Stay ConnectedConversations with the biggest names and best-kept secrets of the creative world, spanning across industries. Learn about their origin stories and how they keep going when things get tough.
New episodes drop every 2 weeks.
Hosted by Rick Kitagawa and Digital Noir Studios.
Copyright: © DesignerCon
Being a full-time fine artist and illustrator is an aspirational dream for many, and is a reality for Steven Russell Black that he’s created for himself through discipline and mileage.
Steven Russell Black is a northern California-based painter who paints surreal figurative work that highlight the beauty in the horrific. He illustrates comic covers, books, and most notably, cards for Magic: the Gathering.
In this conversation, Steven shares how his love and prioritization of his craft has brought him to being a full-time artist, the way he uses social media and consistency to build up a fan base, and how he builds multiple streams of revenue from every painting he finishes.
Steven’s Links
Website: stevenrussellblack.com
Instagram: @stevenrussellback
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
Have you ever wondered what it takes to launch an independent brand and immediately get a collab with Johnny Cupcakes? Jordan Fuchs knows, as he’s literally done just that.
Jordan Fuchs is the frontman of Plastic Pizza, an art-driven brand with a focus on creativity, imagination, and community. After selling his extensive lego collection to raise money for his brand, in just a few short years he went from having an idea to building a company that delivers cheesy bliss in the form of art toys, limited-edition apparel, pins, stickers, and more.
In this conversation, Jordan lays out the power of asking fearlessly for what you want, how he got to talk to Mr. Beast’s team about a collaboration, and how he used guerilla marketing to build hype for his brand.
Jordan’s Links:
Instagram: @theplasticpizza
Popshop Live: Plastic Pizza
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
If you’ve ever wondered about the determination and confidence needed to come from humble beginnings and build a successful career in design, look no further than this conversation with Joseph Israel Raul Bullard.
Joseph Israel Raul Bullard has cut his teeth doing design work for companies like Hulu and Dell before building his own design studio where he focuses on branding and identity packages for small businesses. He also teaches design to college students both at Austin Community College as well as via his podcast Students of Design.In this frank conversation, Joseph shares his story of growing up in a household ruled by alcoholism and the grit, determination, and confidence to escape that future for himself by any means necessary. We talk about the power of mentorship and the overlaps teaching has with good design – and Joseph shares how to leverage curiosity and YouTube to build a career.
Joseph’s Links
Instagram: @josephbullard
Students of Design IG: @studentsofdesignpod
LinkedIn: Joseph Israel Raul Bullard
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
Have you ever wondered what it takes to break into the competitive world of visual development? Vis dev artist Diana Ling knows, as she’s been there and done just that.
With credits at studios like Marvel, Paramount, Warner Bros, and Hasbro, Diana Ling is a Los Angeles-based visual development artist who started out as a storyboard revisionist, then took it upon herself to develop the skills necessary to become a visual development artist.
In this conversation, Diana shares her journey as she broke into the industry and pursued her passion for painting - even though her drawing skills were pulling her in a different direction. Not only does she share how she found a mentor in animation, but she also shares her views on how she invests back in herself between work and how she thinks about goal setting.
Diana’s Links:
Website: www.dianaling.com
Instagram: @dianalingart
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
Do you know what MLB, Interstellar, and Avengers: Infinity War all have in common? They all have had fine artist, fabricator, concept artist, and illustrator Shane Stover work on them.
Shane Stover started out painting sports legends while still in high school until he graduated college, moved to LA, and then built a career in the film and entertainment industry doing concept art for films like Spiderman: Homecoming, The Dark Knight Rises, and Alien:Romulus, all while nurturing a fine art career that dives into the intersection of humanity and technology.
In this conversation, Shane shares the lessons he got from his professional-photographer-father, how he’s navigated two very different bodies of commercial work, and how, as a self-described non-technical person, he’s been able to stay ahead of the curve and integrate technology into his pieces.
Shane’s Links:
Instagram: @shanestoverartsWebsite: https://www.stoverart.com/
What does Philip Marlowe, Space Godzilla, and Jiujitsu all have in common? They’re all part of the wide lexicon that writer, painter, and toy producer Wes Allard brings into his world of crime and luchador masks.
