Luke McGarry

Luke McGarry is a Manchester-born artist and illustrator currently based in Los Angeles and enjoying a well-earned reputation as one of his generation’s foremost cartoonists. He has won many awards for his work, including the NCS’s Advertising Illustrator of the Year Award three times, in 2016, 2019, and 2020. His work has been featured at exhibitions across the UK and America and he has designed record sleeves and other artwork for bands including Underworld, Kim Fowley, and Hoodie Allen. He is also a regular contributor to MAD magazine and has animated content for the major likes of Vice, Google Play, Visa, and Universal Music Group.

The root of McGarry’s artistic success can be found in his music career. Although he was born in Manchester, England, he attended high school in Orange County, California, and went to university in Long Beach to study Graphic Design. However, he claims to have left after one day because he couldn’t find a parking space and gone on a European tour with Pop Noir, the band he formed with his twin brother, Joe. The pair played across America and Europe, opening for the likes of Doves, The Wombats, The Tantrums, and Robyn. When they relocated to Los Angeles, McGarry’s artwork for the band began to attract as much attention as the music and led to commissions to design for other bands, record labels, record stores, and many more. Despite his success as a cartoonist, McGarry has continued to perform and record with Pop Noir and has also launched a solo career, releasing the track ‘Black Leather’ in August 2020 under the name ‘Lukey McGarry’.