In 1988 he moved to New York City and continued his freelance career working in comics, illustration, film, music videos and as a designer for MTV Animation's Downtown and Celebrity Deathmatch.
Hughes illustrated the Marvel Comics mini-series Hellhound and served as art director on Russell Simmons Presents B.A.D Magazine, a project funded by Time Warner under its Mad brand.
In 1990 Hughes collaborated with music journalist Charles Shaar Murray on Purple Days, a comic strip inspired by the life and times of Jimi Hendrix.
Hughes is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Pratt Institute School Of Art and Design in Brooklyn, New York, and was the recipient of the prestigious "Most Distinguished Teacher Award 2008/2009".
[citation needed] Hughes created storyboards for Spike Lee films, including Red Hook Summer (2012) and BlacKkKlansman(2018)