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Patrick Lowery

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Patrick Lowery, 3D Senior Animator, looking for work as usual.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was a game room attendant (still the best job I’ve ever had), drove an ice cream truck, short order cook, sold albums, art supplies and movie tickets.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Probably the most widely known and acclaimed is Lord of the Rings : Return of the King. The most personal satisfaction was probably Stars Wars Episode 3, since it was the project I wanted to work on since I was 12. It only took me about 28 yrs to get there!

How did you become interested in animation?
I was a big fan of monster/sci-fi movies and animation growing up. I didn’t want to be a lawyer so I thought I would try something in the art field.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
St Louis, Mo. Studied some art in college, always liked to draw and such. Went to the Joe Kubert School in NJ, and with a lot of luck, the help of friends and hard wo Continue reading

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John Mathot

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bl12a7F8HI
What is your name?
John Mathot

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I’ve never had as much fun creating & producing my own pilots.  “Fred Again” for WB Online, and “Bagboy!” for Cartoon Network were both a total gas.  I’d do more episodes in a heartbeat. It was an honor to work on “The Simpsons” for nearly 18 years.  Again, tons of fun to work on, and the crew was a blast to work with.

How did you become interested in animation?
Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved it.  I made many stop-motion films in grade school.  Once I saw the “Dragon’s Lair” arcade game in 1983, I realized that animation didn’t have to be just for kids.  That was the moment — it was gung-ho ever since.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m from a suburb of Boston, and went to Rhode Island School of Design in the film/video/animation program.  I came to California (first time ever on an airplane), and searched for an entry-level job for a few months.  After blanketing the town with resumes and Continue reading

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Juli Murphy

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Juli Murphy*, and I am a timer for “American Dad”, for Fox TV.*(For 14 years I also went by my married name, Juli Hashiguchi, or Juli Murphy Hashiguchi)

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was an assistant to the oldest practicing Magician in the Magician’s guild. I think he was in his upper 70’s, and he had been on the Johnny Carson show previously. I answered an ad when I was in college, and I fit the red sequined assistant’s leotard he had. It was a sad, depressing show. He couldn’t remember how to do all his tricks, and he caught the dove’s wings in the disappearing cage. I only lasted one show with him, because he was a really bad driver (going the wrong way down a freeway on-ramp) and he wouldn’t let me drive the Magic Van.
I also worked for Federal Express for 6 years. Besides loading boxes onto planes and trucks I also de-iced aircraft from a bucket extension on a gigantic truck, gave tours through the sorting facility, and radioed pilots in the aircraft. That was a great job, because one of the side benefits was free flights on cargo planes, exactly like Tom Hanks in the movie “Castaway”, luckily without the crashing part. I have ridden in the cockpit of 727’s and DC-10’s enough times to be sick of it.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I would have to say the best job I have had to date was at Cartoon Network on “The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy”. I was the Supervising Director for 5 years, and it was a really wonderful experience. I had the most challenging and Continue reading
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Jun Falkenstein

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Jun Falkenstein.  Sometimes animation director and writer, othertimes animation storyboard artist.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I really haven’t had any crazier jobs than animation!  I pretty much jumped right from school into a job at Warner Brothers.   Although one summer I did teach art to kids.  Not very crazy.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Rather say some of my favorite people that I am proud to have worked with (too many to list).  Animation projects can be great or terrible, but all of the ones created in large studio settings are not usually very personal, as there are a lot of people having their say with the project.  And when they aren’t personal works of art, pride becomes a two-edged feeling…you are proud that the thing was completed, but always thinking of how it could have been better had you gotten to do it differently.  So by this criteria, probably I’m proudest of my short film Kyle + Rosemary, done with Frederator and Nickelodeon, because it was the closest to a pure vision than any big budget feature I was ever a part of.
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Jason Kruse

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Jason Kruse, Cartoonist/Animator

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was a swim instructor for a long time and a worker at Little Caesars but that’s about as crazy as it got.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Though it wasn’t critically well-received, my favorite project I worked on was animating everything in “Master of Orion 3”. A huge undertaking but I had so much creative freedom and got to animate aliens.

How did you become interested in animation?
I started drawing comic strips in college and after that decided to try some animation classes in Manhattan. After that I was hooked.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I grew up in Jersey. After college I basically begged my way into a small studio on the shore doing everything from inbetweens to cleanup to full-on animation and storyboards–it was awesome.

What’s a typical day like for you with regards to your job?
Get up. Go to work or work on my reel and portfolio.

What part of your job do you like best? Why?
The chance to be creative. It’s what drives Continue reading

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Rob Davies

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What is your name?

Rob Davies

What would you say has been your primary job in animation?

I don’t know that I’ve had a ‘primary’ job in animation to be honest. My longest stint is as one of the founders/owners of Atomic Cartoons in Vancouver. However, I’ve worn many hats in and out of Atomic.
I started as a traditional animation layout artist. Anyone who’s been around for awhile (pre-digital) knows what that is…
Other titles include character designer, art director, storyboard artist, storyboard supervisor, director, producer, series creator, and presently VP of Development at Atomic Cartoons.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?

Before I broke into the ‘toon biz, I worked as a sign painter, dishwasher (lasted one night), construction laborer, duty-free store clerk, T-Shirt designer, political cartoonist, silk screen printer, art supplies store clerk, even worked the camera counter at Kmart…
Can’t say there was anything that was particularly ‘crazy’ (like juggling flaming chain saws at kids’ parties) although the duty-free store at the BC-Washington State boarder was strange. It required I run down the highway to just past the nearest exit to the boarder crossing and then hand customers their shopping bags. This was to prevent Canadians from loading up on smokes and rye whiskey at the duty-free and then hanging a quick right just before customs. I ran in all sorts of weather. It is Canada after all. Eventually they just closed off the street. Easier.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?

I’m grateful to have been a part of anything, to be honest. But I’m most proud of Beetlejuice the Animated Series, Asterix Conquers America, Eek The Cat, Pinky and The Brain, The Zeta Project, Captain Flamingo, and Atomic Betty.

How did you become interested in animation?

It was pretty obvious, especially in math class, that I was destined to do something with a Continue reading