Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Napolitan.
Michael, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am originally from NJ, born and raised. In college I was an Illustration major, and I wanted to be a comic book artist. Then by my junior year I saw what was going on with the graphic design majors, I started teaching myself photoshop. Which was great because I got a job right out of college coloring comics. It was amazing to see my work printed in the very medium that I grew up loving.
After that I got a job designing backpacks and accessories for Disney, MLB, Warner Bros, and a bunch of other licenses. It wasn’t that rewarding design-wise, and I eventually got a job in publishing (HarperCollins Publishers) which I loved. I got to design brochures, catalogs, and even the occasional book cover.
Right around that time web design was starting to take off, so I started teaching myself HTML, and designing and building websites in my spare time for whoever would let me. That knowledge got me a full time web designer job at HarperCollins, which was great. I got to work on websites for some of my favorite authors, and got to meet a few, too. And of course, free books!
My next job was another publishing company where I met my future wife. She was originally from Overland Park and told me she was coming back home to KS to go to law school at KU. I visited a few times and realized that it was great out here! It was clean, the people were friendly, and most of, cheap as heck!
I worked for a few large companies here like Sprint and UMB. Neither of which were challenging or fulfilling. Through a former coworker I got the opportunity to start contracting for a cannabis agency out of Boston. I designed websites, brochures, emails, social media posts, anything and everything under the sun.
I also started freelancing for another company out of Boston, but they were a hotel/restaurant agency. And like the cannabis agency, I got to work on a variety of projects. Both of those gigs just recently wrapped up, so now I’m not only looking for new opportunities, but I am also in the middle of starting my own agency.
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?
Filled with way too many obstacles to mention. Jealous controlling managers, project managers who think they’re designers. But the worst was the agency that decided they didn’t need to pay me regularly. At one point this agency owed me $27,000, and their response was, “You’re a contractor, do other agencies pay their contractors on time?” The biggest obstacle about being a contractor is that agencies think they can treat you like garbage, when in fact, there are many laws to prevent this.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My primary specialty is designing websites. I’ve been doing that for close to 20 years. But I also design logos, brochures, flyers. emails, social media graphics, trade show banners, just about anything you can think of. If there’s something that you need that I don’t know how to do, I’ll figure it out. That’s what I love most about my job, when I wake up, my tasks could be completely different from the day before.
I think what sets me apart is the wide array of industries that I’ve worked in. I’ve worked in licensed accessories, publishing, homebuilding, cannabis, healthcare, b 2 b, hotels, restaurants.
The one piece that I am most proud of is the cover to Wizard Magazine Issue #62. Wizard Magazine was THE magazine to read if you were into comics. They had first looks of all the upcoming books, they reported on the latest rumors. It had interviews with creators, editors, virtually anyone that worked in comics. Their big gimmick was to have the hottest artists at the time to draw the covers. So every issue was a collector’s item. I worked as a colorist for the studio the was occasionally tasked to do the coloring, and I got the assignment for this particular cover. It wasn’t just any cover, it was drawn by one of my favorite artists at the time, J. Scott Campbell. I was actually working with one of my favorite artists (kinda)! Not only did I get to see my work in print, but my name was right there on the cover, next to a comics legend. I don’t think anything has compared to that.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I have to admit, I’m kind of a hands-off kind of guy. Tell me what you need, when you need it, and just set me loose. That’s not to say that I don’t welcome feedback, in fact, there has been many times when feedback saved me from going down the wrong path or from the dreaded creative block. If you just “let me cook,” as the kids say, you’ll see what I can do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mnapolitan.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brickherographics/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-napolitan-9028451b/