Wes Allard is one of the founders of Last Bastion Studios - a Los Angeles-based art and toy production house that brings comics, toys, and sculptures to life for cool people. Last Bastion Studios also creates their own line of comics and toys, including Wes’ creation Luchador, a hardboiled mashup of crime fiction, lucha libre, and pro-wrestling.
In this conversation, Wes and Chris find out they have near-identical tastes in pretty much everything, and Wes shares how his lessons from martial arts has trained him for a life in the arts. He also shares tips on character-based writing, his one tip for all aspiring writers, and how he gets through all the difficult hurdles of being an artist.
Wes’ Links:
Instagram: @lastbastionstudios
Website: lastbastionstudio.com
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
It’s relatively quick to read a graphic novel, but it’s much more time-consuming and difficult to write, draw, ink, and publish one yourself. Howie Noel has done this numerous times, while also balancing a career as an illustrator and caricaturist for an impressive slate of clients.
Howie has run successful crowdfunding campaigns to self-publish his graphic novels, maintains a weekly social media output of new comics, and also works for a wide range of clients like T-Mobile, The Pixies, and Cryptozoic.
In this conversation, Howie shares his love of noir with Chris and tips for anyone whose ever wanted to make their own comic or graphic novel. He drops real talk on how he navigates the days when you don’t want to draw and also shares some inspirational messages about kindness and not quitting the dream.
Howie’s Links:
Website: hcnoel.com
Instagram: @dicktracyroguesgallery
Instagram: @clewcomic
Facebook: @hcnoel
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
The pervasive myth of the starving artist has scared many people into pursuing careers outside of art, and Julie Parrish was no different. But through tenacity, some strokes of good luck, and a mindset of possibility has led her back into a career in photography and illustration.
With a background in scientific illustration, Julie has built up a career spilling over into medical research, photography, illustration, education, and information architecture.
In this conversation, Julie shares tons of wisdom for artists of all ages, including the three questions you need to ask yourself to find alignment in your goals. She also gets real about the business side of being a professional creative - including some great thoughts about pricing your work.
Julie’s Links:
Website: julieparrishphotography.com
Instagram: @julieparrisphotography
Instagram: @parrish.ink.studio
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
Many people dream of leaving their dayjob to start a creative company. P-A Lesperance did exactly that, leaving decades of operations work behind to build House of Gog, a Montreal-based premium toy and collectable company that makes high-craftsmanship art statues from some of the world’s coolest artists.
An avid collector himself, P-A learned the ins and out of the figurine business running operations at Ubisoft. After leaving to start House of Gog with business partner Hugues Martel of PureArts, P-A has built a sustainable business with intricate, mind-blowing figurines by artists like Pascal Blanché and SKINNER.
In this conversation, P-A shares the importance of stoicism, the steps he took to build House of Gog, and the key skill every creative who is looking to start a business large or small should develop.
P-A’s links
House of Gog: houseofgog.com
Instagram: @houseofgog
YouTube:@houseofgog
Twitter:@houseofgog
Facebook: @houseofgog
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com/links
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
Many people strive hard to work their way up a career ladder - but what if it’s not the right career ladder for you? Our guests this week, Shih-Wen Lin and Kun-I Chang did just that, and then pivoted to building an independent art studio.
Shih-Wen and Kun-I are the artistic duo behind Space Rabbit Studios, a creative studio that brings illustration, animation, photography, and designer toys all under one creative roof. After working their way up the New York advertising career ladder, they took a leap to building out their own studio and their own world filled with heartwarming characters that spans multiple media including animation, books, and toys.
In this conversation, this collaborative duo share what it was like to turn down clients to focus on their own work, reframe what it means to be on the “right” career ladder, and offers their experience in trying to figure out how to collaborate with each other.
Threads: @space_rabbit_studio
Get in touch with Rick or Chris at: dconpodcast@gmail.com
Follow us on Instagram: @originsacreativejourney
For more Rick: rickkitagawa.com
For more Chris: digitalnoirstudio.com
For more DesignerCon: designercon.com
Origins theme song: Noel Beltran
Instagram: @noelbeltran_
FaceBook: @noelbeltran_
TikTok: @noelbeltran
Youtube: @noelbeltran
Mixed and Mastered by: Nathan Bankston
Instagram: @father.bankston
Tiktok: @father_bankston
Youtube: @nathanbankston
Milf’s Kitchen Recording Studio
Instagram: @milfs.kitchen
Website: thekitchenrecordingstudio.com
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