Second Saturday Cartoonist: Mariano Velasco

Mariano Velasco is an author and illustrator with a deep passion for creating children’s books, comics, and art. Valesco’s journey began at CU Denver, where he majored in music business and discovered his love for writing. After years of developing characters, plots, and designs, he found inspiration in his children to complete his first children’s book, The Incredible Adventures of the Boy and the Thing. He then independently published a comic strip based on his book before expanding it into a full comic series on Instagram and other platforms. Following nearly two years of daily comics, The Boy and The Thing: Comic Strip Vol. 1 was released in 2025 to enthusiastic reviews. Velasco is developing additional children’s books, continuing work on the next volume of the comic strip, and expanding the world of The Boy and The Thing into new formats, including interactive apps, animated shorts, and other imaginative projects that bring his characters to life in fresh and exciting ways. Based in Colorado, Valesco’s work can be found online at @theboyandthething or theboyandthething.com.