Drawing Dreams: How Bo Robertson Turned a Childhood Hobby into a Lifelong Passion

By Lauren Means and Selena Haynes ・ Images Courtesy Bo Robertson

For many, childhood is a time of exploration and discovery, filled with fleeting interests and changing passions. However, for some, a clear path emerges early on — one that defines their future. This was certainly the case for Bo Robertson, a talented graphic illustrator who has been drawing for as long as he can remember. “I joke that I was drawing before I could read,” he said with a laugh. His parents, hopeful that he would develop a love for reading, bought him a set of encyclopedias when he was eight. Instead of reading them, he filled the blank pages with drawings. His first creation was a witch with a witch hat, proof of his early fascination with the imaginative and fantastical.

Artistic talent ran in his family. His mother dabbled in watercolors, and his uncle, an Academy Award-winning cinematographer and special effects artist who won Oscars for the films “What Dreams May Come” and “Predator,” inspired him with stories of Hollywood. These familial influences and a natural inclination toward art propelled him forward.

By elementary school, Robertson was known as the go-to guy for art, a role that offered him both solace and a way to connect with peers. He noted that growing up gay, you feel different and can be ostracized and bullied. “I started drawing for people who would normally bully me, and they would learn to love me because I would draw what they wanted,” he recalled. He saw it as a good way to get the enemy on your side.

Despite his passion for art, he initially pursued a more traditional career path. After high school, he had the opportunity to move to New York and train in movie layouts with help from his uncle. However, his mother wasn’t ready for him to leave, and as a self-proclaimed mama’s boy, Robertson decided to stay. He enrolled in college as an art major, intending to become an art teacher. But after a brief stint in student teaching, he realized that working with children wasn’t for him. He switched to journalism, where he found a new outlet for his creativity. As the editorial cartoonist and comic strip creator for the college newspaper, he won several Kappa Journalism Awards.

Although he graduated with a journalism degree, Robertson knew it wouldn’t be a lucrative career. While sending off comic book samples to publishers, he took a stable 9-to-5 job in banking. The financial stability was hard to leave behind, even as he continued to pursue art on the side. His dedication paid off when he attended a convention in Columbus in the 90s and met his artistic hero, George Perez. Showing Perez his portfolio was a pivotal moment. “He said, ‘Well, you’re ready to get work.’ And I was over the moon,” Robertson remembered.

This endorsement led to his first major project with a small press comic book company called Hall of Heroes. He was hired to do a three-issue series called “Bog Swamp Demon,” marking his debut as a published comic book artist. Although it didn’t make him rich, it gave him the confidence and credentials to continue pursuing his dream. Over the years, he has worked on various projects, including collaborations with musicians, promotional work, book covers, and more.

A significant milestone in his career was meeting Dale Lazarov, a published comic book author who specialized in LGBTQ+ storylines. Together, they created several graphic novels, including “Pardners,” an erotic love story set in the country music scene, “Super Creeps,” a tale of supervillains turned heroes fighting for gay rights, and “The Milky Way Brigade,” an intergalactic adventure inspired by the Legion of Super-Heroes.

Today, Roberts does a lot of commission work, drawing people as fantasy or superhero characters, creating logos, and doing trademark work for companies. Despite his success, he has never made art his full-time job, finding security and balance in his banking career. He continues to draw every night, working on both commissions and personal projects. “I think that I just keep sharpening my skills all the time. And when I decide to retire, that’s kind of my next thing — just do that full force and have a good time with it,” he said, though he isn’t sure when that will be.

Staying inspired is easy for him. His love for comic books, once a collection of over 100 long boxes now viewed digitally, fuels his creativity. Roberts continually refines his style by studying the works of other comic book artists, picking up nuances in inking, coloring, and action scene compositions. “If I lost my eyesight or my hands, I would be a lost cause because that’s just absolutely my favorite thing to do in the world,” he said passionately.

Reflecting on his career, he finds it hard to pick a favorite project. Each piece is like a child, loved and cherished for different reasons. However, Roberts said his work with Hall of Heroes stands out. It was not only his first nationally published work but also a dedication to a partner he lost to HIV, immortalizing him in the pages of his comic book.

Creative blocks are rare for him. Drawing every day, he finds that simply sitting down and starting a project usually overcomes any hurdles. Writing, however, can be more challenging. He said he is his own harshest critic, constantly striving to avoid clichés and improve his storytelling.

Robertson’s artistic process is one of constant refinement. “Every stroke that I do is intentional. Everything that I do is in serving a purpose of trying to make that piece as beautiful as it can be,” he explained. He often revisits his work, always seeing ways to improve it, driven by a perfectionist streak that never fully subsides.

When he needs honest feedback, he will turn to his husband. Robertson said, “He keeps it real with me. We’ve been together for 25 years so there’s no holding back. If he says ‘You need to do this,’ that’s what he really thinks and he’s not trying to walk on eggshells with me.”

For aspiring artists, his advice is clear: “Draw every single day. Do your research on what the masters did and how they did it. Learn their process. It’s valuable to look at real-life examples of what you’re trying to draw to inspire yourself to make it better.” He emphasized the importance of understanding the fundamentals, networking, and being open to feedback. “If you want to be good at anything in life, you have to do it constantly and get better every day,” he said.

As he continues his artistic journey, he remains humble and grounded, deeply appreciative of those who support and admire his work. “If there’s anything I want to be remembered for, it’s my artistic ability. It’s certainly the thing that I’m most proud of and it’s the thing that I enjoy doing the most.”