He grew up in Salamanca. Spent 20 years as an art director in Amsterdam. His father died. He boarded a plane to Japan for a sabbatical — and 14 years later, he's still there.
Luis Mendo is a Spanish illustrator and the founder of Mundo Mendo — a personal membership project built on illustrated stories, shipped directly to readers with no algorithm in between. This is a conversation about finding your value, choosing happiness, and refusing to make salami for Zuckerberg.
What we cover:
- His father's death and why it led him to Japan
- 20 years in Amsterdam — and why he finally chose to leave
- Almost Perfect — six years of welcoming artists into his Tokyo home
- Why social media is dry disgusting bread — and the salami analogy
- Building Mundo Mendo on Ghost, the anti-Substack platform
- Biking numbered, signed books to the post office himself
- Why he's building something that survives him
- Finding the value in your work — advice for young illustrators
- Japan's exploding independent print and zine scene
- AI is for laundry — and what he actually uses it for
- What he wrote in a letter to his daughter growing up in Japan
Connect with Luis Mendo:
Website: https://www.luismendo.com/
Mundo Mendo: https://www.mundomendo.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luismendo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luismendo/
Listen and subscribe:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/captn-offscript/id1837469433
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7nJ5dKTP2dQN5OwICKjTY5
More from Captn OffScript:
Website: https://captnoffscript.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CAPTNOffScript
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captnoffscript
Newsletter: https://captn.myflodesk.com/newsletter
If you liked this episode, listen to: Elliot Jay Stocks (S02/E25) — on building a direct relationship with your audience through newsletters, why human connection matters more than algorithms, and creating work that lasts.
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