Check Out Orlando Arocena’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Orlando Arocena.

Hi Orlando, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My Story — the evolution of a boy from the Bronx, NYC, born to Cuban and Mexican parents, fascinated by commercial and cinema culture. From the early days of feeling the urge to draw, paint, and tag, to the more career-driven pursuit of trying to break Adobe Illustrator while also wrestling with the times and helping keep physical media alive.

In 1994, when I graduated from Pratt with a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Communication, the agency and commercial world was shifting from a traditional analog approach to producing commercial art into a heavy and intense digital world. It took time for me to develop a strategy to keep my feet in the game and find my place in the commercial illustration business, while also saving up for a computer and learning everything in a snap.

I played gallery curator for the Warner Bros. Studio Store at 2 World Trade Center in NYC. I also had the pleasure of extending my art history education while working as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where I exhibited twice in two of their juried shows. At that time, the art scene wasn’t like it is today. Back then, if you were a gallery artist and tried to cross over into commercial brands, it was considered a big “no-no.” But to survive, I wrote myself a letter in my journal about shifting over to the “commercial dark side” — hahaha — and going after agencies and brand clients I had an affinity for, while learning as much as I could about their business and brand cultures. Even if I lost myself along the way, I remained hopeful that when I returned to my creative voice, I would come back smarter, with a deeper appreciation for the process and the professional connections I would eventually call “FAM.”

Once I got my computer — a speedy little Mac clone from Power Computing — I was on fire. I was tasked with taking my traditional creative voice into the digital world and rebuilding my portfolio from scratch. And so the new journey began.

My first client was Fab 5 Freddy. And wow — I would present him logo ideas in exchange for simply chatting with him about the NYC pop art scene and his brother Basquiat! Hahaha. One day, Fab even surprised me by handing me the phone so I could have a lengthy conversation with a polite and sincere gentleman about movies, art, integrity, and whether I was helping Fab scout NYC scenes for an upcoming film. That gentleman was none other than the incredible Stanley Kubrick.

I also rocked out as an Art Director at Troma Entertainment, where one day in 1997 I had to create a three-story-tall Toxie in vector. That was the day I realized what a pain in the ass Adobe Illustrator could be. But I also formulated a plan: if everyone was illustrating in Photoshop and the agency world hated Adobe Illustrator, then maybe I should make Illustrator my favorite “video game” — something I enjoyed trying to break. If I mastered it, there was a high probability I could leap ahead in exposure while everyone else battled it out in Photoshop.

I also experienced firsthand how movie studios can suddenly collapse, with entire teams dismissed — including myself — during my six months at Shooting Gallery, a Harvey Weinstein production company. After that, I went unemployed for a while before shifting into a role as Creative Director for Toys “R” Us’s RZONE lifestyle and gaming magazine, while also launching a design agency with my best friends.

My vector illustrations started making so much noise that Pepsi’s AOR (Agency of Record) called me in to start three in-house illustration bullpen teams. There, I learned three important lessons:

First: if you are a creative employee developing new IP (intellectual property) under a brand’s roof — like creating 15 new characters for a soft drink campaign — you do not own the copyrights.

Second: as the in-house illustrator, every project involving me was triple-bid, meaning the design team could always bring in two outside illustrators to compete for the same assignment. Yet after my first year, I alone generated over $1.2 million for the company. What was my bonus? Five percent of my yearly salary. I had just generated the most money I’d ever made at that point in my career, and I didn’t even receive a congratulatory handshake for helping launch a brand-new studio initiative.

And third — the most vital lesson of all: if you are an employee at an agency, firm, or boutique, get off your ass and ask questions. You are sitting elbow-to-elbow with top professionals in art pricing, legal, promotions, media buying, accounting, marketing, and production. Stop by their offices. Chat with them. Learn to earn for your future independent creative self.

Over the years, I also worked as a Design Director with Diageo and Pernod Ricard, while contributing creative design strategy work for Timex.

Then, in 2009, I finally became independent.

And that was the twist I never saw coming.

After years of studying, infiltrating, and learning the commercial design world from the inside, I suddenly found myself collaborating with the very brands and industries I had loved as a kid — soft drinks, action figures, video games, gig posters for bands, computer brands, movies, and physical media. The very things that once inspired me as a fan were now becoming creative partnerships. It felt surreal, humbling, and deeply personal all at once.

While organizing my portfolio during that transition, I came across a dusty old sketchbook and rediscovered the letter I had written to myself back in 1995 about eventually returning to my creative voice after years of infiltrating the commercial design world. Immediately, I reconnected with my “in-the-biz” fam and began showcasing my vector artwork at Art Basel Miami Beach, the New York Armory, the Museum of Western and Eastern Art in Odessa, Ukraine, and several other galleries. I did my best to bring my creative voice to the world through vector art.

At the same time, I was creating “passion projects” online inspired by the films I loved most.

