For years, Awesome Art We've Found Around The Net has been about two things only – awesome art and the artists that create it. With that in mind, we thought why not take the first week of the month to showcase these awesome artists even more? Welcome to “Awesome Artist We’ve Found Around The Net." In this column, we are focusing on one artist and the awesome art that they create, whether they be amateur, up and coming, or well established. The goal is to uncover these artists so even more people become familiar with them. We ask these artists a few questions to see their origins, influences, and more. If you are an awesome artist or know someone that should be featured, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.This month we are very pleased to bring you the awesome art of…
Dan Mumford
Dan Mumford is a freelance illustrator working in central London, UK, running Studio Dan Mumford Limited. Over the past 14 years, Dan has worked within the pop culture and music scene creating everything from album covers, branding, and screenprints to new interpretations of classic film posters and albums.
Clients include Disney, Hasbro, Apple, Adobe, Sony, Wizards of the Coast, Icon Motoports, CBS, Iron Maiden, Metallica, and many many other bands and record labels from around the world. Dan has had several gallery shows in America over the past few years and spoken at many festivals and events around the world, including Adobe Max, Offf Festival, Bump Festival, Various universities around the UK, and more.
JoBlo: What got you started as an artist?
Dan Mumford: A love of comics and cartoons. That was my favourite thing growing up, so I would recreate the various characters in my own style. This went on into me just really enjoying art as I grew up, and it became a natural path for me to follow. It was either going to be art or literature, something involving narrative and storytelling. I always thought I might make my way into comics, or at least that was an aspiration.
Who were some of your favorite artists growing up?
Growing up it was all about the marvel and DC comics in the ’90s. I try not to pin it down to anyone artist in particular, because it was the whole vibe and feel of those comics that fed into my work. I would take in any and all comics I could. And actually outside of the big two, I also really enjoyed the 2000AD comics, which were much bigger in the UK at that point. There was a real inky dark style to those comics, and that really did have a big effect on the way I learned to draw.
Who do you really dig these days, follow on Instagram?
That's an impossible question to answer, I don't really want to single anyone out really! But a few people who create incredible work are Marko Manev, Tracie Ching, Nan Lawson, SignalNoise, Matt Saunders, Vance Kelly, Kevin Wilson, Jess Ebsworth, Felicity Marshall, Luke Preece, William Exley, Mary Lou Faure, Kervin Brisseux, Suzi Kemp, Nico De Lort, Ari Liloan, Bella Grace, Jeff Boyes, Murugiah, Drew Millward, Geo Law, Swopes, Gemma O Brien, Richey Beckett, Tom Hovey… I mean the list is endless, I could go on forever. Basically, I follow a ton of amazing artists, and I'm lucky to call a lot of them friends too.
What advice would you have for budding artists today?
Try and find your voice, don't try to emulate other artists too much. Look to them for inspiration of course, but when it comes to creating your own work try to put your own spin on things. I always find it tough when I see great young artists coming up, but I can instantly see where they got certain elements and techniques from other artists. Take those things and mix it up into your own thing, that will always help you stand out a lot more.
What should we be looking out for from you in the future?
I just released one of my favourite pieces I've worked on with Bottleneck Gallery. We did a large licensed piece for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a real love letter from me to the original cartoon. I put a lot of time and thought into this one, trying to get it just right, and really paying homage to the show. Following on from that I am chasing that feeling, it was amazing to revisit my childhood so clearly, and we have some plans to do some similar pieces. That and I am going to do some more bits based around another passion of mine, Videogames.
Being a fansite, we have to ask you… What are some of your favorite movies/TV shows of all time?
It's always a reallllly hard question to answer, and it changes often, I watch a LOT of stuff. But for film, I will say Mad Max: Fury Road (instant classic upon release, perfect film), Aliens, Big Trouble in Little China, The complete Fast&Furious franchise, and…Blade Runner. TV shows I will go a little less down the sci-fi route and say, The Office (American version, perfect working along to TV), Oz, It's always sunny in Philadelphia, Futurama, The Bridge (original version), and in more recent times The Boys and The Mandalorian.
Scroll down to check out some of our favorite art pieces from Dan as we continue to follow his journey across his Website and social media hubs: Instagram / Twitter / Facebook / Store
Avengers: Infinity War
Batman: The Animated Series
Buffy The Vampire Saloon
Cobra Commander
Darth Vader
Friday The 13th
Jurassic World
KISS
The Land Before Time
Masters of the Universe
Mega Man
Oldboy
Predator
Resident Evil 3
Shaun of the Dead
Silent Hill
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Texas Chainsaw Massacre
The Warriors
Yu-Gi-Oh!