Carlos Cartagena was born on April 29, 1960 in Guatemala. He moved to the Unites States In 1981. Working a variety of jobs in his first 9 years in the US; in 1990 he landed his first job as an illustrator for a luminous sign company. The Following year he began advancing his artistic techniques by painting leather jackets and customized Harley-Davidson bikes. It was during this advancement, that his sexy pin-up style began to emerge.

In 95 and 96 he won 1st places at Sturgis and Laughlin for his mural created on a custom Harley-Davidson and consequently the covers of Easyriders and Hot Bike Magazines.

In 1997 he began work for Slap-On Decals, a company that manufactured, big size, high-quality, sexy pin-up decals that could be applied to surfboards, car windows, shower doors, skis, skateboards, snowboards, etc. In 2001, thanks to Slap-On Decals advertising campaign Carlos achieved international recognition success.

Cartagena's pinups are now commissioned and licensed worldwide and his website attracts thousands of visitors. Today, Carlos' long list of commissions includes, Playboy Magazine, Hooters Magazine, PENTHOUSE Magazine, ETC.