For the next several years, he worked as a freelancer in advertising and storyboarding until he decided to self-publish his own comics with his brother. They traveled to comic conventions all over the coast, selling their books. At one point, he was offered a job at Mirage Studios; however, that deal ended when the company was bought out.

At this point, the art industry was a challenge to break into, so he took up teaching for stability.
As he took on this role of a mentor, his career focus shifted away from the comic industry, into something new and unfamiliar.

One day, Mr. Montalvo walked into a toy store called Kid Robot, where he discovered an array of vinyl toys that captured his attention. He decided that he wanted to learn how to make those types of toys. After doing more research, he realized how daunting and complicated the task was. He decided to put those plans on hold and return to New York Comic Con instead. There, he was introduced to Dave Cortes, a well known sculptor that was more than happy to give Mr. Montalvo a chance to practice at his studio.

Later on, he befriended Keith Poon, founder of Toy Qube, who was amazed by Mr. Montalvo’s cupcake toy (called Stud Muffin), and offered to sponsor a production run. He gained Keith’s trust and became his sculptor, working together to build a Chinese-Zodiac inspired version of the terracotta soldiers.

At New York Comic Con, his creation sold out, giving him a slight taste of celebrity life.

“People were coming to me, like, left and right to sign this thing. I felt like that was the first time in my life, like I felt like a star,” he said.

Keith then offered to share a booth with Mr. Montalvo at the San Diego Comic Con, where he got the chance to display his first ever figure, a "Frankenstein of all robots” called Titanium. He made 30 of these figures, with special variations, and was shocked by the response.

“[On] day one, every single one of them was gone,” he said. “ I couldn't even believe it. I'm like, ‘Oh, Keith, man, the lines.’ And he was like, ‘No dude, the lines are for you.’”

He got more involved in the toy industry world, meeting tycoons in the industry such as Frank Kozik, who designed the Smorkin’ Labbit. He was invited to after-parties and “felt like a movie star.”

After spending time in this environment, Mr. Montalvo said he realized, “I'm tired of doing stuff for other people. Like, if these people are making money doing this, like, why can't I?”

He switched gears and started creating his own small scale production of toys. His favorite sculptures to make are “weird little niche things" that end up completely selling out.
Mr. Montalvo switched from attending bigger conventions to smaller conventions, and even created his own with his brother. In 2022 they created Malverne Comic Fest, which took place at Bridge Church in his hometown.

Mr. Montalvo’s journey in the art industry has not been without change and challenges. Contrary to popular belief, he was not born with natural artistic abilities.

“Growing up, I wasn't a great artist,” he said. “ My brother was a natural. [He] could draw really well, and I was always frustrated that I couldn't. So I kind of gave up.”

Up until high school, Mr. Montalvo had been constantly told by his art teachers that he didn’t have what it takes to be an artist. This discouraged him from pursuing his dream until he met a teacher who changed the trajectory of his life.

Before he met his high school art teacher, Ms. Demarco, Mr. Montalvo had planned to become a fireman. However, Ms. Demarco’s words of encouragement were all it took for him to realize he wanted to make it as an artist.