Hi, I'm Mike Lemos, a self-taught artist and illustrator with over 30 years of experience in the toy and apparel design industries. I am passionate about creating imaginative and high-quality designs that surpass expectations and continuously push creative boundaries. Throughout my career, I have developed characters, logos, apparel, and branding materials for various well-known companies and have loved bringing ideas to life with detail and creativity. I enjoy collaborating with teams and adapting my artistic style to different projects, from collectible toy lines to apparel branding and comic illustrations. I am proficient with a variety of creative tools and always eager to learn and tackle new challenges in the creative design space.…

Mike Lemos

Hi, I'm Mike Lemos, a self-taught artist and illustrator with over 30 years of experience in the toy and apparel design industries. I am passionate about creating imaginative and high-quality designs that surpass expectations and continuously push creative boundaries. Throughout my career, I have developed characters, logos, apparel, and branding materials for various well-known companies and have loved bringing ideas to life with detail and creativity. I enjoy collaborating with teams and adapting my artistic style to different projects, from collectible toy lines to apparel branding and comic illustrations. I am proficient with a variety of creative tools and always eager to learn and tackle new challenges in the creative design space.…

Available to hire

Hi, I’m Mike Lemos, a self-taught artist and illustrator with over 30 years of experience in the toy and apparel design industries. I am passionate about creating imaginative and high-quality designs that surpass expectations and continuously push creative boundaries. Throughout my career, I have developed characters, logos, apparel, and branding materials for various well-known companies and have loved bringing ideas to life with detail and creativity.

I enjoy collaborating with teams and adapting my artistic style to different projects, from collectible toy lines to apparel branding and comic illustrations. I am proficient with a variety of creative tools and always eager to learn and tackle new challenges in the creative design space.

