Sophocles Plokamakis Interview | Respect the Dreamer
Together with my wife Thais we are the Founders of Start Shows! We organize Art Shows in NYC for the international art community to exhibit, sell and create art & connect with art lovers from around the world! See footage from past shows on IG @startshows
What inspired you to pursue your dream, and how did it all begin?:
Anime, manga & shonen jump & my love for art. It began by loving Dragonball, Dragonball Z & drawing. I was a kind and Dragonball was my favorite cartoon i always resonated with Goku a friendly powerful good hearted character. Fast forward till senior year in highschool I discovered a Japanese manga (comic) magazine called shines jump. It taught me that I have been watching anime for years and that first anime came from their comic predecessors that Japanese cartoonists & some of the greatest storytellers on earth created. I was immediately hooked by the art it was different than Spider-Man and xmen batman and super man. It was in black and white with crisp details and lines and heavy silhouettes. A vision came to me in the street level floor of the Manhasset branch of Barnes & Noble when I came across the magazine cover with Goku front row center. That I would have my own manga one day. Suddenly all the drawing that I did all over my school notes & homework all my life made sense. I made a plan to get into an art school that had a comics program. Luckily i still had 1 month to make a portfolio for art school so I went to my former middle school art teacher Michael Sansone and I asked for help, to get into SVA the School of Visual Arts. It turned out that he was an alumni and put me into his advanced Placement Life class where we would draw from nude models. This helped me learn anatomy for the first time. For a month I drew every day at
Home, landscapes at different times of the day in ballpoint pen, Manga characters like Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Naruto, Hiei, Hands, still lives in different mediums like color pencil, pencil and charcoal.
I found out soon after I was accepted into SVA and I was so happy! That school connected me to frat comic artists like Phil Jimenez, David Mazzuccheli, Becky Cloonan and other great teachers like Keith Mayerson and Jason little! I learned so much from them and it was in Keith’s class that the first draft of FarmBoy my own comic started to be created! At the time it was all in Black & White like Japanese comics. Now in 2024 I'm close to publishing the modern version of full-color FarmBoy comics on Amazon! After many years of creating and a long journey with patience perseverance & practice my dreams will soon come true.
Can you share a defining moment in your journey that shaped your perspective and fueled your passion?:
When I did my first show at one art space gallery in TriBeCa NYC. It was in 2018 called Septemberfest. I met Thais Coelho who is now my wife at the drop-off for the art. She gave me a kiss on the cheek before leaving and It gave me all the confidence I needed to ask her out after the show. We hit it off immediately and I gave her a couple of kisses at the end of the first date after playing video games at game night at the late Jump into the light which used to be in the Lower East Side. We started to see each other every day and she exhibited in other shows with me around New York. We got married in 2019 and even has our wedding party at One Art Space Gallery in TriBeCa New York where we met for the first time. In September of 2019 we formed Start Shows a company where we help artists exhibit, sell , connect with art lovers in NYC Art Shows and teach tips on marketing, selling, presentation & networking in the art world and posts these tips to their IG @startshows . Fast forward to ARTvengers exhibition where in 2024 where we just wrapped up our 19th show at One Art Space gallery & have also created events for Artists in Astoria, queens Brooklyn, New York, the Lower East Side, and Manhattan Montclair New Jersey in a mansion. These shows have helped me sell many of my FarmBoy Issues of the first and second chapters and exhibit the original art on Gallery walls! Thais also gave me 2 beautiful kids Lucia Maria & Michael Angelo! We loved each other and since Septemberfest in 2018 our lives have been like an Art Fairytale.
How do you handle setbacks and keep pushing forward in the pursuit of your dreams?:
Setbacks are a part of life. They are made to push through even if I have to take a short break, I don’t give up on my dreams. I keep pushing forward and will not rest for too long as I have goals to crush.
Are there specific individuals who have inspired you along the journey?:
God first and foremost for being the ultimate creator. My parents got me into art by taking me to museums, reading me a lot of children’s books as a boy and giving me my first comics.
Michael sansone my friend and high school art teacher, Keith Mayerson. Phil Jimenez, college comic art and anatomy teacher both brilliant artists themselves. Akira Toriyama the creator of Dragonball and spam I tezuka the god of manga. Stan Lee & Stephen king for clips of advice to artists and writers.
How do you maintain a balance between pursuing your dreams and handling everyday responsibilities?: It’s a tough balance especially with a family with 2 young kids and being a founder of a business and a creator of comics. I find that thinking on paper and organizing your time wisely helps balance dreams and everyday responsibilities.
How do you overcome self-doubt and stay confident in your abilities?:
By prayer. Good gets me through all self doubt and gives me the confidence and passion I need to succeed. Also through excercise I feel good and then look good so I am more confident.
Can you share a memorable success story or achievement that resulted from your determination?:
ARTvengers exhibition broke our previous record of total sales by Artists in a show and amazing turnouts. The artists thanked me and the guests enjoyed an amazing event. It was a 4 month long project and involved a lot of planning, coordination and effort and time but Thais and I also sold many prints and books and the ARTvengers had the best time and created so many Memories along with art fam from past art shows in collaboration with Bleu Pablo and bleucalf magazine NYC stories issue volume 2 at one art space. I want to give a shoutout to everyone who was a part of the show and those who helped bring it success!
Can you share a memorable success story or achievement that resulted from your determination?:
ARTvengers exhibition broke our previous record of Total sales by Artists in a show and amazing turnouts. The artists thanked me and the guests enjoyed an amazing event. It was a 4 month long project and involved a lot of planning, coordination and effort and time but Thais and I also sold many prints and books and the ARTvengers had the best time and created so many Memories along with art fam from past art shows in collaboration with Bleu Pablo and bleucalf magazine NYC stories issue volume 2 at one art space. I want to give a shoutout to everyone who was a part of the show and those who helped bring it success!
In what ways do you stay motivated during challenging times?:
By prayer, faith in god and in myself, creating and looking at art and Excercing. Reading and Also listening to motivational content by Eric Thomas, Steve Harvey, David Goggins and Jim rohn usually help me stay motivated.
What dream are you living right now?:
Last night August 18 was the last day of ARTvengers exhibition. This has connected me to lots of new people and opportunities. I am blessed and highly favored and grateful to God and everyone who has helped me reach this point in my life. Also I have a beautiful family with an amazing wife, daughter, and son and that’s a dream come true for me.
What advice would you give to someone with a dream?:
Education never stops for those that are interested in life. Read , network and learn new skills in ways and in things that interest you. It will take you far.
Photography credit: Dani Brews, Ivilasio Coelho, Sophocles Plokamakis for the 360 artists photo
Connect
Website: http://Startshowsnyc.com
Instagram: http://Instagram.com/Startshows
Facebook.com: http://Facebook.com/startshows
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