LightBox Expo 2026 is spotlighting Megan Suran Kim, the Los Angeles-based illustrator and owner of Megguran Studio, as one of its featured artists. The Annie award-winning art event returns to the Pasadena Convention Center from October 23–25, and Kim’s profile is the latest in a series of creator introductions building up to the three-day celebration of animation, illustration and games art.
Megguran Studio’s Egg-Fish Character Lineup (Credits: Megguran Studio)
Kim is best known online for her hand-painted illustrations and a little egg-fish character that fronts much of her product line. Her work spans 2D animation, risograph prints, plush toys, stationery and hand-made ceramics — a portfolio she built from scratch during the pandemic.
From Pandemic Posts to a Thriving Studio
Kim studied Entertainment Design, trained for the animation production pipeline, and dreamed of landing a job at one of Los Angeles’ big three animation companies. Then the pandemic hit. With hiring frozen, she started posting creative process videos of herself making stickers, paintings and everyday life clips to YouTube and Instagram, and opened an Etsy shop like so many other independent artists.
The response surprised her. Strangers around the world started buying the things she made, and what began as stickers and prints grew into accessories, ceramics and a full-time LLC, Megguran Studio. She now also works in education alongside her studio practice, and her pieces can be found in gift shops across the greater Los Angeles area.
What to Expect at LightBox Expo
LightBox Expo, billed as “for artists, by artists,” brings together creatives from Marvel Studios, Disney, Pixar, Riot Games and Nickelodeon, alongside hundreds of exhibiting artists. This year’s edition runs October 23–25 at the Pasadena Convention Center and features hundreds of panels, demos, portfolio reviews and programs — plus the famously packed artist alley.
Kim’s philosophy, shared in her spotlight, is simple: the ideas that make it past the parking lot are the ones she feels most excited to create, whether that becomes a painting, an animation or even a piece of furniture. Fans attending LightBox Expo will be able to meet her in person and browse the egg-fish universe that turned pandemic posting into a career.
Source: Anime Herald — read the full story there.
