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Q&A with Dustin Parker

Graphic designer and digital illustrator

My name is Dustin Parker. I am a graphic designer and digital illustrator based in Wichita, Kansas. I am also the creator and master of Proteus Mag. 

I am addicted to television and comic books. I love drawing zombies and superheroes. My favorite candy bar is Payday. My favorite dinosaur is the Velociraptor. My favorite art magazine is Juxtapoz, My favorite album is "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" by The Smashing Pumpkins, My favorite author is Chuck Palahniuk, My favorite card game is Fluxx. My favorite pizza topping is mushrooms. My favorite David Lynch film is "Blue Velvet." My favorite Spider-Man villain is Mysterio. My favorite car is the Delorean from "Back To The Future." My second favorite car is the Adam West Batmobile. I'm terrified of human babies. I love Star Wars and Star Trek equally. I eat a minimum of 3 Chipotle burritos a week. I prefer Playstation over Xbox. I prefer the X-men over the Avengers. I prefer the Ramones over Green Day. I would be the least useful person during a zombie apocalypse. 

My motto is Create + Destroy + Repeat. 

Software / hardware

I have a 2.7 GHZ intel Core i5 iMac and a Wacom Intuos 4 Tablet. I also have a Canon scanner that I never use. My computer is an old flatulent dinosaur and I should probably murder it with a large rock. I'm tempted to purchase a Cintiq Companion Tablet so I can draw without being tethered to my desk. I'll probably buy another iMac when the time finally comes to kill my beloved dinosaur. 

I create all of my digital illustrations using a combination of Adobe Photoshop CC and Adobe Illustrator CC. When I'm in graphic designer mode I use Adobe Illustrator CC, Adobe Indesign CC, Adobe Photoshop CC and Art Text. I use Spotify and iTunes to supply the noise. 

Ideal work environment

I converted one of the bedrooms in my house into a nerd cave which I share with a cat named Chubby Cheeks. I like to seclude myself in the warm embrace of my nerd cave and listen to loud music, watch television or listen to podcasts while I draw pictures of Bill Murray dressed like Batman. I have two large bookshelves fully stocked with graphic novels, Chuck Palahniuk novels and art books. The walls are covered with paintings and found object assemblage sculptures that I have purchased from other artists. In the center of my nerd cave sits my easel and a cabinet full of paint brushes and tubes of acrylic paint. All I need now is a giant penny and an animatronic Tyrannosaurus Rex.    

© Dustin Parker

Inspiration

Comic books, television, old signs, abandoned buildings, letterpress type, zombies, podcasts, ethnic food, cartoons, stencils, Halloween masks, making lists, watching films at the Warren Theatre, listening to loud music, halftones, graphic t-shirts, skulls, stand-up comedy, garage sales, video games, naked ladies, Batman, conspiracy theories, art magazines, cryptozoology, gig posters, album covers, taxidermy, board games, song lyrics, dinosaurs, my childhood, 1980's, robots, old labels, my pets, outer space, action figures, art galleries and museums, blogs, vintage photographs and my fellow artists. 

A list of my favorite art blogs - 

Admire most

The list is endless. 

Francis Bacon, Jack Kirby,  Zaneta Antosik, Robert Crumb, Alvaro Tapia Hidalgo, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jenny Saville, Dave Kinsey, David Lynch, Robert Rauschenberg, Paul Pope, Wade Hampton, Patrick Duegaw, Richard Diebenkorn, Katie Sykes, David Mack, Dave Mckean, Bill Sienkiewicz, Mark Tennant, Sam Weber, James Jean, Alex Pardee, Jim Lee, Greg Capullo, Chuck Close, Jasper Johns, Jim Dine, Larry Rivers, Jim Gross, Curt Clonts, Rick Sealock, Adam Hughes, Sean Murphy, Chris Crites, Shepard Fairey, Francesco Francavilla, Geof Darrow, Frank Miller, Marc Bosworth, Kent Williams, Ashley Wood, David Fullarton, Charles Baughman, Mike Mignola, Todd McFarlane, Travis Charest, Jae Lee, Keith Haring and many many many others. 

I curate an art blog called Proteus Mag which showcases the work of my favorite artists. Proteus Mag originated as a PDF magazine in 2007 and after 7 issues I switched to a blog format. Proteus Mag is a good reflection of what is inspiring me at any given moment. Sometimes the blog leans heavy on comic book illustration and sometimes it leans more toward abstract expressionism or primitive art and sometimes it focuses more gig poster illustration / design. I find that I really love to be a cheerleader and promote other artists and help other artists be seen. I keep doing Proteus Mag because it gives me a platform to praise the talents of my fellow artists and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Proteus Mag also motivates me to look at art everyday and has given me a broader awareness of the "art world." 

You can follow the blog at www.proteusmag.com.