Welcome to our latest chat with the folks behind the scenes that help make the magic happen here at Loot Crate!
I’ve had the privilege of getting to know some really incredible employees in my nearly four years here at Loot Crate, many of those folks are some of the smartest, most hard-working, most creative, most talented people I’ve had the honor of working with. More recently, I’ve had an awesome opportunity to sit down with some of those amazing employees to interview them about their experience with Loot Crate, which has allowed me to really get to know the amazing people here – this week is no exception! I got to sit down with one of our Creative Leads, Logan Lubera, and pick his brain on not only his work here at Loot Crate but to also get some insight into what got him to where he is today…
Thanks for taking the time to chat with me, Logan! Before we get started, why don’t you tell us who you are and what you do here at Loot Crate?
My name is Logan Lubera, and I am the Creative Lead behind the Marvel and WWE Subscription Crates. I work with a super talented team to bring fans some of the coolest gear and collectibles for these amazing licenses.
I’ve joked with you in the past that I’d love to write your book someday because of all the rad stuff you’ve done in your life – why don’t you give our Looters a taste of the work you were a part of before Loot Crate?
(Laughing) I don’t know about a book, not enough action but I have been very fortunate through hard work, luck, and passion to have worked with some amazing companies on some really great projects. I have worked for Marvel Comics, Dark Horse, Blizzard, Games Workshop and a host of other entertainment companies as a toy designer, comic book artist, film designer and concept artist. Some of the past titles or projects I worked on were Spider-Man, X-Men, Jurassic Park, GIJoe, Overwatch, World of Warcraft and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Logan just Stormtroopin’ around L.A., like ya’ do.
Wow, that is definitely an impressive resume. So what made you want to bring your talents to Loot Crate?
Well, that’s an easy question! I wanted to work with David Voss, our Chief Creative Officer. We had other chances to work together but the timing was never right or we just missed the opportunity and David has always been one of those creative leaders I wanted to work with and learn from.
As far as the creative side of things at LC is concerned, it’s a relatively small number of people that handle some pretty massive workloads – how are you able to produce such high-quality work with so few people?
This is one of my favorite parts about being here at Loot Crate. The amount of creativity, teamwork, product knowledge and the willingness to join forces on a project is part of the reason LC’s product looks so good and resonates with the fans. Our creative force has zero ego when it comes time to jamming on something together. Everyone reaches out to help and push an idea to get a project done. It’s all hands on deck and it’s really amazing to see so much talent in such a small tight group. I love my creative team and I can’t say enough about them all. I actually brag about my teammates all the time.
Your two year anniversary with Loot Crate is coming up in October, so you’ve seen a lot of the serious growth and change this company has gone through. What’s been the most challenging part of working at Loot Crate during that time? The most exciting?
Has it really been two years? (laughs again) I guess between the two-hour drives to work and all the great product I hadn’t noticed the time going by.
So the tough part, change is always going to happen in smaller companies and start-ups. Every day offers some kind of cliffhanger, cost challenges, product research and design, curating a theme and not accidentally repeating any of the stories you have already told keep you on your toes but it’s easier when having such strong support. Chris and Matt had incredible faith in our creative process and creative leader Helena Mills puts a lot of trust into my teammates who are very energetic and supportive when we are challenged with timing and cost issues relating to manufacturing or finding that one last item to finish a crate.
The most exciting part is hearing feedback when a fan responds about a certain crate or item in the crate. I love seeing Twitter or Instagram pics with these fans showing off massive smiles while wearing one of our shirts, holding up a collectible figure or flashing one of our unique pins. I really enjoy seeing how happy our fans are. I am a big story guy so when the ‘story’ of our crate works I get excited that we hit the right note for the fans.
Now, I know we can’t spoil anything that might be coming up, but can you talk at all about any of your favorite Loot Crate products or franchises that you’ve done work on?
Well I can’t give away what’s heading down the line in the future but I can say my team worked on WWE product featuring Elias or The Undertaker, or that we may or may not have just completed some cool stuff for a certain web-slinger and are now prepping our walls and brainstorms with the darker side of Marvel’s character selections.
Logan in the lab, hard at work!
I can’t wait to see what you have in store there, that’s for sure! Now, you’re a pretty big pop culture fan yourself, so what’s it like to be such a creative force at a company that sends awesome pop culture stuff to people all over the world?
Working here at Loot Crate is like being in the Oasis in Ready Player One. That’s the best way to put it.
I think being a part of Loot Crate is a privilege for a designer. A lot of companies hire you for a specific job task or skill set. LC has very wide roads and allows you to spread your wings creatively and pitch in on other projects with the other teams if they need a helping hand. I love when multiple Create Leads get together and jam on product or concept. I really love that we have this place where all these great properties come together on our walls side by side and we get to be a part of the culture push.
If there was any company or franchise, or even a specific character, that you’d like love to design/draw something for, what would it be?
I won’t even try to hide it. My top 5 franchises, properties or possible crates would be in ranking 1-5
1: Star Wars – All of it from Clones Wars, the original Trilogy or the newest films, I love it all!
2: Lord of the Rings – I would kill or pay to design T-shirts, collectibles and other items for Middle Earth.
3: Rock and Roll – Heavy Metal. Music is the lifeblood of my creative juice.
4: Harry Potter and all things relating to making magic in the crate. True story, I get very jelly seeing the great stuff our Wizarding World team makes.
5: Blizzard Crate! (drool…)
And now, for my go-to final question for each of my Behind the Crate interviews: If you could create your very own product line for Loot Crate, what would it be?
My very own product line. Jeez Josh, that is a tough one because I am working on Marvel now and I love it as a huge Marvel fan but if I could pitch and build a new crate for LC it would be a Retro Crate stuffed with amazing items from the 80’s and early 90’s. Everything from Magnum PI, SWAT, GIJOE cartoon or the great bands like Duran Duran and Motley Crüe… Okay, I have said too much. Cut to commercial!
Thank you so much for sitting down for his interview with me, Logan! Any last words for the folks before I let you go today?
Final word, thanks Loot Crate for letting me play in these amazing sandboxes. It’s such a great honor to work with the people I do on the projects I get to be a part of. It’s an amazing feeling and I feel privileged to create or curate items for our fantastic fans!