My mind, body, and soul became locked into a one-way mission: to keep breaking Adobe Illustrator as a “vector purist,” meaning everything I created was made 100% in vector. I also joined the Behance community before Adobe acquired it, and eventually Adobe invited me to contribute to the 40-panel artist mural celebrating the first anniversary of Adobe Creative Cloud.

Soon after, I found myself negotiating the project of a lifetime: the startup screen artwork for Adobe Illustrator 2014 — Venus Revisited. I traveled to Adobe MAX and met then-President Shantanu Narayen, who recognized my work, called me out by name, and paid me a compliment I will forever carry with pride:

“You have changed the look of vector.”

From 2014 to the present, I’ve had the enormous pleasure of teaming up with Hollywood studios and distributors, creating vector illustrations that represent an incredible range of genres and films. I’m deeply grateful for all the invitations I’ve received to travel and speak at universities, design conferences, and even three times at Adobe MAX, while also serving as a Global Brand Ambassador for Z by HP.

I’m also thankful that the first Gold Clio Award I ever won — one of 13 so far — was never physically touched by me, because I had it shipped directly to my mother so she could experience the excitement of holding a globally recognized award for artistry.

Today, I’m 54, happily married to an incredible wife who also works in this high-stakes commercial industry while supporting my creative adventures. I’m on the cusp of surpassing 100 illustrations for physical media. Last year, I was nominated alongside my fam at the New York Latino Film Festival for an Emmy Award. And I do it all from my teeny tiny studio here in Bogotá.

I give thanks daily.

And I still wake up excited to collaborate, create, and play alongside other creative people who dedicate themselves to telling stories that make us all stop and say:

“WOW.”

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m Orlando Arocena — a 13-time Clio Award winner, 2025 Emmy nominee, vector artist, and illustrator for Hollywood and pop culture brands.

You might know me as “Mexifunk,” or from the more than 75 movie DVDs and steelbooks I’ve created. Or maybe — if you were using Adobe Illustrator in 2014 — you remember that funky techno babe on your startup screen. Hahahaha!

But honestly, what I enjoy most is collaborating with the brands that inspired me throughout my childhood — from movies, action figures, and music bands, to live events and soft drinks. Working with the brands that always captured my imagination is how I strategically keep myself creatively youthful and energized. It makes me feel like I wake up every day not just to work, but to play — creating opportunities that inspire people to collect, connect, and simply feel great!

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I mentioned 3 specific lessons that I think every creative should try to absorb during their “agency employee years”… here they are:

First: if you are a creative employee building new IP (intellectual property) under a brand’s roof — like creating 15 new characters for a soft drink campaign — you do not own the copyrights. Yeah… welcome to the game. Hahaha. It’s important to understand early that there’s a huge difference between creating art for yourself and creating under someone else’s business umbrella.

Second: as the in-house illustrator, every project involving me was triple-bid. Meaning, even though I was sitting right there in the building, the design team could still bring in two outside illustrators to compete against me for the same project. But here’s the kicker — after my first year, I personally generated over $1.2 million dollars for the company. What was my bonus? Five percent of my yearly salary. Hahaha! No giant celebration. No magical parade. Not even a congratulatory handshake for helping launch a brand-new studio initiative. That lesson taught me real quick that being valuable and being valued are two very different things.

And third — probably the most important lesson of all: if you work at an agency, firm, or boutique… GET OFF YOUR ASS AND GO ASK QUESTIONS. Seriously. You are literally sitting elbow-to-elbow with professionals in legal, media buying, accounting, promotions, marketing, production, pricing… all the hidden gears that make the industry move. Stop by their office. Ask questions. Learn how the business actually works. “Learn to Earn” for your future independent creative self.

Okay okay okay… one more. Let’s make it 4. Hahahaha!

Fourth: Work-for-Hire contracts. When negotiating them, don’t just focus on the money they’re offering you to create the artwork. Also remember — you are usually transferring ALL creative copyright ownership to the client. Meaning there should be TWO values happening in that negotiation:

The cost for your creative services.
The Total Buyout Cost for your intellectual property.

If you’re not factoring both into the conversation, there’s a very high chance you’re allowing yourself to get hosed.

And finally — number 5: Licensing. Ooooooh man… licensing can become a beautiful thing for artists and illustrators. Why? Because you can create one powerful illustration, still own the artwork, and license specific usage rights to the client under terms you negotiate. Maybe they use it for one campaign, one year, one product line, one region… whatever the agreement is. And if they want to continue using it later? Boom — licensing renewal. You get paid again. That’s one of the biggest mindset shifts creatives need to understand: sometimes the real value isn’t just in creating the artwork… it’s in owning the rights and controlling the usage.

Pricing:

• I never price Hourly.
• I Price by Project Base
• WHat’s my day rate? equal to my Monthly rent pay…..

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mexifunk
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/orlando-arocena
• Other: https://www.behance.net/orlandoarocena