Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alexander Lugo. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alexander, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

When I was 4 years old, I picked up a comic book while waiting for a hair cut at the local barber shop. The cover was red and very colorful, It featured characters whose names I recognized, but they were different: Robin, the Flash, and Green Lantern. After reading the book from cover to cover, and then re-reading it, I realized that these heroes were not the same ones that I would watch on the Superfriends on Saturday morning, but their alternate Earth counterparts from the Golden Age of comics. This was not the Justice League, but the Justice Society. The book was All Star Comics 58, and was the first appearance of Power Girl, and alternate version of Supergirl. The art and story blew me away. It was written by Gerry Conway (who also co-created the Punisher) and drawn by Ric Estrada and the legendary Wally Wood. All in one issue, I was introduced to the concepts of the multiverse, the golden age of comics, and some amazing art. Right there I knew that I wanted to be an artist.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I guess that I was very fortunate about being able to make my living as an artist. Many of my classmates from art school did not. Many worked in non-art related industries, and many who worked as full time freelance artists struggled for years until they moved completely into a non-related art fields.. No matter what your creative soul tells you, eating and paying the bills is still the number one goal of survival. I was lucky that I was always able to find work in some type of a creative industry.

Starting in special events as a scenic artist, I created sets and props for many of Hollywood’s biggest events: The Golden Globes, The Oscars, and many movie premieres. , Following this, I worked in the set building industry where I contributed to many of the newest and hottest TV talk shows of the early 2000’s From there, I began working in graphic design, and then finally landing in packaging. From Disney to Mattel, from Smashbox to NYX cosmetics, I helped to develop packaging and prototypes for many world wide companies across a variety of industries. From toys to cosmetics to food. For over two decades, I had a good full-time creative run. Recently, I started focusing more on projects closer to my heart through freelance work in comics, illustration, and writing. I find it even more fulfilling because I get to choose what I want to do now. But, in whatever creative field I work, I owe my success and longevity to two things: 1) being a problem solver, and 2) using my skill and creativity as an artist to add to the distinctives of the project. In other words, I give it my all.

I know it all sounds amazing, and at times can be glamorous, but it is a lot of hard work. There is a lot of struggle, a lot of pain, and a lot of long days and nights. I survived longer than most in creative fields known for their mental anguish and bad pay by always moving forward, having hope, and working hard. I have been, and always will be, a working artist.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I can share many stories of having to pivot both in business and in life. To me, as I look back, life is about constantly pivoting. There are many times to stand your ground for moral reasons and integrity, but don’t get those confused with the many changes that life throws at us. Although widely known today, I learned from Bruce Lee’s famous quote, “Be Water My Friend” many years ago when I was younger:

“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”

It’s often very easy to rage at a situation that you cannot control, or that annoys you. But it is better, to keep moving forward, clear your mind, and you will find the solution. Out of college, I didn’t know what I was going to do to with my art skills. Where would I apply for a job? This was the mid 90’s and the internet was brand new, there was no job searches or online job postings. All I had was the newspaper and the want ads. Luckily, my creative skills and my refusal to not give up (or recuse myself to doing something creatively boring) caught the attention of a classmate who was working in the event industry. And that is how my creative career started.

I didn’t know the event industry even existed, but years later, I was helping to create parties for some of the biggest names in the world, and had traveled to many locations across the country setting up these events. I set up parties on the side of a mountain for VH1, all the way to a cruise ship travelling from Alaska to Canada for a private event filled with celebrities. All because I was willing flow like water and be open to new paths along my own artistic path. In 2001, however, everything changed. On September 11, 2001, our world here in the US was changed forever with the attacks in New York. Not only did thousands of people lose their lives, and the US was thrown into conflict, but the event industry was upended, and I lost my job of 4 years. Luckily, however, another opportunity presented itself and I pivoted into the set building industry.

