Andrew Pena

Yumi: Hi Andrew! Thank you so much for doing this interview! You have a multi-faceted career in animation and toy design. Can you describe how your artistic career unfolded and what led you to these fields?

Andrew Pena: My career started after I dropped out of Art Center around 6th term. I ran out of funds to continue my education but was still driven and determined enough to find my way into the industry. It was through a friend that I would plein air regularly with that I was referred to Warner Bros by.

I worked as a Background Layout Artist. From that point on I worked on a few shows and then went to Netflix to work as Concept Artist on my first Feature. It was around that time in 2021 that I began working on my own toy brand called Spaceboidega (Just Spaceboi at the time). Spaceboi started through the pandemic as an excuse to practice and learn 3D. I was and am still an avid designer toy collector and figured … why not make my own toy instead of infinitely buying everyone else’s? 

Yumi: You attended Art Center College of Design in California and are also now a teacher at Laguna College of Art & Design. Was Art Center an integral part of your education and career direction? And do you have any advice for young students looking to go to an art school?

Andrew Pena: Art Center was a huge pivotal moment for me.  I was never a good student and never understood the point of school. However Art Center was my choice to put in such a huge investment into myself and so I took it very seriously. I was also humbled by the reality of where my talent was as a late 20something year old student compared to the fresh out of high school prodigies that I met as I started Art Center. It was here that I learned how to manage my time and find hours in a day that only had 24 to finish the unbelievable amount of work that this school gave. It was also like a boot camp intensive school where the bulk of my fundamentals were learned over one term and the rest I was tested and pushed to think past “how to make good art” into “what is good design” in terms of concepts.

I did not finish though, and I think that’s what I would talk to a young student about. Art school is not about the grades and degrees.  It’s about what you get out of it in terms of hours put in and every bit of knowledge you can squeeze out of that tuition. Im so happy I went there and went through the hell that was Art Center. I owe my entire work ethic to that school.

Yumi: You have an incredibly diverse portfolio in both background design for animation and toy design. Would you say the skills and experiences in these industries feed into each other? Are there any distinct differences?

Andrew Pena: They definitely bleed into each other.  But they don’t have to. That is my favorite thing about being part of the Toy Community though. With Indie Toys you can see the artists direct influences. Mine come from my time in the animation industry. I really put character design concepts into my turn arounds when I am first designing a toy. Also the amount of iterations I do and color studies  are a direct result of the work I do in concept art.

Nothing is precious and I will gladly work on a crazy amount of iterations until I find the best version of my design. Differences though?  I think it’s the 2d vs 3d aspect. Just like different paint mediums, designing for an animated show or feature requires different design boxes to check off that designing a toy of plushie doesn’t. And the same works vise versa. So learning the mediums both take time and are pretty different than each other. 

Yumi: Let’s talk about your personal brand, Spaceboi! Starting with toys, merchandise, and now expanding into animations, Spaceboi is turning into a whole universe with the iconic “Dasdrew” branding. Was a project like this something you always dreamed about?

Andrew Pena: It’s pretty insane honestly. Spaceboi is growing further than what I ever thought possible. I never imagined anything past some spaceboi stickers when he first was created. And yet here we are currently working on an animated short that will be done hopefully early 2026. I always dreamed of having something that is mine that I could work on and grow infinitely and I can feel Spaceboi on the verge of that. I only hope this is only the early beginning of this dream and it continues to grow with the support of others and I can just continue to create. I love that part: Creating.

Yumi: I personally think it’s so valuable to have a personal brand as an artist. Have you felt the value in having such a strong personal brand? What advice would you give to a young artist who might be looking to start their own brand or business?

Andrew Pena: Its funny to see myself as a brand. It began with the “Dasdrew” brand and being recognized by other artist for my plein air paintings and plein air meet ups and then I felt it again with the “Spaceboidega” brand. You know your brand is taking precedence over your personal identity when you do conventions and people call out to me as my toy brand rather than my real name. But that’s the great part of it - real time response to the hard work you put into the brand identity can be seen asap. My advice to all this self branding stuff is to really take the time to find what feels you. Your brand is going to take a while to build up, and because of that you will be with It for a long time. It is also all yours. No one above you can tell you what to do or how to do it. Which is a double edged sword because it’s you who will take all the positive and negative feedback. No one else to give credit to or blame as you build your identity. Thrilling no? I think it is. I think you have to have that unwavering edge and want to build something that is 100% yours. Thats the benefit of this day and age we live in. We have all the tools to make it. Now we just have to make it.

Yumi: In addition to Spaceboi, you are also a highly skilled background designer for animation. What got you into this industry and what are some recent projects you have worked on?

Andrew Pena: I mentioned how I got into the industry back in question 1 ..but the dream first began after watching Samurai Jack as a kid. That cartoon was what really got me wanting to make cartoons in my earliest memories. That and Invader Zim…. DOOOOOOM! Not quite what you asked but a fun answer nonetheless. The last cartoons I worked on were  JellyStone and Tiny Toons. Both were so much fun to be a background designer on.

Yumi: Balancing your commercial work and personal work is a challenge for many multi-disciplinary artists. What does a typical workday look like for you, and do you have any personal strategies to keep your work/life balanced?

Andrew Pena: I am very strict with my daily schedule. I know my most creative time is in the mornings and I can’t get any work done past 5 unless it’s crunch time. I also NEED my 8 hours of sleep. BUT I also wake up at 7am no matter what time I sleep. ALL THIS goes into consideration when I plan out my day. Which I do weekly. I plan with a notebook, a pen, and a weekly checklist I will make so that way I don’t forget anything. The checklist contains my industry stuff, my personal work, and even daily life stuff like doctors appointments and friends hangouts. I also LIVE AND DIE by my calendar. If it wasn’t obvious enough, I am a bit of a control freak. But the older I get, the more I realize that to live with such a chaotic amount of due dates and work across the board, scheduling is key. So now a typical work day: wake up, feed and walk the dog, Gym, Coffee, check or write up the checklist, work, lunch, work some more, walk the dog, feed the dog, dinner, shower sleep repeat. … something like that.  

Yumi: I really admire your adventurous spirit! You are often traveling, seeing new places, and looking for new experiences, and I think this playfulness is very evident in your work as well. Are there things in your life that you actively seek out that you think have helped you develop your taste and aesthetic?

Andrew Pena: I just love to live. I love filling my days with anything and everything. Traveling, work, friends, eating, watching movies, playing games. You name it. I just love to live. And I love to live each day and really only plan no further than a week (for the most part). I don’t want to ever work to live later. I never understood that. I work but that part of living. I live for today. And I think because of that way of thinking I have experienced so much. The good the bad and the ugly. I always say I failed upward, and I think thats what has helped develop my taste and aesthetic. If that makes any sense.

Yumi: What’s your best art/design tip?

Andrew Pena: Two things:1) Be crazy. You need to be crazy to make it in this industry. Even more so than before. In this day and age with all the new issues facing artists, that unwavering edge that “I will make it no matter what” is what will push you to do whatever it takes to become the artist you want to be.  2) Don’t put your eggs into one basket. Art is so vast and wide.. help others make their dreams a reality and also don’t be afraid to ask others to help make your dream a reality. The best art is done with others even if it’s just bouncing your ideas back and forth. Invest and push great ideas forward.