Loyola Alumni at the Frontlines of Creativity

In comics villains wear masks, but in real life they write code behind screens as AI manifests into the creative world. As part of Loyola’s National Library Week, three alumni inked a statement about the power of personal creativity. 

The fourth floor of the Information Commons transformed April 9 into a homecoming stage for Andrew Pepoy ‘91, Scott Larson ’97 and Stephen Titra ’68. The event was held as a celebration of National Library Week, honoring the roles libraries play in society.

In addition to being Loyola alumni, Pepoy, Larson and Titra are also professional artists and comic book creators. The three said human-made art is in urgent need of preservation.

For Pepoy, who’s worked on “The Simpsons,” “X-Men” comics and his own series “The Adventures of Simone & Ajax,” creative motivation isn’t found in muses or magical rituals — it’s in the mailbox.

“Bills and my mortgage, that’s how I get my inspiration,” Pepoy said. “Because you have to come up with something.”

Creativity, at least professionally, isn’t just about passion because creating comics is a job requiring persistence, according Pepoy. He said artistic output must be dependable, not divine. Waiting for inspiration means missing deadlines, while paying the bills means putting pencil to paper, regardless of mood.

But even with more than 35 years of experience, awards and international acclaim to his name, Pepoy was clear about his frustration with one of the industry’s biggest threats — artificial intelligence.

“AI is theft, plain and simple,” Pepoy said. “My work — and the work of many people I know — has been scraped by these companies and fed into machines without our consent. No compensation. Nothing.”

Pepoy said he isn’t just angry, but concerned about what this theft means for the future of creativity. With AI, the world of art could become a place where ideas can be duplicated without understanding, and techniques stripped of the human voice.

“Stop it,” Pepoy said. “Go learn to draw. Do it yourself. Anything AI makes is second-rate because it’s stolen. You want your work to stand out — even if you hate it. You still have to go out there and just do your best. Don’t rely on crutches like that.”

Pepoy’s ethos is baked into “Simone & Ajax,” a whimsical, genre-hopping series born during his time at Loyola. It’s a series that doesn’t chase trends or data-driven aesthetics — it’s about absurdity, adventure and trusting one’s voice. 

Pepoy said “Simone & Ajax” opens endless possibilities for readers, blending magic with hope. The characters learn to thrive together in settings spanning from pirates to time travelers with an improvisational spirit punctuated by Pepoy’s comedic art.

The ability to create from scratch and by hand is a testament to what happens when an artist leans into play, rather than prediction, as a storytelling guide, according to Pepoy. 

Larson, a close friend of Popey, shared Popey’s ideals about comics being made with purpose. Larson said comics aren’t just entertainment,but a vehicle for empathy and a vessel of history. 

Larson’s self-published series “Visitations” examines Chicago’s past, using cemetery spirits to comment on the present. He credits both Loyola and his father for exposing him to the idea storytelling doesn’t need capes or cliches to be powerful.

“I want to be involved in stories about real people — people dealing with racism, with poverty,” Larson said. “That’s what matters.”

Larson’s approach is less about spectacle and more about stitching together the past and present in meaningful ways. Larson’s spirits retell hidden narratives, acting as mirrors for the living.

Larson said AI is a neutral tool whose importance depends on its user. For him, the danger isn’t the technology but the ethics behind its use.

“AI can’t do anything you don’t tell it to do,” Larson said. “If it’s used responsibly as a tool, not a replacement, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”

Still, Larson differentiated between assistance and authorship and said he doesn’t want people mistaking automation for originality.

But the soul of the conversation about comics and artistry belonged to Titra — a painter, musician, writer and “Loyola legend” as he was the first male to attend Mundelein College before it merged with Loyola in 1991, The Phoenix previously reported. 

His work spans murals, books and commissioned portraits across the Chicagoland area, including one of Sister Jean located outside of the Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, BVM Multi-Purpose Room. 

Titra said art is a spiritual obligation, not just a profession. He sees comics and commissions as ways to remain human in a world quick to forget its roots. He said words and images steer the conversation from art being about industry and profit to something more existential.

“You have a creative heart and spirit and perhaps some talent — God-given in my opinion — developed over a long time to become an artist,” Titra said. “Human beings have made ordinary life beautiful from the beginning by making ordinary things art. We’ve made representations of the unrepresentable.”

Titra said he sees creativity as something sacred, with a quiet and pastoral structure. For him, artists serve as caretakers and as people who preserve and reflect the human experience through their work. His philosophy of education is simple — get the idea, make it real and share it.

“If you have a creative heart and a creative spirit and it’s what God made you for and your future, it’s your incumbent responsibility to do it,” Titra said. “Push yourself at late night hours working all the way around the clocks sometimes to meet a deadline or just following up. That’s the sense of what art does for the human spirit, not only for yourself, but for the viewers.”

Titra’s work, like his words, defies commodification. He said his goal isn’t fame or recognition but blessing people with the talent he has and staying reverent to his roots grounded in theology and appreciation towards God. 

Even decades after graduating, Titra said he still values what Loyola gave him, both in terms of education and the sense of purpose it provided.

“Loyola gave me an understanding that life unexamined is not worth living,” Titra said. “I treasure what Loyola did by all the connections — that it’s like this string on a musical instrument. To know that artists are responsible for keeping tune from the beginning and time to now and into the future — that without us keeping some tension and tuning on the musical node of our heart, all the rest of it is for nothing.”