John “J.T.” Millstead Jr.

My Story

Early life abroad

I was born on July 12, 1995, in Florida — but my earliest memories are far from palm trees. My first birthday was in Wasilla, Alaska. We had a mushing dog. Winters were long and white. Polar plunges in Seward were normal. The Redington family — the face on the tail of Alaska Airlines planes — lived nearby, and I had play dates with Sarah Palin’s kids before politics was something anyone talked about. Anchorage followed, with its wide skies and frontier pace of life. Adventure wasn’t an activity. It was the default.

In 2003, my parents moved our family to Yinchuan, China, where they taught English. Yinchuan was a small desert city where milk could still arrive by pack mule and Western influence felt distant. For five years, my sister and I lived almost entirely outside the rhythm of typical American culture.

That’s where design entered my life. I started teaching myself Adobe Photoshop — an early Elements version — building logos for youth groups and sports teams, experimenting with book covers, and discovering that images could carry identity. Around the same time, my sister and I worked with a director from the U.S. on a two-season television show filmed at the China Western Film Studio. We appeared in commercials, events, and productions that blurred the line between everyday life and storytelling.

Those years were defined by contrast and adventure. We snuck our way too close to the Russian border and were chased off by men carrying AK-47s. We played with tigers. Explored Monkey Island in Thailand. Got lost in Bangkok. Sampled everything from yak’s milk to deer antler. We studied traditional Chinese art. We lived without most of the conveniences and assumptions that shape American life.

And it taught me to observe cultures before judging them, to adapt quickly, and to see the world as something far bigger than a single perspective.

One of my first logo designs

After a season of living on the road, our family settled in Arlington, Texas. I finished high school there and continued building momentum. I worked on an album cover for the artist now known as Sup3rsayin, stepping into music branding. I hosted my first table at a local comic shop event and had the opportunity to meet and learn from Neal Adams. I attended my first Comic Con and sought mentorship from working artists and actors who treated creativity as a craft worth mastering. I also started acting classes from the Creative Arts Theater and School (CATS) as well as learned set and prop creation.

Outside of design, I trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Krav Maga and helped start a parkour group called Beast FreeRunning. I also assisted local police with neighborhood patrols and investigations, responding to volatile situations, pulling people from burning vehicles, and stepping into moments that required calm under pressure. Everything from people fighting with machetes to full on shoot outs and robberies. Those experiences taught discipline, awareness, and responsibility in ways that classrooms never could. I also landed my first job at a print shop, learning production from the ground up—paper stock, color accuracy, deadlines, and the discipline of getting work press-ready.

These years brought structure to what had once been constant motion. Skills became sharper. Direction became clearer. Creativity shifted from exploration to commitment.

During that season, I returned to acting—appearing in commercials, taking on small roles, and starring in The Bullet. I also began traveling with intention. Trips to Ireland, Seattle and California opened doors into fashion, interior design, concept art, and animation, studying directly from professionals in those industries. I completed a year of coursework through CGMA to deepen my foundation in visual development and digital art.

Back home, I connected with the Boise Library and the local comic community, including 6x6, where I began developing comic books, hosting tables at conventions, and speaking at events. I stepped into political campaign work, learning the mechanics behind messaging, persuasion, and strategic communication while contributing to multiple winning campaigns.