Hired by the Ernie Ball Company as an in-house designer & illustrator before receiving his bachelor's degree in 1997, Chueh primarily created T-shirt and advertisement designs for the brand. Several of these became award-winning, with the artist himself being featured in the 1998 design annuals of both "Communication Arts" and "Print". During this time, Chueh began spending his nights partying, drinking, and doing drugs. In 2003, an addiction to painkillers resulted in his being fired, which spurred Chueh's relocation to Los Angeles with no job prospects.