Check Out Dustin Massey’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dustin Massey.

Hi Dustin, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I had recently completed graduate school and began teaching. I had no plans to start an art business at all. However, like many others, I used my time during the pandemic to be productive. I was creating a lot of comic book content for Instagram and then it kind of took off.

Two Instagram pages ran my artwork. @nomoremutants and @geekworldunited. Overnight @nomoremutants did 8 thousand likes and Geekworld did 27 thousand likes. My Instagram page blew up overnight. Immediately people were messaging me and asking me if I sold prints or did commissions. At the time I did not, but I was going to figure it out. After I started selling artwork online, I learned that 1 to 3% of my followers purchased artwork from me.

I quickly figured out, to grow my audience, and then I will grow my business. I studied the Instagram algorithm for a year and implemented what I learned on my own page. In November 2019, I had 500 Instagram followers. By September 2020, I had 10 thousand. Eventually, I started sharing what I had learned with other artists by giving seminars at local college art departments.

I have continued to grow my business and have completed work in 2021 for Flint & Steele, HBO Max, Snapchat, and Hulu. My work also appeared on DC Titans’ Instagram page, DC Peacemaker page, and DC Fandome in October.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was anything but smooth.

How do I get prints made? How do I ship them? What do I charge? I had no idea what I was doing and I was learning along the way. I made every mistake you could possibly make. I looked at my failures as productive.

I teach art at the college level, and I planned on adding what I learned into a business seminar class for my students.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I teach at the college level but I am also a freelance illustrator. The majority of my work is about blending the line between comics and live-action adaptations.

DC Films has a rocky history. Many franchises have abruptly stopped. Many fans felt like they were cheated or robbed of moments. I provide them with those missed opportunities by recreating comic book covers or posters with actors across TV and the movies.

My work is digital, but my training is in traditional painting and drawing. I feel my work is different because I am always trying to approach it from the mindset of a painter and not a traditional comic artist.

What makes you happy?
I had a guy reach out to me and he told me he purchased prints from me for his wife as an anniversary present. On their anniversary they exchanged gifts.

His wife bought him the exact same prints he had purchased for her. Stories like that make my day. I am a fan just like everyone else. I am creating things that I want to see, and I hope others want to see them too.

I am just blown away and humbled that so many people enjoy my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lmasseyart.space/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinleemassey/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/artmassey101
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/DustinMassey101