Meet Jeff Victor | Pop Culture Artist

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

Hi Jeff, what inspires you?
Movies and pop culture are endlessly inspiring my art. I take visual cues from everything. From old films like Sunset Blvd and Wizard of Oz, to new pop culture trends like Stranger Things and the Mandalorean. I even did a series of drawings I called “Classics of Crap”, where I illustrated fan art from “bad” movies that rarely get seen, let alone celebrated by artists, like Ghoulies, Showgirls, and Troll 2. When Mad Max Fury Road came out a few years ago, I was so absolutely blown away by the artistry of that movie, it’s all I could draw for a while. I even did a bizarre mashup between Mad Max and Beauty and the Beast, with Belle as Furiosa, Beast as Immortan Joe, and even Belle’s father painted white and leaping to Valhalla. It was very strange.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a visual development and character design artist. I have worked for many animation companies and video game companies over the years, but most people know me for my Pop Culture fan art, that i have been doing for about 15 years now. My most well known series are called Pop Culture Evolutions, and these illustrations are essentially visual timelines of famous movie characters, superheroes, musicians, and celebrities and how they’ve changed over the years, but drawn in a very cartoony style. Ever since I’ve started noticing my age, and seeing the world around me change, I’ve become fascinated by the passage of time and how it affects Pop Culture. Seeing movies rebooted, then rebooted again, with different actors portraying the parts and each generation laying claim as to what “their” Batman is, for example. I just want people to enjoy my work, and have it bring a smile to their face, thinking back on all the fun memories these movies and characters have brought to their lives.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my friends were visiting LA for the first time, it’s of course important to show them LA’s most famous landmark, the Hollywood sign viewed from the Kodak theater. That was the first thing I visited when I moved here, and while the souvenir shops can be a bit tacky, the setting is so iconic, it’s fun to get swept up in the excitement of “This is the city where my favorite entertainment is made!” After that, I’d probably take them to the Warner Bros tour, where you can see loads of original props and costumes, the Arclight to see a film (pre-pandemic of course), and any other movie-related activities I could think of. As far as food goes, I love BBQ, so I would swing by my favorite BBQ joint in the valley, Swingin’ Door. Later on, some delicious seafood at the Boiling Crab. I’m sure they’ll want to go to Pinks, which has great food, but that wait is a killer. Mainly, it’s fun to take guests on a walking tour of Melrose blvd, browsing lots of incredible boutiques. Last thing on the LA tour is a visit to my favorite store in the entire city: Wacko Soap Plant, in Hollywood. Never has so much cool stuff been stuffed in a tiny space. Everything from art, to unique toys, to kitch of all shapes and sizes. It’s a delight to walk in and find the perfect oddity to take home as a souvenir.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am inspired by not only movies, but many artists I see and follow online. From comic artists like Mike Mignola, and Jeff Smith, to poster artists like Drew Struzan, and cartoonists/vis dev artists like Glen Brogan, Cory Loftis, and Nico Marlet. I’ve always been hammering away at my art, but I think getting positive reactions from people online is a hugely motivating factor for me, and lets me know I’m traveling in the right direction. I’m really grateful to Steve Banes, who is the man who hired me for my first paid art job in animation. I had gone years not drawing, after getting rejected from every job I had applied for in LA. Steve saw something in my work, hired me, and that gave me the confidence not to give up on my artistic dreams. If he hadn’t hired me when he did, my life would have gone a great deal differently.

Website: www.jeffvictor.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffvictorart/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-victor-7752a72/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeffvictorart
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jefvictor
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jeeves720/