Meet Don Nguyen | Artist

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

Hi Don, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I don’t think there is a singular important factor behind success. It’s a bit the adage that luck is preparation rising to meet opportunity. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people, positive attitudes (or at least ones with forward progress in mind) and a whole lot of kindness adds to the equation. There is a reciprocity to kindness, respect and helpfulness. These things seem obfuscated in the current clime, but are always greatly appreciated whether given or received.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I like to think I’ve followed the adage of luck is preparation rising to meet opportunity fairly well. Right out of college, I was fortunate enough to be a part of an NEA grant commission at Sunset Art Park, an art space formerly located in Echo Park California. My dear, late friend Kevin Matthew Schmidt and I created an art installation that featured a to-scale, basket-woven Sherman Tank that sat atop a cube of living grass called “turf.” It served as a commentary on America, Americana, military and global politics. The piece received a write-up in Los Angeles Times.

I started creating web comics with my friend Matt Jackson on WordPress in 2011 and picked up some character design and storyboard work for indie film and game projects. We created shorts and gag comics like Monsters, Robot Love and Jupiter the Space Pug.

2013 saw my Etsy shop go viral thanks to a boingboing.net article by Cory Doctorow featuring my tiny needle-felted Star Wars and pop culture sculptures. The article was then shared by Star Wars crafts author Bonnie Burton.

In 2017, writer Andy Nordvall and I teamed up to create the official #Inktober project Siren’s Song. Andy and I were the first team to take all thirty-one of Jake Parker’s prompts and create a cohesive story from beginning to end. Andy penned thirty-one chapters while I created thirty-one illustrations during that October. We were featured by Autodesk Sketchbook on their social media platforms. Oddly, for three days in 2019, the book went #1 on Amazon Kindle and Top 100 print on Amazon for science fiction and fantasy illustration. We beat out book featuring Star Wars, Legend of Zelda and Metal Gear Solid.

In 2019, I successfully crowdfunded my very own comic Pablo the Gorilla. The book funded in seventy-two hours and featured a variant cover by the amazing, two-time Eisner winner Dustin Nguyen. Dustin played a huge part in encouraging me to create and show my work. Aside from my wife, he’s definitely one of the people I’m indebted to for pushing me to create and get my work out into the public. Since then, I’ve been a part of over twenty successful and delivered campaigns. Among those campaigns, Comic Book Resources (CBR) chose Bloodline Comics Nightmare theater as the #1 book to get at Los Angeles Comic Con 2021. Orange Cone Productions’ Cthulhu Invades Wonderland was nominated for the 2023 Ringo Awards Best Anthology. The follow up, Cthulhu Invades Neverland just walked away with CBR’s Comic Crown for Best Anthology 2024.

In 2020, I helped Punisher co-creator with his #SkullsforJustice fundraiser to raise awareness toward the misguided co-opting of the Punisher logo by law enforcement and the military. If I recall correctly, the effort raised over $75,000. Of that, my design accounted for over $48,000. This same year, I joined Marvel Upper Deck and created sketchcards for the inaugural set of Marvel Anime featuring superstar Peach Momoko. Since then, my credits have included WandaVision and Fleer Ultra Midnight Sons. I recently joined Topps and added Star Wars Chrome Galaxy and High-tek 2024 to my belt. Coming up will be work for DC Comics, Nickelodeon and more Star Wars.

All of this definitely wasn’t easy. It required a lot of mistakes and perseverance: taking in feedback and implementing it to the best of my abilities. If I could offer advice- be kind, respectful and really show the joy you have for the work you create.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love food so some spots I’d take people are Du-Par’s for pancakes, the Original Pancake house for their cinnamon apple pancake and Dutch baby, Ginger’s for ice-cream, Coop Pizza, Slice and Pint, Gardena Bowl and Langer’s just to throw some places out there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My wife Zlata plays a huge role in allowing me to do what I do. She encouraged me to leave pursue my dream of working in comics.

Comic artist Dustin Nguyen inspired me to put work out and I’m forever grateful for that as well as him having created a variant cover for my comic Pablo the Gorilla. Comic book legend, writer and Punisher co-creator Gerry Conway is another person whose support I truly apprecia.te. I’m not sure I’d have had as many eyes on my projects today if were not for the #SkullsforJustice design I did for him.

Honestly, there are so many people to shout out and that’s why I always try to share them and their work out.

Website: https://nguyeningit.com/

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