Rising Stars: Meet Tony Gleeson of Northeast LA

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Gleeson.

Tony, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been an illustrator, graphic designer, and writer for several decades. I attended Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles and worked for a few years in New York before returning to L.A., where I’ve been ever since. (By the way, I love L.A.! The City of Angels IS my adopted home). I’ve created around a thousand illustrations for print (newspaper, book, magazine, package, etc.) as well as concept art for film, TV, advertising, toy and product design, and character and prop design for various productions. I’ve also produced all of the visual imagery and design for trade shows; I’m currently the regular design director for the annual Vintage Paperback Show in Glendale, which includes everything visual from the posters and promotional design to the actual layout and design of the venue.
Since the 1980s, I’ve written numerous articles, reviews, and essays for various publications. In the past decade I’ve published twelve crime novels in the U.K. and U.S.
It’s never been an easy career but I honestly can;t imagine there could have been any better ones.
As far as personal life, my wife Annie (a neonatal RN) and I reside in Northeast Los Angeles with our cats, Django and Mingus (some passionate jazz fans here at the house, you might say). We’ve got three grown kids with great lives of their own: a writer-translator, a computer specialist, and an exotic veterinarian. It’s all good!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I can’t say it’s ever been a smooth road. There are always far more talented individuals all around, be it in school or in the professional world. The fields I chose have always been highly competitive ones. Maybe the most challenging obstacles have been my own self doubts, which are always lurking. It’s always been crucial for me to learn how to effectively still the negative voices, within and without, and concentrate on the positive messages– and perhaps most importantly, constantly nourish the love of what I do and the importance of continuing to show up.
Rejection is a given in my fields. A colleague once told me that baseball, where the very best hitters only succeed a third of the time, is by comparison a wildly successful pursuit. A mentor once advised me that I’d likely get a job– one job– for every hundred people to whom I showed my portfolio. He wasn’t far off. “So,” he continued, “if you want ten good assignments, all you have to do is show up and see 1000 people. Piece of cake.”
In the end, getting those first successful assignments opened the door. More than once I’d come back to my studio after a long day of interviews, perhaps discouraging ones, to find a message on my answering machine: “So and so told me about the job you did for them. When can you come in and talk about our project?”

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Maybe what set me apart was my willingness to break out of “specialties” and take on projects outside what I’d done previously. It’s difficult to get that first assignment in an area you aren’t well known in, but with time I became better known for my versatility and being a “one stop shop” for a client needing a variety of work done. I could design characters, backgrounds, and so forth, but I could then also carry them through rendering and applications within the overall design. I developed facility in designing letterforms and logos to incorporate into final work.
I’d say the most important aspect of my being able to do all this– the thing for which I’m known in some quarters, and that for which I’m most proud– was the years and years I’ve spent developing my drawing ability. If you can draw well, to the point you have thorough confidence in its ability to carry you, you can take on any aspect of visual creation, including letterforms. And if Malcolm Gladwell’s famous quote about 10,000 hours to mastery holds any truth– well, I’ve clocked over 50.000, for what that’s worth.
As for both my art and writing career, I’d have to say that my love of storytelling has always been what propelled me. No matter what ‘m drawing or writing about, the most important thing has always been to find and convey a compelling and relatable story. It’s the hook that brings everybody in.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Hold fast to the things you value, that put you on your journey to begin with. Reinforce your confidence in yourself no matter what the other voices are telling you. Put yourself out there as much as possible; there is no such thing as too much exposure if you’re doing what you love. SHOW UP. I can’t stress that one enough. Just be there, just do it. Be willing to expand, to widen your area, to try new things, and let it be known that you’re doing so. And be constantly doing what it is you do, it increases the odds in your favor. You cant have too much out there.
And, on a more selfish note, shameless plug: go check out my books, in the “Personal Crimes” series on Wildside Press., available on Amazon, from the publisher, and fro other outlets Take my word for that, you’ll LOVE them!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://TonyGleeson.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonygleeson49/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tony.gleeson.1238

Image Credits
Marco Aidala (in studio portrait only)