Showcase: Lewis Loughman

Lewis Loughman graduated from the University of Salford in 2014 with a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design.

“I love The Simpsons, Popeye, Halloween, creepy stuff, shamelessly fake clothing and anything crude/juvenile.

“I studied illustration at the University of Salford and graduated this summer. I really enjoyed my time at university; I met some great people but it also left me feeling a little lost. I don't think I really knew what I was doing up until the last few weeks of the final year. The general consensus seems to be that you are pushed towards selling yourself to these design firms and agencies but, as an illustrator who mainly likes to draw demonic cartoon characters and crooked penises, that's not really going to happen. So your only other option is to go freelance or set up your own design firm. The problem is this isn't something that is really addressed when you’re at uni, like in the form of some structured lesson, so what you have to do is seek out those people that are doing it and pick their brains. I noticed all my life I have collected these messed up toys and tees, so why not just make my own? That's what I love, so why do anything else, right? That's how I decided to go for it and set up House of Evil.

“I have been lucky in the sense that I’ve got to meet and work with a lot of awesome talented folk. I have had the pleasure of working with Intern magazine on a comic strip that can be seen in their beautiful second issue. I’m also in the process of moving into a new studio with Harrison Edwards (illustrator extraordinaire) and Christopher Scanlon (vinyl and signage wizard), two awesome fellows to have around – check them out.

“Anyways, back to House of Evil. It’s a clothing and toy company I started up this year but it's something I have had in mind for quite some time. I have always had this obsession with bootleg toys, T-shirts and other collectables; y'know the kind you see on dodgy markets, in pound shops and souvenir stalls on holiday? Yeah, that stuff is just what I've always been drawn to.

“So I’ve decided to make that kinda stuff my day job, I have a couple of new graphic tees coming out in the next few weeks and will be producing more clothing, action figures, zines, prints and collectables in the coming weeks, months, years and decades. It all has a dark sense of humour to it and is heavily influenced by bootlegging and popular culture. I basically just love to make funny parodies of stuff and draw the kind of things that weird out your family members and boring friends.”