When I say “luckily” what I mean is that skill and preparedness met an opportunity that presented itself. So always be prepared and have your eyes open. Sometimes we can’t see too far down our paths, but be open to new experiences. I joined a start up set building company, that became an upcoming competitor in the field very quickly. We built sets for MTV, the NFL, and talk shows for the likes of Sharon Osbourne. It was there that I learned to do graphic design which would prepare me for my next job, as after a few years, the set company started to have financial issues and began to fold. Very soon I found myself out of a job, and not knowing what I was going to do. Luckily, again, I was open to new opportunities, and within 3 weeks I was working full time again. This time as a graphic designer for a pharmaceutical company. Was it glamorous? No, did it lead me to bigger things? Yes

Although my time at the pharmaceutical company was short, the time that I spent there, I picked up many skills what would come in handy: screen printing, book binding, commercial printing and pre-press. All these skills would lead me to my next job: packing development. Doesn’t sound so amazing. We aren’t making films, we aren’t developing new life altering medicines, but it’s not about that. It’s about working at the highest level in your field and contributing to it’s artistic uniqueness. I worked in packaging for over 12 years, and our little office became the best of the best in our field. We started off very basic, but as we grew and spread our creative wings, we became the best version of ourselves and excelled. We were the American dream. A bunch of nobodies you never heard of becoming the best in our field. We worked for the biggest brands: Coke, Disney, Home Depot, Sephora (and it’s many brands), and Nestle, etc. We also worked with the smallest brands too, and we created some amazing packaging. We were like the A-Team, and I was Hannibal. I was their supervisor, their leader, but, I was nothing without the people that I worked with, who were amazing at what they did. We gained a reputation quickly for being the best, and our projects became more difficult. We rose to the challenge. New ideas, new techniques, new equipment. We were like the Spartans in 300, no matter the odds, no matter the resistance we persevered. We won many times. But, we also failed, but learned from that failure, and it made us better. We were the best. Our team was a family (albeit a sometimes dysfunctional family), but we made a difference. Then, after 12 years, it ended. Then a few people in my life died…and covid hit. Once again, I had to pivot, after 12 years of being on top, I had to start over, from the bottom…and I mean the bottom.

This time, I decided I needed a change. I wanted to move out of a creative field into an industrial field. I basically had to start over after 12 years of being in the same industry, and learn a whole new field. I was still being creative and using my skills to make things, but I needed to take care of my health and spend more time with my family. 12 years of packaging development were as grueling as they were amazing. 14 hour days, super tight deadlines, my body and mind needed a change, and I decided instead of fighting it, I would embrace it. This lead to now, some of my most fulfilling creative moments.

While I now use my creative problem solving skills in service of creating fixtures for the retail space (for one of the worlds largest marketing companies I might add), I get to use my artistic skills on my off hours doing freelance work and on personal projects. While being Bruce Wayne or Clark Kent all day, at night I get to be Batman and Superman. I use my skills to letter comics, draw comics, write stories, illustrate, and bring new worlds to life…and I love it. By making my day job more “normal” it allows me time to dive into my childhood dream of creating comics and writing stories. I’ve been lettering comics for the last few years, thousands of pages for several up and coming clients. At the same time, I have been illustrating superhero trading cards for Upper Deck and Marvel in one of the hottest growing collector markets, and working on my own personal projects as well. I also work on a horror inspired clothing brand, Hellbilly Clothing with my partner Neil D’Monte.
How do I do it? Hard work, giving it my all, and NEVER giving up…EVER.

A very dear friend of mine once told me, “Life is hard, don’t let it turn you hard.” We are never guaranteed anything in life, you’re born, you pay taxes, and you die. What you do in between, is up to you. Instead of raging about what can’t be controlled, or all the problems of the world, focus on what you can control, yourself. Embrace change, flow like water, and be the best you can be creatively and artistically. That is all we can hope for in life. Love that part. Those comics that I love so much, most people won’t recognize 99% of the artists and writers working in comics, but to their fans, they are creative geniuses. They are gods, and those gods enjoy every moment of working in that tiny wonderful field. Outside of a few names, no one knows anyone else, and that is Ok. Leaving behind something for future generations to enjoy and working doing what you love is what it’s all about.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The mission that is driving my creative journey everyday is to make my family proud of me. My mother left her island home of Cuba, fleeing communist oppression, and came to the country without a penny in her pocket. Her sacrifice and hard work taught me to do the same, she inspired me. It is for her, for all my aunts, uncles, and cousins, and my son, that I work hard every day to create something meaningful that helps people, even in the smallest ways.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexanderlugo_10ws