Today we’d like to introduce you to Johnny Duncan
Hi Johnny, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ve always been drawing as a kid. My grandfather would describe made up characters and I’d be tasked to create them on paper. It was my favorite game to play. You’d always catch me in school drawing on assignments or tests.
Eventually I started making comics in middle school and developing my own storylines. I had an entire MCU-like world built out. From there in high school I clichély started painting because of a girl, which lead me to discovering street art and then down the line digital art.
Since 2008 I had been using the name JENKINS2D. Since then I’ve been building that world too. Having so many interests in different mediums I took that name and style into many mediums and sort of blended them all at some point down that path. I just never stopped and nothing else could hold my attention and heart more. Making art is what I’m meant to do, but paying bills is what I’m forced to do. So I had to figure out how to walk that line where I can do both. That’s something I’m still doing as we speak, but I’m here, I make what I want to make, and I have blast doing it. As nightmarishly stressful as it is simultaneously.
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?
If you guys know about any smooth roads please point the way! It’s pretty difficult to set out blindly on a path without a map or anyone to guide you. It feels like I’m sailing in the fog everyday with just a hunch in my lunchbox and a pocket full of dreams. Isn’t that what being truly alive is? Just living your truth despite not seeing the truth in front of you?
I’ve been scammed, had paintings stolen, work ripped off because they felt I was too expensive but wanted my style (I see you) and even been replaced by AI on a job from someone who preached supporting local. I’ve applied to so many mural festivals, open calls, art fairs, etc. and been rejected many times. Artwork has been destroyed on international flights, I’d say it’s mostly struggles, but it’s through those that all of my wins have come from too. Deviating from the conventional path is mostly dangerous, but anything worth having isn’t easily obtained and I’m too far in and know too much about who I am and what fuels me to turn back.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Taking in the work I make is like visiting my brain in the form of a buffet. You traverse the rows seeing what impacted me as you go from favorite to favorite. I grew up in the 90’s so you can very much see the influence in terms of themes like retro videogames, skateboard culture, graffiti and street art, cartoons of all types, classics from the ’28 all the way to anime in the ’90s with a touch of pop art, some psychedelic and surrealism, spiced with love of course. I take all these and things and play with them across many mediums like canvas, murals, photographs, clothing, sculptures, furniture, and many more.
What I love most about my work is that I’m able to put it on anything, it can exist everywhere. I’m known for a lot of motifs that have been seen over and over throughout the years. One of the most iconic elements in my work is always going to be the Third Eye Fried (the eggs). I accidentally stumbled into creating that icon, I would always place objects on the characters foreheads or in their eyes to convey what’s on their minds. Eventually the egg was just something that stuck and I realized it could be a third eye. With wisdom comes ware, it can be exhausting. Hence: Third Eye Fried.
It isn’t just eggs I’m known for, there’s also Sherbet Kaiju, the green creature who’s been with me since 2008. If you’re an OG than you know about the other characters too, but this here is my boy. There has been many forms of Kaiju and if you track back you can see his development through time. Aside from that there are plenty of fixtures in my works that immediately give away it’s my work, and I think that’s one thing that sets me apart.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I’m a big art book collector, I firmly believe it’s just good for the vibes. I love to study visuals, even watching animation is like a deep study session with me. Try taking things in as a producer and not a consumer and it’ll really shed light on the process of things. Some books in my collection include:
-The Art of Cuphead
-Murakami: Unfamiliar People – Swelling of Monsterized Human Ego
-The FLCL Archives
-MikaPikaZo
-Hi-Fructose Collected Edition
Just to name a few, but very inspiring and enriching to me
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jenkins2d.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/jenkins2d
