Meet Lex Hobson | Comic & Story Artist

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

Hi Lex, what do you attribute your success to?
It may sound cliche, but I think the most important factor behind success is to have a great support network. I was very lucky to find a group of friends in college that were, and still are, encouraging and inspiring beyond belief. Burn-out and taking criticism can be very hard on the psyche no matter how many times you go through the process of reviewing your work. Creatives tend to put their blood, sweat, and tears into everything they create and can’t let go of the notion that the art is you, when it’s not. I definitely needed people that I could trust to give me caring feedback if needed, not just yes-men. These friendships push you to grow, but also leave room for you to fail and not drown in self doubt. A lot of creative careers start by knowing the right people at the right time, mine included.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I went to Digipen Institute of Technology for animation. My focus was in storyboarding, which I am still pursuing as a career. College was hard, I have a panic disorder and I was almost pulled out by my parents for my health. However, I knew art was what I wanted to do and I was able to get a BFA. After college I was applying to jobs non-stop, trying to update my portfolio, and honestly feeling really lost.

My friend recommended me to Papercutz, to work on the Loud House and the Casagrandes graphic novels. Storyboarding and comics are both sequential art and I grew up reading comics more than books so this was perfect. Now working at Papercutz I can bring stories from talented writers to life and I learn so much with every comic I complete.

I have found that communication is so important in success of not only you, but the projects you are creating. I work from home and simply emailing our editor to let her know I received files or received and understand feedback makes the process of creating so much easier. Questions are also so important, try not to think you know it all or printed that you do not need help, asking “silly” questions or clarification can save time and effort that the team can spend on other parts of the work.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When I visited Burbank for CTNx2018, a group of friends and I went to BeaBea for breakfast. I am kind of obsessed with matcha so their matcha pancakes were PERFECT. But if matcha isn’t for you, they have a lot of other great choices on the menu!

One think I regret not being able to experience while there, was the year round Halloween store: Halloween Town Costumes. I’d love to take my friends to look at the props and costumes they have, and while in the area might as well stop by Junk for Joy Halloween Vintage.

Ending in LA and at my friends suggestion: Daikokuya Ramen. There may be a wait time, but it’s worth it.

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?
Of course, shout out to my college friends! Jessica, Shannon, Olivia, Marko and Taylor! I would not have made it through those late nights crunching without y’all. Shout out to my mentors at Digipen. Shout out to Ayato, you’ve helped me find the fun in art again. Super shout out to my parents for supporting my creative endeavours and to my sister, Stella, for being there for me through it all.

Website: https://www.lexhobson.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lexlatte

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lex-hobson

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lexlatteart

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