Born in the Philippines, raised in Colorado, and educated in New York City: MJ is a Seattle based Artist and active community member in the Chinatown International District.

He graduated from the School of Visual Arts (SVA) with a BFA in Cartooning/ Illustration in 2015. In 2013 he began work as an assistant to Klaus Janson doing inking and production chores on titles for Marvel and DC Comics. He studied under luminaries such as David Mazzucchelli, Nick Bertozzi, Bill Griffith, Joey Cavalierri, Marie Javins, Dave Mccaig, John Ruggeri, and of course Klaus Janson. 

While attending SVA his work was featured in:

• the 2014 Junior Thesis Exhibition in the Chelsea SVA Art Gallery

• VO Visual Opinion Magazine (vol.21, issues 2 & 3).

• SVA Cartooning class of 2015 Catalog

• 2016 Society of Illustrators Student Showcase. 

He has also worked on numerous assignments with artist and illustrator Matty Huynh. 

His clients include: The New Yorker Magazine, Vice TV, The Wing Luke Museum, Visual Opinion Magazine, The Connect Group, RCB Studios, Slack Magazine, Story Corps, The Smithsonian Asian Pacific Center, The New York Historical Society, and Strand Bookstore. 

In 2017 MJ launched his self-published series of books under the banner: Wasabi Punk, via Patreon. By 2018 MJ relocated from Brooklyn, NY to Seattle, WA.