Anime Deep Dives, Indie Comics & Surviving the “AI Slop” with Sean Cross

What is up, y’all! Mike and Tiff are back in the studio for a brand new episode of Damn we Grown. This week, we finally dragged the ultimate creative mastermind out of his studio cave: Sean Cross (aka Konami Homi). As the driving force behind 99 Hearts Entertainment, Sean is out here building entire universes from scratch, and we are getting into all the beautiful, messy details of the creative hustle.Whether you're an old-school anime head, an aspiring comic book artist, or just trying to figure out how to navigate the wild west of AI, this episode is a whole vibe. Grab your coffee (or your matcha), get comfortable, and let's get into it!Inside This Episode:The Ultimate Anime Starter Pack: We nerd out over the classics. From Dragon Ball Z and Lupin the Third to the endless ocean of One Piece and the gritty perfection of Hunter x Hunter, Sean breaks down the shows that shaped his artistic eye. (Plus, Tiff tries to keep us from talking about cartoons for three hours straight).Birth of Afro Boy: We get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the first official issue of Sean’s original comic, Afro Boy. We talk character design, world-building, and what it really takes to self-publish a comic in today's market.Fighting Spirits in The Adventures of the Neon Wolf: Sean gives us the scoop on his upcoming third-person horror-action video game. Think Kingdom Hearts meets Silent Hill—reaping souls, fighting demons, and trading ghosts to merchants. It's as wild as it sounds.The "AI Slop" Debate: Let's keep it real. As creatives who actively use AI to streamline music production and content workflows, Mike and Sean have an honest conversation about the fine line between using AI as a brilliant tool and just being lazy."You gotta know when to use the tool, and when to get out of the bed and do the work yourself. Don't just be out here making AI slop!" —Stay Connected with the Crew:Follow Damn we Grown: Catch us on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, TikTok, and Instagram at @DamnWeGrown.Follow our Guest: Support Sean's art, games, and music by following him everywhere at @99HeartsEnt @KonamiHomi and check out 99 Hearts Entertainment