Andi Dukleth first grabbed a pencil and started drawing the fantastic images dancing around inside her head when she was six. It opened a world of storytelling that led Dukleth to the halls of Comic-Con inside the San Diego Convention Center.
An adult Dukleth stood next to fellow artist Scott Lost in a booth in the Small Press area in the main convention room. The two are part of a San Diego-based comic book studio called Accidental Aliens.
“Comics kind of keeps me sane: Creating stuff, exploring ideas, exploring feelings,” she said as visitors stopped and looked at her work. “It’s good to express yourself and deal with stress that way.”
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Dukleth is a storyteller at her core. She continuously works at her craft.
“I don’t think I’ll be the next Stan Lee, but you never know,” she smiled.
In the meantime, Dukleth still has bills to pay. She covers those with another form of storytelling.
“Friendly neighborhood photog here,” Dukleth chirped as she lugged a giant television news camera onto Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter outside the convention.
Dukleth is a bilingual news photojournalist for NBC 7 and Telemundo 20.
“The news side of my life has helped me be a little more focused on who my city councilmembers are, voting locally,” admits Dukleth.
She quickly adds with a laugh, “If we’re being honest honest: There’s a part of me that also hopes I can be napping on the couch.”
However, there’s little rest for Andi. The daily grind of television news is not easy. Dukleth's lens has recorded wildfires and murder investigations, parades and Comic-Con.
Ultimately, she tells stories with her camera and pencils — until she reaches that Stan Lee status.
“Everyone wants to be remembered, and storytelling’s one way to do that," she said.
