Hailing from San Jose, California, Augie has been an admirer of the comic world since he was old enough to hold a pencil in his hand. He spent the next fifteen years of his life nurturing this passion, which made the Art Institute of Seattle his first choice after high school. Receiving his BA there in 1991, Augie was given his first chance to prove what years of dreams and a top education could produce. Dev Madan, now a long time friend, introduced him to the emerging world of modern-day video games, landing him a position with Humongous Entertainment, and more recently, Sucker Punch Productions.

Today Augie resides in the Georgetown area, where his bio credits this area with exposing him to a “neighborhood of established gallery artists, iron workers, wood workers, tattoo artists, glass blowers, motorcycle manufacturers and graffiti artists.” These new influences have led him to pursue gallery work, which has been a successful venture for him. In the Georgetown area alone you can find his work on T-shirts for All City Coffee and the logo for Smarty Pants; quite the accomplishment for an independent.

I asked Augie about his passion for art and what memories he has of his early desire to draw. “I was sitting in front of the TV, watching a Charlie Brown cartoon, and I totally remember watching Snoopy do his thing, and me, holding a pencil to paper, and trying to draw Snoopy laying on his back on top of his dog house.”, he says of his first childhood memory. He also remembers watching his uncles designing art for Lowrider magazine. “That just blew me away as a kid. Being able to see the process first hand at a young age has such an impact when you’re still trying to figure things out.”

As an admirer of the arts I wondered what it’s like for an artist of his level to create a piece and what it must be like to finish one. He says that If someone were to get “inside” his head while constructing a new piece of art that they would feel “an immense pressure of weight pummeling down on them. That feeling would be the weight of deadlines and soon to be created art that I’m thinking of while I’m finishing up whatever is  on the drawing table at the moment. They would also hear constant screams from the coffee gods asking me for the sacrificial caffeine fix at the coffee pot alter.” When it’s all over he says that it feels like someone else did the work, “more like I was watching someone else do it, and I forgot to hit the record button.”

We spoke about his web site, too, www.augiepagan.com. Featuring four categories, Art, Commercial, Comics & Sketchbook, his goal was to produce a variety of his work to the public. Speaking of his comics, he says that it’s mostly small projects done with local friends. “ I don’t think my stuff was ever ‘indy’ enough to get into indy comics. I’m kind of glad for that though, because that stubborn streak just naturally caused a style to emerge on it’s own.”

I asked Augie what value he placed on higher education when it comes to following a career in the arts. He explained that a “good art school” can instill strong work ethics and open your mind to other types of art. “I also think the whole art education thing just depends on a person’s drive. You can go to the most expensive art school and think you’re going to be Norman Rockwell, or whoever, but your not buying the talent.” He admits that he’s still learning, some seventeen years later, but suggest that newcomers to the industry understand the importance of being professional and completing their deadlines. “You don’t know how important that is. Clients remember that stuff, and will call you back. They’ll also call you back when they see that you’ve gone above and beyond a job... If you’re not pushing yourself, and you get lazy, it shows in your work.”

Last, I asked Augie how tough it is to be an independent artist. “I have to say, that being an independent artist is a lot harder than I thought it would be. It’s not just about the art. That has it’s creative ups and downs like anything else. It’s also about trying to keep up with the business side too. You’d be surprised at how much time the business side takes away from the creative side. It’s always the right brain fighting the left brain. It’s a weird thing too, trying to get your name out there.”

Today you can find his work on display at Ouch My Eye Studios (/www.ouchmyeye.com), a great collective of artist, or you can log onto his site for the best of Augie Pagan. Either one is a trip well worth the time.
Now enjoy...

The 7 Deadly Sins of Augie Pagan.

Envy
I’m envious of ambidextrous artists because they can finish their work in half the time.

Lust
I guess I have an eternal lust for finding new art. It feeds the creative juices.

Sloth
Got no time for it.

Gluttony
Home made tamales right out of the oven. Can’t get enough of ‘em.

Wrath
I’m a lover, not a fighter.

Greed
Gordon Gecko would say that greed is good. I’ll have to disagree with him on that.

Pride
My ‘69 Chevy Impala. Ok, it’s only a ten inch replica, but a guy can dream, right?