life beyond the screen!
