Beetle Moses comics creator North Broward Prep Alumni Harris Fishman

Class of 2012 alumni Harris Fishman's journey from doodling in school notebooks to becoming a successful comic artist under the pseudonym Beetle Moses is truly inspiring. His story is a testament to the power of passion, perseverance, and embracing the opportunities the digital age presents. 

Harris grew up with a love for cartoons and comics. His father, Jon Fishman, an English teacher at North Broward Preparatory School for twenty-nine years, nurtured his dream and a passion they pursued together. He introduced him to comic strips like Garfield, Calvin and Hobbes. 

From Classroom to Career: North Broward Prep's Impact

When Harris fell in love with drawing, painting, and theatre, his North Broward Prep teachers supported his dream throughout his primary education. He credits his teachers for helping him think outside the box, with writing, storytelling, irony, and joke telling. One teacher, and class stood out, Advanced Placement (AP) Art with teacher Shelley Weiss ended up being so pivotal in his creative process. “I still use her teaching methods to craft cartoon ideas.”

Harris attended Emerson College, majoring in film and journalism. Afterwards, he followed his dream to New York City, working in retail and continuously pursuing his artistic dream. The hustle of New York helped him grow as an artist, by painting, illustrating, and drawing on the side. Harris lived there for four years, until the pandemic happened. When he moved back to Florida, he started refocusing on his comics dream. When he left his retail job with a little money saved up and working on an IT certification, he spent all his free time drawing comics. Harris’s friend noticed and encouraged him to post his comics on Twitter. 

Finding His Voice: The Birth of Beetle Moses

He began posting his comics in April 2022. In six months, he grew to 40,000 followers under @beetlemoses. When he was coming up with a name, he was inspired by his love of bugs and Moses, in the bible. The comics community loved the name too. His comics took off, and Harris began to sell merchandise, art prints, comics, and t-shirts, which grew an audience devoted to his comics. Now the following is over 112,000 on Twitter and 115,000 on Instagram. On January 7th 2024, Harris signed a syndication deal with King Features, one of the oldest comic syndicates in America. Advancing into webcomic territory, which is featured on USA Today. 

Harris explains, “It feels surreal. I am no longer technically an independent artist. Now, I have representation and an agency behind me. It is very comforting. Starting my comics career, I decided to take a chance on myself and focus on work that makes me happy. I just love what I do and a part of it does not feel like work.” It has been two years since Harris created and started making comics under Beetle Moses. A recent accomplishment is that Harris got invited to be a guest at my first comic convention in June, called OMGCon! Harris is looking forward to attending: “It’s going to be fun and a cool milestone.”

He hopes to motivate North Broward Prep students to follow in his footsteps. By sharing his journey, Harris not only celebrates his achievements but also pays homage to the support of his family, teachers, and peers who believed in his talent.

Harris's Message to Students

His story serves as a beacon of hope for budding artists, reminding them that with passion, dedication, and a willingness to embrace new opportunities, dreams can indeed become a reality.  “My advice to inspiring artists is to never stop creating and sharing their stories. I started Beetle Moses at 27, if I started at 17, I cannot imagine where I would be in my life. Do not be discouraged from getting started and worry what others are going to think. A lot of my comics are cringing and embarrassing, but if I were worried about what others thought, I would of never posted them on Twitter. You will be surprised who will be big supporters of your dreams.”

Despite facing challenges such as financial instability and the daunting prospect of entrepreneurship, Harris remained committed to his craft. His journey serves as a reminder to aspiring artists to stay resilient in the face of adversity and to never hesitate to share their unique stories with the world.