Today we’d like to introduce you to John Martinez Hulsey.
Hi John, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been creating stories for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I was always drawing, making up characters, and dreaming about movies. My creative journey began with writing novels. I published my first novel, Mikayla: Angel of Darkness, in 2001, followed by my second novel, Joseph and the Mutant Killers, in 2014. Those books taught me how to build characters and worlds from the ground up.
In 2012, I created Johnny Veins and launched Johnny Veins Comix. Since then, I’ve spent years writing, illustrating, self-publishing, and promoting my own comics while building an original universe of characters and stories. That DIY experience taught me not to wait for permission to create – it showed me that if the stories I wanted to see didn’t exist, I could make them myself.
Along the way, I worked a full-time job, raised a family, and kept creating whenever I could. Every novel, comic, painting, and screenplay helped me develop my voice as a storyteller.
Over time, my passion naturally led me to screenwriting. Film gives me the opportunity to combine everything I love – character, visual storytelling, music, atmosphere, and emotion. My work is inspired by punk rock, grindhouse cinema, and South Texas culture, and I’m drawn to stories about outsiders, found families, and people who carve out their own path.
Today, my primary focus is writing original feature screenplays while continuing to create comics and artwork. Looking back, every step – from my first novel to Johnny Veins to the scripts I’m writing now – has been part of the same journey: creating the kinds of stories I always wanted to see.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road. Like many independent creators, I’ve had to balance my creative ambitions with everyday responsibilities. I’ve worked a full-time job while raising a family and creating nights and weekends. There have been plenty of moments where it would have been easier to put my creative work aside, but storytelling has always been something I felt compelled to keep pursuing.
Another challenge has been wearing so many hats. As an independent creator, I’ve often been the writer, artist, publisher, marketer, and promoter all at once. While that can be exhausting, it has also taught me how every part of the creative process works and made me appreciate every opportunity that comes my way.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that success rarely happens overnight. I’ve spent years writing novels, self-publishing comics, creating artwork, and now focusing on feature screenplays. Every project has been a chance to improve, even when no one was watching.
What keeps me going is the belief that every story teaches me something. Every script is better than the last, every setback is a lesson, and every finished project is proof that persistence matters. Looking back, I wouldn’t change the journey because those challenges shaped the writer I am today.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a screenwriter, comic creator, and artist based in San Antonio. While I’ve worked across novels, comics, and visual art throughout my career, my primary focus today is writing original feature screenplays.
I specialize in character-driven stories that blend punk rock energy, grindhouse style, and South Texas culture. I’m drawn to outsiders, found families, and characters who refuse to fit neatly into the world around them. Whether it’s a punk rock western, a coming-of-age drama set in San Antonio’s underground music scene, or a gritty crime thriller, I want every story to have a distinct voice and feel unlike anything else.
What I’m most proud of is building my creative career independently. Since creating Johnny Veins and launching Johnny Veins Comix in 2012, I’ve continued writing, publishing, and creating original work while balancing a full-time career and family life. That experience taught me the value of persistence and the importance of staying true to my creative vision.
What sets me apart is that I don’t separate my influences. Punk rock, comics, independent film, Mexican-American culture, and life in South Texas all exist in the same creative space for me. Instead of trying to imitate what’s popular, I focus on telling stories that only I can tell. My goal is to create films that are emotionally honest, visually memorable, and unmistakably original.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’ve always believed that the biggest risk isn’t creating something – it’s never creating it at all.
I’ve never had the luxury of putting everything else on hold to pursue my creative work full-time. I’ve balanced writing and creating with a career, family responsibilities, and everyday life. That meant accepting that progress might be slower than I’d like, but it also taught me consistency. Instead of waiting for the perfect time, I learned to keep creating with whatever time and resources I had.
One of the biggest creative risks I took was deciding to build my own original worlds instead of following trends or waiting for someone else to give me permission. From publishing novels and self-publishing comics to writing feature screenplays, I’ve invested years into telling stories that are deeply personal to me. There was never a guarantee that anyone would read them or that they would lead to new opportunities, but I believed those stories were worth telling.
To me, risk isn’t about making reckless decisions. It’s about believing in your voice enough to keep showing up, even when the outcome is uncertain. Every time I start a new screenplay, I’m taking a risk because I’m investing months of my life into an idea that may or may not succeed. But I also know that if I never take that chance, I’ll never write the story that could change everything.
I’d rather spend my life creating work that is honest and original than wonder what might have happened if I’d never tried.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://johnnyveins.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cuetefilms_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.m.hulsey
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-martinez-hulsey-819885236/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CueteFilms
