Check Out Johnell Hipol’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Johnell Hipol.

Hi Johnell, 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?
My journey as an artist began when I lost my father at the age of four, leaving my mother to raise me and my infant brother alone. To cope with this loss, my grandfather gave me my first drawing lesson, drawing a tree. This tree sparked a love for creating characters, inspired by my passion for anime, manga, and cartoons. I would draw obsessively, sometimes to the point where my mom had to tell me to get some sleep.

When I was twelve years old, I received Kingdom Hearts as a Christmas gift. I couldn’t put it down. I was captivated by its characters, style, and the Disney worlds. Upon discovering the character designer behind it, Tetsuya Nomura, it gave me my first dream: I wanted to be a character designer.

I had no clue how I could achieve such a goal. I joined an art program in high school with two awesome art teachers. I was rejected at my first portfolio review held by Cartoon Network at Anime Expo. I studied game design in San Francisco after completing some general education at a local community college. After I graduated, I spent years tabling at events here in Los Angeles while updating my portfolio, taking every piece of advice I have received to heart.

It wasn’t until 2021 I got my first gig as a character designer in the animation industry. At the time, I was working part-time at a warehouse for what would have been my fifth year. It came from a portfolio reviewer who I connected with months earlier. This moment solidified that all the effort, rejections, and persistence had finally paid off.

However, that was short-lived after my contract ended. I continued applying for jobs in the industry and took other art classes to gain more skills. One year passed without a job, then two years, and so on. During those years, I fell into a deep depression.

I felt like I failed, not only myself but the family and friends that supported me, including my mother who had worked hard to get me through school. The act of drawing itself reminded me that I was not good enough and my motivation withered away.

I had to make the tough decision to pivot to a different career, nursing. At first, I viewed it as a defeat, a sign that I had given up.

I had to change my negative mindset to a positive one by seeing it as a new start. This change had helped me push through my studies at a local college to finish my prerequisites in order to get into the nursing program. Meanwhile, I’ve also started a YouTube channel to upload and document my work and build my online presence in both TikTok and Instagram. The biggest milestone to me is that I started talking in my videos to overcome my social anxiety.

That is where I am now. I’m in a new phase of my journey where I’m building with more intention, discipline, and grace. I’m dedicated to creating work that reflects my own voice and experiences.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Oh, most definitely not.

I come from a family of doctors, nurses, and teachers, so being an artist was unheard of. From freshman to senior year in high school, my family would give me an annual talk on how going into the medical field would be more financially beneficial and stable than being an artist. Funnily enough, I had to pivot to that career for sustainability now.

I went through many portfolio reviews where I had received advice that seemed to contradict each other. I had to get used to receiving rejection letters from jobs I have applied to while some went unanswered.

Finally, there are also many layoffs in both animation and the gaming industry which made me question the sustainability of the field.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a character designer. I specialize in both character design and character illustration. I’m known for my black and white spooky style, more suited for Halloween, my favorite holiday. I’ve created illustrations for indie tabletop games and zine projects. While I was tabling at events, I became known for my plague doctor character which I’m bringing back in my own animation shorts.

What I’m most proud of is my first animatic of one of my original characters, Liam Sohlmann, with a voice actor. It was my first time working with a voice actor. I completed it in two months while attending community college, pushing myself to meet the deadline, October 31st of last year. Through that experience, I proved to myself that I can bring a character to life.

What sets my work apart from the others is that I’m drawn to drawing darker worlds and exploring themes such as death. I designed the plague doctor in a cute, approachable way so that death wouldn’t feel menacing or frightening.

Currently, I’m working on a series of animation shorts featuring my plague doctor character carrying a lantern. He is a little mysterious guy who is traveling within plague-ridden Europe, helping the vulnerable and the damned. Alongside that, I’m working towards publishing a one-shot manga this year featuring a detective and an exorcist in an alternate 1990s Los Angeles.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I’m terrified of graveyards and cemeteries.

It stems from when I was carried over my father’s casket before burial at the age of four. I recall kicking and screaming while confused on why they were doing this.I learned later on it was a ritual to ensure that there were no hauntings or sickness after his burial.

This fear stopped me from visiting my father’s grave. There were times I did refuse to go while my family did. Whenever I go with my family, my heart races and I have a sinking feeling in my stomach. It is only until my adulthood that I push myself to visit his grave and make up for lost time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nellustration.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nellustration/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Nellumation
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@nellustration

Image Credits
Photos taken by German Sanchez

Photos are taken at Burnt Umber Coffee in Garden Grove