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

Hi Mike, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Well since I was a little kid, I’ve always been obsessed with cartoons and video games. I would draw my own comics on loose-leaf paper and make my own games with cardboard and construction paper.. so in a way I’ve always pursued a life and career in art. There’s never been a time that I haven’t been creating, and eventually I guess started making money from it, haha.

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.
That’s a lot to answer, haha, but let’s go at it one point at a time!

“What sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about?”
It’s hard to say that for myself, but what I THINK helps my artwork stand out is that I don’t stick to any one style in particular. I try to combine elements of everything that I like! I combine elements of Anime with Western Cartoons. I try to color my work to look like it’s animated, even though it’s a still image. Sometimes it’s hard to find a “place” for my work in the professional world, since I might not fit into projects that want a specific thing like “Anime-style”, but it’s the way that I like to work! Maybe I just have trouble picking a lane and sticking with it, hahaha

“How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy?”
I would say definitely not easy! My career started with a big string of rejections and getting passed on for big projects. I went to school to learn how to make comics, and I intended to make a career out of that. I did do some comic work, but it’s was very difficult to break in. I intended to switch to the Animation industry and try storyboarding, which is actually why I moved to Los Angeles! But as it turned out, I started receiving more freelance opportunities right after I moved. I was able to take these offers and slowly build up my own audience of fans, and now I mostly create and sell my own work through places like Patreon and my online shop!

“how did you overcome the challenges?”
A lot of persistence. A LOT of it. Drawing and creating is truly what I like doing to most, and I’ve just kept at it and kept pushing forward through the rejections. Selling my work at conventions, and posting regularly on social media sites was helpful for getting my work in front of more people. I was able to build up a good fanbase by doing that!

“What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?”
Everyone’s road through the art world is gonna be different and unique! Advice can be given, but things aren’t necessarily gonna work out the same way for everyone. The best way to learn is by doing! If you wanna make a living making artwork, you’re gonna have to make a lot of artwork. haha.

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.
Hmm.. well I’m pretty basic. I work most of the time and rarely get a chance to really go out on the town!

When I do, I’m happy meeting with friends for food and an occasional trip to a theme park. If I had a friend visiting, my first idea would probably be to take them to Little Tokyo and K-Town for some food and shopping. Then maybe try and drag them to Disneyland for a day or two, haha.

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 don’t suppose there’s room to shoutout every one of my friends? Haha. For real though, there’s too many people to only pick a few of them. My friends have supported me and helped me countless times over the years, and of course without my fans I wouldn’t be able to make a living drawing what I like to draw!

Website: www.mikeluckas.net/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/stupiddeadskullhead/

Twitter: twitter.com/MikeLuckas

Other: www.patreon.com/stupiddeadskullhead www.inprnt.com/gallery/mikeluckas stupiddeadskullhead.threadless.com www.twitch.tv/stupiddeadskullhead linktr.ee/MikeLuckas

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