Need a Little Insight Regarding Big Clients? Juan Arevalo Opens Up About Working with McDonald’s and 90′s Comico Comics

Graphic Designer, Juan Arevalo has a few things to share with us about his experience working with comic book publishing companies like Comico Comics and big corporate clients like McDonald’s. He took a moment to speak with us about his learning (and sometimes humiliating) experiences.

BelkisNYC: Who/What influenced you to become an illustrator/graphic designer?

JArevalo: When I was 3 yrs.old I drew my first picture of Spider-Man, after that my parents encouraged me to become an engineer! Lol! They figured I wouldn’t starve that way. My mom though taught me arts & crafts at an early age that helped me sketch out projects and to better visualize concepts. I was born in Lima, Peru and coming to America at age 7 was a huge culture shock. I didn’t know where to buy comic books, let alone how to read them in English. As I got older I got a few copies here and there mostly the Golden Key 3 packs that were sold in Woolworth (Whoa I’m dating myself!) but I eventually started collecting Marvel and DC. When I was 19 or so I met Rafael Nieves and Norm Dwyer, 2 of the most influential people in my art career and huge talents in their own right. Norm taught me the art side of the craft with examples ranging from George Bridgeman, to Walt Simonson. Norm being an artist himself taught me how to see and think like an artist. Rafael taught me how to see the world through a writer’s eye, a technique I am still perfecting. Rafael was a graphic designer in another life and taught me that side of the business. Raf also opened my eyes to what it takes to make it in this business or any business for that matter, Perseverance. Along with a long list of artists and designers that I keep up with, but mainly Raf and another highly talented artist Tony Maldonado, have become my constant source for inspiration.

BelkisNYC: Tell us about your first big client.

JArevalo: It was Comico Comics here in Chicago in the mid 90′s. A name that resonates in many artist’s ears I’m sure. I did an 8 page story for Northstar, the horror branch of Comico. I thought “Piece o’ cake, I’ll blow them away!!” Come to think of it I was very cocky back then, well up til’ then. I got my behind handed to me and for good reason I was late and I inked all 8 pages with a sharpie! Needless to say it did not go well, the smell alone from all the spotted blacks got half the studio high as a kite! They still published it though and I think someone re-inked it. It’s been so long I honestly don’t remember. What I do remember was the humbling (and humiliating) experience I got from that job it did me some good in the long run. To this day I can’t smell sharpies without flash backing to that day, lol!

BelkisNYC: Remind me not to ever give you a sharpie! I see you have done work with the McDonald’s Hispanic market. Tell us about it.

JArevalo: Wow where do I begin? I learned a lot about how to do things and how NOT to do things. It was an eye opener to how the market place sees Hispanic consumers and more importantly how WE see ourselves as consumers. It’s funny, we speak Spanish yet it’s our dialects that set us apart from each other. Mexicans from Puerto Ricans to Cubans and South Americans (who have a vast dialect all our own!). Getting a message across to all Latinos in the Chicago land area became quite difficult at times. I worked with a great team of individuals who really gave 110% and made the most difficult campaigns some of the most fun. I remember a design I came up with, but really the whole team contributed to it, beat out Leo Burnett’s initial design for the Hispanic market. I felt great and proud to be part of something that made a difference, I miss being part of that. As time went on I became a one-man department and The McD team branched out on it’s own which really bummed me out, but it’s part of the business. We’ve all moved on to better and bigger things but at least I have that experience under my belt and I’d love to take another crack at it if the opportunity ever presents itself.

BelkisNYC: You have done things from logo concepts to graphic design to comic books. What is your favorite type of artwork and why?

JArevalo: Wow that’s like asking do you prefer Blonds, Brunettes or Redheads!

BelkisNYC: I like that comparison. I’ll remember that one.

JArevalo: Lol! I’ve come to fall in love with all three, for the simple reason they all relate to one another in some way. When I create a logo I research trends, universal symbols for the chosen field, new innovative ways to tell a story with the fewest elements possible, color schemes. By the same token character design often demands the same type of outline for its subjects. Design in my point of view is something you either have or you learn to have but either way you never stop learning it. I consider myself a full time student, I still get a thrill out of learning how to do something new, then I implement it into what I already know and continue on to the next thing. It works, at least for me!

BelkisNYC: Good advice. Tell us how social media has influenced your work.

JArevalo: In many ways it has enhanced it. The Internet has become a haven for artists since the mid 90′s when it became a source of free expression, at least if you knew how to use it. Before you had to go to the library and research some artist and maybe get some copies from his/her work. Nowadays you can download full color hi res images, as many as will fit on your hard drive and can be added or manipulated to fit your own design. Because of that the level of creativity has increased tremendously and the way we see art now is a lot more precise and personal. The tools that are offered also add to a level of control you have over the media that’s produced that we didn’t have before. With Facebook, Twitter, blogs, web comics and trailers flooding the web it’s a massive amount of data that a person digests daily. All of those things are needed to be relevant and fresh in today’s market. It also helps to be connected to people around the world with a few key strokes. If you are marketing savvy you can have a massive audience within minutes looking at your product.

BelkisNYC: Tell us about your biggest accomplishment in your career.

JArevalo: I don’t think I have accomplished it yet. When I get there Belkis you will be among the first to know! lol  Sometimes I feel like I got in late in the game and I’m always playing catch up. Lately though I feel like I’m making some head way so who knows maybe I’ll have an answer for you in the near future!

BelkisNYC: Any marketing tips you want to share with readers and other illustrators?

JArevelo: Never stop learning. Even from the worst artists you have ever seen, you can always learn something from them. I know many artists that are, how do I put this,  artistically challenged! Yet they market the crap out of themselves. I see them in signings, cons, interviews, special events and I’m like WHAT THE…? yet it’s not what they are showing but how they present themselves. I’ve learned that a good sales pitch is either received or rejected by the way it’s presented. Most artists rely on their artistic abilities which is fine but I think we need to develop a salesman’s confident attitude in order to stand out from the rest of the pack if we are to be noticed. Talent and speed though are vital components.

BelkisNYC: I agree with you 100% on that. What plans do you have for the next year?

JArevelo: I have a book coming out called St.G, read more about it here http://saint-g-comics.blogspot.com/.  It will be coming out later on this year as a one shot series, but if the response is good that may change. I’m very exited about it and along with Rafael Nieves, the writer among other things of the book, we’re trying to generate a good amount of Buzz, the response though has been incredible so far, so as soon as I’m done here I need to head  to my cavern (studio) and back to work! There’s a few other projects in development that are being plotted out as I write this, one is a Action/Sci-Fi adventure and another involves my graphic design skills so I will keep you in the loop as they become available! But like all good artists I’m also available for commissions and freelance work! Wink.

BelkisNYC: Where can readers find your work?

JArevelo: In my blog, shojinstudios.blogspot.com.
Raf’s and my  St.G blog at saint-g-comics.blogspot.com and at my online portfolio. If anyone just wants to shoot the breeze or feels like paying me tons of money to doodle all day I can be reached at shojinstudios@gmail.com

BelkisNYC: Any final thoughts/comments?

JArevalo: Thanks for this opportunity Belkis, it’s been a blast!

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