Meet Abraham Lopez | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Abraham Lopez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Abraham, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk is growth to me. It’s going out of what you are comfortable with to try something that is new and uncertain. It’s necessary in helping to define you. Whether with food, experiences and even creatively. How else are you supposed to know if you like dipping your french fries in your milkshakes….. Don’t look at me like that! It’s seriously delicious!!! When it comes to my career, risk has been a pivotal factor to my progression in this crazy and wonderful world. One moment that comes to mind immediately was when I had just been laid off from a video game company I had been working at. It was during the recession so getting laid off was the hot new trend going around nobody wanted. I was able to stay afloat taking random and temporary art jobs with various companies. Though it wasn’t too sustaining for my fries and milkshake addiction. With that realization I had to lay out my options: Ditch my art dreams and get, what my parents call, A REAL JOB. 9 to 5pm hours and consistent pay… or option B: Stick to my guns and stick to my art path. Oooh Risky.. But what would I do specifically? For years I’ve attended Comic Book conventions and have always wanted to be the artist behind the tables. I always thought that was the eventual goal. But why not now?? I’ve always relied on being paid by companies as I thought it was the only way to make a living. I have never been my own boss and to draw what I want. I sat at my desk and started producing pieces that I had hoped people would be interested in buying at these conventions. I had no idea what I was doing or what would actually sell, but I wanted to try.
That 9 to 5 job will always be there if need be, but why not try for what I want? 11 years later and I’m still my own boss hopping from event to event as an artist selling my work. It feels great to do what I enjoy and travel as well. Also my new favorite food is a Cheeseburger with peanut butter ice cream…. you stop it with that staring!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My style in art has been ever changing. It started out as comic book related art. From the style to the subject matter. Pretty much fan art, To make myself stand out from the masses I had my cartoony style. Along with that I’d sprinkle a bit of humor into it to for fun reactions. Before I’d be borrowing characters from other companies or franchises for all my pieces. I’d keep my ear to the ground and chased that pop culture dragon relentlessly to try and make pieces directly related to what is currently the hot topic. To appeal to the masses with characters people are already attached to for a quick sell. It totally works, but it wore me down as an artist and wasn’t what I wanted to be known for anymore. Yes, people would be able to tell when a piece was mine, but I wasn’t enjoying it. I wasn’t doing work that I wanted to do anymore. Now my body of work has nearly dropped all comic related pieces and has moved to a spookier vibe. I’ve always loved halloween as kid. Couldn’t get enough of it! You dress up and get free candy from strangers. Talk about taking risks! So now I’ve been tapping into all things halloween or spooky related. My current work hasn’t been getting as viral or noticed as my comic book/pop culture related pieces, but I’m truly happier with it. It’s more of my original work. Any designs or concepts came directly from me. I just think I’m at the grumpy age where I don’t mind what others think. This is me. This is my work. This is who I am.

When I was still strictly working as a freelance artist, it was pretty hard to be noticed or even get replies back from companies I’d reach out to for work. Now, all you need is internet and a place for your work to be seen. To show people what you’re about and what you’re capable of. And if it wasn’t through the internet to be noticed, it would be at events and conventions where I’m selling my work. I simply just needed to put myself out there. With social media, that audience can go on a global scale. It’s a constant grind to have to keep producing work to be relevant, but it pays off. There’s great possibility for burning yourself out or even betraying your original perspective as to who you’re doing this for. It’s ultimately up to you to choose how you use it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh snap! Get your comfy shoes ready! For starters, Disneyland will always be my mecca for fun! Star Wars, Mickey Mouse shaped foods, Haunted Mansion to churros. It has it all!

Now because I love all things spooky, naturally creepy related places are on my itinerary. So off the The Basement Escape Room in the Valley! Top tier in quality puzzles and production! You’ll feel like you’re actually trapped in a killers basement, elevator shaft or study!

Head on over to the Hollywood Forever Cemetery to see the final resting place of you favorite stars. From Judy Garland, the voice of Porky Pig to Vampira.

The Thriiller house near Echo Park and Dodger Stadium. See the house used in Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video. There’s also beautiful Victorian style homes in that neighborhood.

Time to shake off all the scary jitters with some great tasting tacos at Tu Madre in West Hollywood! Delicious grilled shrimp tacos. You can also try their pastrami and Korean BBQ Taco. Don’t forget to finish it off with their red velvet churros.

Now you have all this new taco weight, we should walk it off with a little hike mixed in with some sight seeing in the Hollywood hills. There’s various trails to choose from for views of both Los Angels and the Hollywood sign itself.

Refreshments are in order, so my go to place is It’s Boba Time! Yes, the drink with the tapioca balls that surprise you with each sip. They’re are branches all over for you to try favorites like Coconut strawberry smoothie, green tea or the classic thai tea.

Tokyo Fried Chicken in Monterey Park is next for some good eating. I’m sure you’ve had fried chicken before, but not to this level of quality! The batter is light and the chicken is juicy. Don’t forget to the get the side dishes that are just as good. The curry creamed corn and Macaroni and cheese are not to be missed.

Time to hit the road and make our way to Sequoia National Park. It’s a bit of a drive but the beautiful sights of the redwoods is well worth it. Immerse yourself in nature and potential allergies for some memorable views.

Want to make the memories permanent? Get a tattoo from my pals Johnny Vampotna at the Dolorosa Tattoo shop in Echo Park or with Julio the Monster at Black Serpents Tattoo in Downtown Los Angeles. Both specializing in spooky tattoos.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A shoutout to my fellow artists out there!!! Established or not, it doesn’t matter to what degree of artist you are. You inspire me! Each of us has our own story and style. To hear any of them and see how far you’ve come or where you aim to go is a treat!
Being surrounded by motivated people is truly contagious in the best way. I hope every one of you gets to where they want to be with their work.

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