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Illustrator/Graphic Designer at Sojourn Design
January 1, 1989 - Present
Developed character designs and maquette turnaround drawings for figurine accessories for Jada Toys Inc.'s "Road Rats" die-cast scale car line collectibles. Created characters figurines for the first Road Rats die-cast car set. Conceptualized and created final art for decal designs for Cartattos/Lethal Threat Designs. Contributed to product development and designed logos and characters for Uncle Milton Inc. Provided illustrations for Bongo Comics/Fox Network. Created several characters and brands sold as stickers, keychains, tees, etc. Worked on the original Toxic Crusaders toy line for Playmates Toys, Inc. Designed and produced custom screen prints for customers in Illustrator. Worked on logo and packaging illustrations for Super7 Toys with art director Aaron Eiland. Conceived lifestyle/kulture screen-printed apparel including embroidery, packaging, and stickers for Kat House Productions-SurfChick.
Freelance Illustrator at Super7
January 1, 2019 - Present
Illustrated the new Toxic Crusaders line, utilizing artistic skill and creativity to bring characters and themes to life. Participated in a summer mentor program teaching junior high students entrepreneurship, 3D printing, DTG, CNC, and laser imaging. Contributed high-quality artwork to enhance the fan experience and generate excitement for the Toxic Crusaders brand. Collaborated with designers, editors, and production staff to meet or exceed quality standards, adapting styles and techniques as needed.
Freelance Illustrator at The Topps Company
December 31, 2014 - July 9, 2025
Produced over 500 sketch cards for Star Wars Heritage series 1, showing exceptional artistic skill and meeting tight deadlines. Contributed to Star Wars Galaxy series 1, 4, and 5 Illustrated Cards, collaborating with teams to create unique illustrations representing franchise characters and themes. Known as "The Greedo Guy" for the popular card #107 "Greedo Gets Zapped" from the Star Wars Galaxy Series 1.
Graphic Designer/Illustrator at Lanard Toys INC.
December 31, 2001 - July 9, 2025
Collaborated with marketing, production, and product development teams to ensure design work met or exceeded project requirements. Demonstrated proficiency in various design software and tools including Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, and Procreate to allow flexible design methods.
Illustrator/Graphic Designer at Sojourn Design
January 1, 1989 - Present
Developed character designs and maquette turnaround drawings for figurine accessories for Jada Toys Inc.'s "Road Rats" die-cast scale car line collectibles. Designed logos and graphics for various clients including Uncle Milton Inc., Bongo Comics/Fox Network, and Trend Graphics. Worked on the original Toxic Crusaders toy line for Playmates Toys and recently collaborated with Super7 Toys. Also designed lifestyle screen-printed apparel for Kat House Productions-SurfChick. Sold custom characters and merchandise at popular markets.
Freelance Illustrator at Super7
January 1, 2019 - Present
Illustrated the new Toxic Crusaders line, bringing characters and themes to life through high-quality artwork. Participated in a summer mentor program to teach junior high students entrepreneurship and design technologies. Collaborated with designers and production staff ensuring quality and style adherence to the Toxic Crusaders brand.
Freelance Illustrator at The Topps Company
December 31, 2014 - July 9, 2025
Produced over 500 sketch cards for the Star Wars Heritage series, including Star Wars Galaxy series 1,4, and 5. Collaborated with teams to create unique illustrations representing franchise characters and themes. Known as "The Greedo Guy" due to illustrative work on the popular card #107 from the Star Wars Galaxy series.
Graphic Designer/Illustrator at Lanard Toys INC.
December 31, 2001 - July 9, 2025
Collaborated with cross-functional teams on marketing, production, and product development to meet design specifications. Demonstrated proficiency with various design software and tools to maintain flexibility in design approaches.
Illustrator/Graphic Designer at Sojourn Design
January 1, 1989 - Present
Developed character designs and maquette turnaround drawings for figurine accessories for Jada Toys Inc.'s 'Road Rats' die-cast scale car line collectibles. Created characters figurines for the first Road Rats die-cast car set. Conceptualized and created final art for decal designs for Cartattos/Lethal Threat Designs. Contributed to product development and designed logos and characters for Uncle Milton Inc, enhancing brand identity. Provided illustrations for Bongo Comics/Fox Network, adapting to different styles. Worked on the original Toxic Crusaders toy line for Playmates Toys, Inc. Designed and produced custom screen prints and graphics for various companies, including Super7 Toys and Kat House Productions-SurfChick, showcasing strong branding and marketing skills.
Freelance Illustrator at Super7
January 1, 2019 - Present
Illustrated the new Toxic Crusaders line, bringing characters and themes to life visually. Participated in a summer mentor program aimed at teaching junior high students entrepreneurship and advanced design technologies including 3D printing and laser imaging. Contributed high-quality artwork that enhanced the fan experience and generated buzz for the Toxic Crusaders brand. Collaborated with a team to ensure artwork met quality standards and adapted styles to differentiate the line in the market.
Freelance Illustrator at The Topps Company
December 31, 2014 - July 9, 2025
Produced over 500 sketch cards for the Star Wars Heritage series 1, demonstrating artistic skill and meeting tight deadlines. Contributed to the Star Wars Galaxy series 1, 4, and 5 Illustrated Cards, collaborating with teams to create unique and memorable art. Adapted to different artistic styles while producing captivating sketches. Known as 'The Greedo Guy' for work on the popular Star Wars Galaxy Series card #107 'Greedo Gets Zapped'.
Graphic Designer/Illustrator at Lanard Toys INC.
December 31, 2001 - July 9, 2025
Collaborated with marketing, production, and product development teams to ensure design work met project requirements. Demonstrated proficiency in various design software and tools, allowing flexibility in techniques and methods. Worked on projects involving the Star Wars License - 1st Galaxy & Heritage card series.

Education

College at Goldenwest College, Huntington Beach, CA
January 1, 1997 - December 31, 1998
College at Cerritos College, Cerritos, CA
January 1, 1987 - December 31, 1988
College at Goldenwest College, Huntington Beach, CA
January 1, 1997 - December 31, 1998
College at Cerritos College, Cerritos, CA
January 1, 1987 - December 31, 1988
Associate Degree at Goldenwest College, Huntington Beach, CA
January 1, 1997 - December 31, 1998
Associate Degree at Cerritos College, Cerritos, CA
January 1, 1987 - December 31, 1988

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Consumer Goods, Media & Entertainment, Retail, Manufacturing, Education