Today we’d like to introduce you to Juston McKee.
Juston, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My origin story starts like a lot of other artists – I started watching and drawing cartoons at a really young age. I was obsessed with black and white Mickey Mouse, Spider-man, TMNT, and Sonic the Hedgehog and would fill sketchbooks with doodles of them. Then, I got into comics and it really set me on the artist path and I couldn’t wait to ride my bike to pick up the latest issue of Young Justice.
I was really into skating and wanted to come up with my own skate/art company and I remember joking around with my friend about names, he came up with “Under the bed creations” and I sort of spit-balled “Uppermind Ink” because I got the ideas from the top of my head. His “company” lasted a week and mine has lasted 17 years. It’s cool that I’m still rolling with the name I created when I was 12 years old. My Grandpa helped me create some business cards and I walked around handing them out at my first Comic-Con back in 2001. I was just a kid having a good time.
I think it really hit me that I wanted to be a cartoonist later in high school. I had a really rad group of supportive friends (sorry Vi I’m going to name drop you, seriously taught me so much stuff: Photoshop, tricks, techniques, even to this day. Thanks dude!), and I was starting to get into the indie comics scene more. Then I got to go to my first APE (Alternative Press Expo) with my pal, JFISH, and the rest was history. I became friends with some of the coolest indie peeps: Rachel Dukes, Mike Lopez, Lars Brown, and more. I met Corey Lewis and Brandon Graham and my mind was blown and really influenced where my art was going. I couldn’t believe there were artists making comics with that anime edge that I loved. I could name a ton of artists: Felipe Smith, James Stokoe, Becky Cloonan, game changers for me.
Started a Sketch Jam (which has been going strong for seven years now), created a collective with friends (RIP Toy Samuraiz), and started doing a bunch of shows here and there. Then, it slowed down while I tried to figure out adulthood, anxiety, and all that fun stuff.
This is a long origin story, but Uppermind Ink really started its current journey in 2014. I was in college dealing with a lot of anxiety and decided that I wanted to create a comic anthology about artists and the mind. I wrangled up friends and online peeps and “Restless Minds: A Comic Anthology” was born. Publishing a book made me realize that art and I were going to be in an eternal relationship whether we liked it or not. Four years later and I’ve published three volumes and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. I work a full-time contracts job, but lately, my side-hustle as an illustrator has started to pick up and it’s that creative flame that keeps me pushing forward. I’ve been able to be a part of some really cool shows, work on cool collabs, and really start to get a grasp on what my design aesthetic is.
I’m beyond lucky to have the support of my Mom and family, friends, clients, and my wife. who has been a huge influence on me being more business-like and getting out there to do shows more (another name drop, but check out Larissa Galarza/Royally Divine, she’s so good at what she does and inspires me every day).
Uppermind Ink is an accumulation of what I love: monsters, robots, space, weird stuff, and cartoony fun. The end goal for me has always been to create something memorable, goofy, and fun. Party on dudes!
Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t think it’s ever a smooth road when trying to discover where you fit in as a creative person. I have a lot of personal anxieties and the journey comes with a lot of self-doubt and reflection.
I’ve never been good at being open and vulnerable, it’s easier to bottle-up and move on, but art forces you to sort through some of that emotion when putting pen to paper, Because Uppermind Ink is literally me, it goes up and down when I do and the hardest part is trying to make my art persona its own entity. Other than that it’s the struggle of self-motivation and patience because art is a long hustle and it takes a lot of work to get it to where you want it to go.
Always in search of the perfect work and life balance.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Uppermind Ink! story. Tell us more about the business.
Uppermind Ink is the banner I role under as an artist. Juston McKee is Uppermind Ink and vice-versa, It’s an accumulation of what I love: monsters, anime, indie comics, robots, space, weird stuff, and cartoony fun. Above anything, I view myself as a cartoonist.
I mostly do a lot of illustrative work, while occasionally throwing out a comic or two. I’ve self-published anthologies and zines, collaborated on some cool projects, and have recently upped my commission game. I want to turn Uppermind Ink into an all-encompassing brand of things that I think are rad. I’ve slowly started getting into more merch design and that’s been really fun.
I’m one of the main artists for the super awesome San Diego band, Digital Lizards of Doom. Recently, designing banners, album covers, and shirt designs for their latest album “Lizards and Labyrinths.” I designed a shirt for Laika/Threadless for Kubo and the Two Strings, I’ve done some cool re-branding for Twitch streamers, and was an artist on the Fate Fatale Grand Order Tarot Card Project. I’ve also been in a couple gallery shows and got to collab on a small part of my friend Vi Pham’s MFA Solo Exhibition earlier this year. Lately, my art journey has been tied to bands and music and I couldn’t be happier (you can never go wrong with a collision of what you love). I’ve been taking on a bunch of commissions to try new things and get me creating.
I try to imbue my art with my personality, something colorful and fun. Bold inks and vibrant colors. Ink or sink! I think that’s what sets me and Uppermind Ink apart. Lucky (my Logo mascot dude) and I am just trying to carve out our own fun/creative space.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
This is a really great question. I feel like I’m in the industry, but also not in the industry. Art has become so tied to social media and that’s only going to rise as our society shifts into the digital realm. It’s a weird place to be when you’re part of a global community, but also feel like you have to find ways to shine through the masses.
Comics is in a weird slump where it’s trying to see where it fits in. The old ways of doing things just don’t work anymore. I think the future is creator-owned and so many of my favorite comics and creators are carving their own path and pursuing personal creative growth.
It’s on the road to becoming all inclusive and I’m ecstatic. Voices are rising up, untold stories are finally coming to light, and the future of the medium will be better because of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: uppermindink.com
- Email: uppermindink@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/uppermindink
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/uppermindink
- Twitter: twitter.com/uppermindink
- Other: www.etsy.com/shop/UPPERMINDINK
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
