Today we’d like to introduce you to Anthony Gambino.
Hi Anthony, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
October 1998. I was six years old. Our first-grade teacher sent us home one night with an assignment to write a Halloween story. She encouraged us to write whatever kind of story we wanted, as long as it was about Halloween. I wrote a short horror story about a child who walks through a cemetery, meeting many ghosts that live there and learning about their tragic endings.
When I finished the story, I presented it to my parents, chin up, chest out and full of pride. When they finished it, their body language did not reflect mine. At first, I thought they must be confused because of all the spelling and grammar errors. Turns out, it wasn’t the writing errors at all. After all, I come from a family of immigrants. Proper English is rare, anyway. My parents were not confused; they were concerned. I remember my mother’s hand quivering so much that I swear I heard her fingers weeping. She winced while asking me, “Poops…are you ok?” (Did I mention my nickname was…and still is… ‘Poops’? Suddenly, a six-year-old writing a ghost story isn’t the scariest part of this little memoir, is it?) I paused for a second. I let their reactions register. I let their question with all of its shuddering syllables sink in, and then I…
…Laughed! I laughed until my lungs shrunk. Maybe that’s where my asthma came from; I don’t know. The important thing is I learned something crucial. I learned about the power of a reaction. I laughed because my parents were concerned that my story reflected how I felt when really, I was only trying to recreate what interested me. I realized that all I was after was a reaction: first, out of myself and second, out of an audience.
The focus has changed slightly since then. As an adult, I do my best to make sure that all my work is for God first and the audience second. Even if the images I produce don’t always reflect that, if it makes one other person happy or encourages someone to get to work and utilize their gifts, then I’ve done my job. As artists, we’re fortunate to have been given gifts that allow us to inspire, heal and change lives, and I believe it’s our responsibility to share those gifts with others.
And if I can get a reaction out of somebody, then yeah, bonus points 🙂
Thank you so much for your time. God bless, have a great day and no matter what, keep going.
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?
Smooth road? Not exactly. Rocky and perilous road? Not so much either. If we’re sticking with the road analogy, I’d say it’s been an uphill climb. Anyone who has ever tried to run up a hill knows what I mean. It’s not like you have to constantly maneuver yourself or you’re in danger of falling on a rock, but it’s a ton of work and conditioning simply to get from point A to point B.
The majority of the struggles throughout my studies have been the ones that I put on myself, primarily to keep working hard. I didn’t know Illustration was a viable career path until I was 20. I started my undergraduate career as a Graphic Design major because I was somewhat artistic and “that’s where the jobs were.” It was fine and I liked it, but halfway through, I took an Illustration course as an elective and my world changed. I loved everything about it and knew I was meant to pursue it. I declared a double major right away.
I had a love and passion for Illustration, but since I was so new to it all, I was behind skill-wise. For the past ten years, I’ve had my head down and done almost nothing but work toward my goal. In undergrad, it was a double major and two part-time jobs; then at 23, I got my first full-time job as a Graphic Designer for Marvel Comics and started freelancing on the side; then at 25, I started my full-time graduate studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology for an MFA in Illustration while working full-time, and now at 30 I’m a full-time freelancer, teacher and professor with a studio where I do my day-to-day freelance work, teach classes and workshops and run a small art shop for my products and for other independent artists.
Like I said, nothing grueling, but a lot of constant hard work. I’m very fortunate that I’ve had a supportive family and now a supportive wife and family of my own.
We’ve been impressed with Gambino Studio, LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Gambino Studio started out as my Instagram handle nine years ago. Now, it’s a storefront studio where I work as an Illustrator and Graphic Designer on products such as graphic novels, art prints, posters, card decks, tabletop games, art books and more. I also teach classes and workshops here and have a small shop where I sell my products and am in the process of adding work and products by other independent artists.
I think the coolest part about “the Studio” is the community we’ve garnered over the last few years. I always say that as independent artists, we support ourselves by supporting each other. I was able to get my illustration career up and running because of a crowdfunding campaign that a buddy of mine helped me promote. 2.5 years later, I have a shop with the products from that campaign and more products coming soon, including work from the same buddy who helped get my work out there.
Life is crazy and God is great.
How do you think about happiness?
– Praying and going to church
– Spending time with my wife, dog and family
– Cooking (and consequently, eating)
– Exercising and working out
– Being in nature, no matter the temperature
– Working. I’m truly blessed that I get to do “my hobbies” as my work
– Teaching and talking about Illustration
I know it’s not always popular to talk about God in today’s world, but in order to answer the “why?” question, I’m going to ask that you hang with me for one more story…
After I graduated from FIT in 2020 and after the success of my first Illustration crowdfunding campaign in 2021, I wanted to quit my day job more than ever so that I could focus on my freelance work. My wife was always supportive, but I struggled with the idea. I was TERRIFIED to leave. Every so often, I would get really excited at the idea, think it was possible, and talk to my wife about it, but then the anxiety would kick in. I remember one night, I got so overwhelmed thinking about it that I just sat on the kitchen floor shaking.
But, I brushed aside my struggle to quit my job because towards the end of 2022, my wife and I wanted to start trying to start a family. We started planning everything out — when we should start trying, when the ideal time would be for the baby to be born to coincide with my and my wife’s work schedules, how we would tell everyone the good news, everything. And everything was going according to plan. We conceived right away, found out the good news on our second wedding anniversary, together, on vacation–it was perfect. Everything was going exactly according to plan. And then it wasn’t. After a little more than five weeks, my wife miscarried. And even though it was such a short time, the love that we had for that child was indescribable, and so was the pain of losing them.
After our grieving period, something unexpected happened. The fear and crippling anxiety that I had about quitting my job was gone. Just about every fear I had was gone. I realized that we can only plan so much that nothing is entirely OUR plan. So, I quit. The next day. I gave my job a lengthy five-week notice so that I would leave on March 7, 2023, exactly 7 years to the day that I started that job. I had no idea what was going to happen in life or with my career, but I prayed constantly and turned all my fear over to God; I put it all in His hands, and I knew that if I continued to work hard to utilize the gifts He gave me to try to help others, then everything would be OK.
Well, March 7th was my last day at Marvel. And on March 5th, a “FOR RENT” sign went up on a beautiful studio space around the corner from my house.
That space is now Gambino Studio. And, let me tell you, that was NOT in my plans at all.
If you’re going through something right now and you’re struggling, KEEP GOING. I am a firm believer that when we are presented with challenges and difficulties in life, it’s God’s way of preparing us for something greater. Even if you don’t necessarily believe in God, if you have a passion for something, pursue it. As long as you’re using your gifts to do good and to serve others, you will be happy. I know I am.
And, come January 2024, I’ll be adding my son to the top of that list 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gambinostudio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gambinostudio/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087875087320
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-gambino-57949ba0?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/gambinostudio
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSazTSZBrVvyaMQ5HbwJcdg
