Meet a USU alumnus making comics: Mike Lovins

Mike Lovins is a comic illustrator and regular guest at FanX Comic Convention. On top of that, he’s a proud Utah State University alumnus.

“I love Utah State,” Lovins said. “That’s the true blue.”

Lovins graduated in 1991 from the illustration program with an emphasis in commercial art. He said, at the time, USU had one of the top five illustration programs in the nation.

Some professors that were influential to him include Chris Terry, Glen Edwards and Adrian Van Suchtelen, his life drawing teacher. 

“I learned everything that matters from him, his work ethic, his passion,” Lovins said, “He still has a lasting influence on me.”

Lovins said his favorite memory from Utah State is “all of them,” but he also mentioned he enjoyed living in the residence halls and making lasting friendships.”

Though most of his professional experience has been outside of comics, Lovins has been interested in illsustrating comics since he was five years old. 

His father was a filmmaker, and his grandparents ran the Hollywood Art Center, so he was exposed to art at a young age. He said the Spider-Man cartoon he watched as a child sparked his love for comics. 

Lovins has been publishing his sci-fi comic “We Go Anywhere” for a few years, alongside inker Glen Moore.

“It’s about a company that does business in outer space,” Lovins said. “It’s about corporate power in outer space.”

All of the issues of this comic are online, and he sold printed copies at his booth in Artist Alley at FanX. Lovins said, at some point he’ll collect them all into one book, known in the industry as a “trade.” 

Lovins has been involved with FanX since the beginning of the comic convention, which was first held in 2013. 

“I used to go to San Diego Comic Con, and then I saw they were doing something here,” Lovins said. “A friend of mine then contacted me, and I said, ‘Look, I know a bunch of people in comics,’ and I’ve been working with the show ever since.” 

He recruits guests to speak and moderates panels.

“As the moderator, you have to, sort of, give equal time, make sure they’re all included, give time to ask questions,” Lovins said. 

Lovins was the moderator for two panels about comics at this year’s FanX and was a guest on two other panels — one about “Battlestar Galactica” and one titled “Web Comics: Saving the Entertainment Industry, Four Panels at a Time.”

Lovins’ comics can be found online on Facebook and on Webtoons.com.

— darcy.ritchie@usu.edu