An Extraordinary Q&A with Davien Watkins (Founder of Superpower Enterprises)
Davien Watkins is storyworld Creator and Founder of Superpower Enterprises. He is also a graduate of Pepperdine University's School of Business (Management). His storytelling career began as a music executive in the recording industry at Priority Records, marketing award winning artists such as Jay Z, Ice Cube, Master P, Ice T, etc. With an ongoing interest in comic books, arts, video games, TV and film, Mr. Watkins has elevated his entertainment career into a passionate exploration of the comic-book industry. Today Davien's original cartoonist work is featured in the "Notes Notations" comic strip published in print at the Culver City Observer newspaper in Culver City, CA.
1. What was your biggest inspiration behind creating Superpower Enterprises?
Empowered with the idea of ownership; I made the decision to start Superpower Enterprises. The biggest inspiration for starting the business came from personal relationships with family, colleagues, and alumni of Pepperdine University. Starting a business vs. returning to a traditional corporate culture required confidence and a complete leap of faith. The first step was to create a great business idea based on something I already liked doing (marketing entertainment), and next came the development of a solid business plan.
2. There are a ton of comic book distributors, publishers, stories, and characters, etc. What makes you extraordinary?
Extraordinary is a sensational way to describe our brand. The answer to the question is simple, we take risks! “Superpower” by its definition means to be powerful and influential with a dominant position. Each comic-book publisher has different styles, characters, stories and expectations, nevertheless our fierce authenticity establishes us as a relevant creator-owned publisher with a library of modern era intellectual properties.
3. What has been the greatest hurdle for Superpower Enterprises, to date?
In terms of the competitive landscape the comic-book industry as a whole has been fruitful with gains for the past five consecutive years leading up to 2017. At that point the direct market sales for comic-books overall declined 10% for the first time in half a decade. As with any new company there are those types of hurdles to overcome. Then there is the traditional goals of pulling in new readers and gaining traction with a new younger fan base while also carving out a niche for ourselves as publishers of high quality products.
4. Where do you see your company in the next 5 years?
Now that’s clearly a difficult forward looking question to answer. The start of every new quarter always prompts a completely new business environment and we would have to be able to gaze into the future to respond appropriately. So, I’ll just say, our preferred destination is for a greater set of relationships and an expansion of the incredible client base Superpower Enterprises has already built.
5. How can people support what you're building and keep in touch with you?
Interacting with us online is a great way for everyone to start showing support to Superpower Enterprises. Visit our website, Facebook, and Twitter. Start liking, commenting, and sharing the content!
To read Davien's comic, The Studio Superhero, click here.