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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