Meet Hugo Antuna | Graphic Designer & Illustrator

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

Hi Hugo, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
Something I’ve learned about the creative industry is that you have to have a balance of personal and professional work. The creative industry does not care if you’re tired, lazy, sic or uninspired, it only cares if the job can get done and how fast can you get it done. The creative industry is competitive so if you are one of those who always has an excuse on why projects didn’t get done you will soon find yourself without project, without clients and looking for a career change. Like many industries this is not for the faint of heart, this is for those who believe they have something special and are eager to share it with the world.

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.
This may sound cheese but the art that I create is an extension of the emotional roller coaster that is life, sometimes your feeling good sometimes your feeling bad but the majority of the time your just trying to get by. Thats the inspiration, the good, the bad and the ugly.

I got where I am professionally by being myself and often reflecting on the journey and what I’ve learned along the way, all the while staying focused and getting better. My advice is find something that you love to do and find a way to get paid doing it.

I currently run a creative project titled C.A.R. (copsarerobbers). Although it has been mistaken for a clothing brand, I like to believe is an avenue to execute projects, almost like an alter. Except I get to villain and the hero.
C.A.R. is represented by my cartooning mascot Robin the Thief who is often finding himself in the middle of a political issue, collaborating with bands/brands or friends in Seattle, New York, Arizona, Portland and everywhere in between. Through C.A.R. I feel liberated when creating with people and I get to voice out my opinion to the world.

This is how it came to be….
As a young kid skateboarding through SGV (10 minutes east of LA). I constantly found myself being harassed by cops and quickly realized they were taking advantage of the badge. The old saying “if the only thing you have is a hammer everything starts looking like a nail” comes to mind. Anyways I soon realize we were playing social roles, good guys and bad guys, Cowboys and Indians, Cops and Robbers but in this case it became copsarerobbers, or C.A.R. I use this project to shed light on social injustices while poking fun on topics in a light hearted manner. It’s fun way for be to test my skill set and continue to grow in challenging ways.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When my friends come from out of town, I love taking them to Long Beach, Ca. First we’ll swing by Coffee Drunk and get the day started with some coffee and a little conversation, while taking a walk down retro rode on 4th street and check out the shops. Once lunch hits we can swing by Coyote Pizza and grab a slice of pizza. The weather is always cooler in Long Beach so a long walk wouldn’t be too much of a burden. After all that we can head to the beach and chill and catch our breath. After catching some rays its about 3-4 in the afternoon, we can take a one mile walk up back to 4th and hit The Stache Bar a local watering hole for a beer. It’s about 6 and were getting hungry, no need to go any further because the The Stash happens to have the best burgers in Long Beach. The next day we can start the day the same way but do instead of heading to the beach we can make our way to the MOLAA or LBMA for some museum visits. As the week progress we might want to check out some live music, if so we can see who’s playing at the Glasshouse in Pomona or any of the LA staple like Troubadour, The Echo just to show them other sides of LA. If its that time of year well have to try and Squeeze in a Dodger Game.

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 like to dedicate this Shoutout to my late father Jose Jesus Antuna and my immediate family. It’s easy to think that those who show up and do the work should get all the credit, but I don’t believe that to be entirely true. Looking back I can’t help but think about the words of encouragement, financial contribution and endless rides to and from school my parents and siblings assisted me with, are the main reason I get to illustrator/designer. It really does take a village. My family and I are immigrants and like most immigrants we don’t have the resources and finance to attempt to go to college, let alone a university. As an undocumented immigrant financial aid was not available, getting a license was difficult and earning a living seemed impossible but with the support of my family I was able to overcome many obstacles.
My dad once said to me “don’t ever be ashamed of anything, just how lazy you can be. Those words would guide me through working 2 jobs and going to school full time.

Gracias Chepo! (dad)

Website: https://www.hantuna.com/

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugo-antuna-a48bb99b/

Other: https://www.instagram.com/copsarerobbers/

Image Credits
Main photo credit
Robert Nuñez aka TEPZ
https://www.instagram.com/ttepz/