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

Hi Matt, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Consistency. Building a brand or a following is a marathon not a sprint. It takes time. The chances are slim that you will create something today and be a millionaire in a year or even 10 years. Consistently putting out quality content is what has made my brand stand out. When I first started there was a lot of competition and not many took notice of my work. When people see you are still going strong years later they take notice. A website takes time to work it’s way to top searches on google. An instagram takes time to build a following but if you are consistent people eventually come to expect that you will be delivering something new regularly and they are eager.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a comic artist and creator. When I first got in to the industry I did what so many others do and made fan art of my favorite characters. At conventions especially, this is a great way to get noticed because everyone is looking for their favorite character. However, what I really wanted to do was tell my own stories. I came to realize that whether I did freelance work or I worked for Marvel I was always only working for every dollar. If I was sick or injured then the income stopped. Also, the chances of becoming financially successful making art of someone else’s characters is practically non existent. However, in creating my own thing I found that I am making something that continues to give back. Not only do books sell while I continue to work on new books but also merchandising possibilities are endless. It’s hard work and sometimes exhausting but the payoff is worth it. What’s even better is there is so much more satisfaction when people respond well to my work because I know they are liking what I made and not just liking it because it’s Spider-man or their favorite character.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I travel around the front range a lot and try a lot of new things. Cheyenne Mountain zoo is such an amazing place and they have a rope bridge you can walk out on over the hippos. In Denver there is a great place for dessert called Little Man ice cream. You can’t miss their giant 28ft tall ice cream can. Little known secret. You can have them put small amounts of every single flavor in to one cone for an adventure for your taste buds. Another great place I frequent is Sam’s #3 in downtown Denver. The very best in diner food with a huge menu and huge servings. During the fall you can see amazing fall color leaves as well as test your nerves by traveling south to Bishop’s castle. I could go on and on but I’ll leave it there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people who have encouraged me along the way. One of the first was my mentor and instructor from art school Mr. Tom Flannigan. Tom was a military instructor turned art teacher and he knew how tough the industry was so he was tough on students. He believed if you gave up with a little pushing from him then you certainly weren’t going to make it in the industry so he felt it was his duty to find the diamonds in the rough. Once he found them he bent over backwards for them. Tom drove me to video game studios to introduce me to art directors and also drove me several hours to meet another artist who is very well known in my industry and to this day we are friends. His belief in me pushed me to achieve and a part of me didn’t want to let him down. He is sadly gone now but he helped a lot of students. Something I now try to do with my own students.

Website: https://www.actionline-studios.com/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ActionlineStudios

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MattCampbellArt1

Other: https://www.patreon.com/ActionlineStudios

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