Meet Billy McKay | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Billy McKay and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Billy, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I’m from Ohio…not too far from the Cleveland area. We were kids back in the days before the internet. 80’s kids to be exact. Since we didn’t have the internet, every piece of art we came across burned itself deep into our brains. We weren’t bombarded by constant stimulation. We only saw things a little bit at a time. We soaked up things like, Cold Cereal mascots, Stand-Up Arcade games, MTV, Blockbuster Video Stores, BMX bike trails, boom boxes, Mad Magazines, comic books, Toys R Us stores, Shopping Malls, etc…

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My past work in the printing industry led to many years of exciting and successful relationships with hundreds of area businesses. During that time, I also created and produced underground comics and games that were shipped around the globe. I combine my love of monsters, toys, and 80’s pop culture into my current line of 18″x24″ acrylic paintings. You can see them all at www.ArtbyBillytheRobot.com

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’m a hermit. I don’t go out much. I would however take my friends to 78th Street Studios in Cleveland, Ohio. The art there is amazing! Heck, we’d find a pinball game somewhere along the way as well.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Basquiat is one of my favorite artists. I am also encouraged by a ton of artist friends who I trade work with on a regular basis. Sometimes a good art-trade beats money any day.

Website: www.ArtbyBillytheRobot.com

Instagram: @ArtbyBillytheRobot

Image Credits
All photos by Billy