Category Archives: Artists Interviews

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Daniel Swartz

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Daniel Swartz, Assistant Professor & Freelance Illustrator.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into illustration?
Most of my earlier jobs have been crazy! I worked in a popcorn factory for awhile to pay for undergrad. I was constantly covered in oil and grease. It was a great incentive to finish school! I also worked at state and county fairs for a couple summers. 14 weeks of fair food is not as fun as it sounds.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
A few years ago I did the illustration for Virginia’s summer reading program for tweens. I enjoyed knowing that my illustration was helping promote reading. I read a fair amount, and think it is imperative we pass on the joy of reading to the next generations. My first children’s book is coming out soon as well. (Duckville, Wesleyan Publishing House) It is executed entirely in natural-media and I just love the tactile, accidental feel of the illustrations. My big dream is to do a Little Golden Book, and I think this project moves me closer to that goal.
How did you become interested in illustration?
I really didn’t even understand what illustration was before college. Fortunately, Continue reading

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Vivek Shukla

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Vivek Shukla and currently I’m writing an animation show called “Adventures of King Vikram” on Disney India.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Before getting into writing for animation, I completed my graduation in computer application and also worked as a fitness trainer. But later, I left all odd jobs and joined a theater group where I acted, wrote and directed many plays.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I enjoyed writing “CHOTA BHEEM’’ animation show on POGO INDIA. I proud to be one of the writer for CHOTA BHEEM which is the top animation show of India.
How did you become interested in animation?
During my theater years, I got a chance to write a 13 episode primary animation series, and that was the turning point in my career. Writing for animation opened all doors for me through which Continue reading

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Mark Behm

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What is your name and your current occupation?
First let me say thanks, Mike, for the opportunity. My name is Mark Behm and I’m an artist at Valve Software. We don’t have propper titles, so what I do depends on what I feel the project I’m working on needs and if I feel I am up to the task. Mostly I design or make assets and sometimes animate them.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Before? I’d say a lot of my jobs IN the animation industry were fairly crazy. As a teenager I did enough manual and kitchen labor to build a healthy fear of spending my life swinging a hammer in a cold rain. Craziest? Hmm…I once taught a class on animal tracking.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
My first feature was as an animator on Robots at BlueSky. That was a huge learning opportunity for me. At Valve, I got to design, sculpt and texture all of the aliens in a little top down game we released for free on Steam called AlienSwarm. That kind of ownership was very fun for me.

How did you become interested in animation?
I grew up in the mid 70s into the 80s as SciFi was getting big. I saw Star Wars when I was around 7 and was Continue reading

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Mike Roush

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What is your name and your current occupation?
I am a lead animator at Titmouse inc.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
One of the most memorable was having to dress as an aardvark in from of a toy story in the mall and take pictures with kids. Memorable like a reoccurring nightmare.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
We’ll at Titmouse we just finished one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on called Motorcity for the Disney XD channel. It just got cancelled. Doh.

How did you become interested in animation?
I guess like everyone, watching a movie when I was young then Continue reading

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Cláudio Vieira de Oliveira

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Cláudio Vieira de Oliveira – Classic Animator 2D .
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I started early in animation field, before that i have just worked as an office boy, and at age of 19 I was already working with animation.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
A feature film called Little Hippo, a 30-minute short film “Los Tres Amigos”, two special (about 15 minutes) for the Cartoon Network TV “CopaToon”, some advertisements for television as one for Faber Castell I did in 1984 called “watercolor” and also being the Animation Director of the world’s second feature film made entirely in CGI. The last one was a big challenge because it was made in 1994 and unlike today had few resources, was a true pioneer.
How did you become interested in animation?
Is hard to say, all this started when Continue reading

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Jez Tuya

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Jez Tuya is my name, and I am a freelance illustrator.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I had a brief stint of working part time as a shop floor assistant in a retail store (in charge of the toy and kitchenware department) while still in art school. I have so many horror stories from my experience, and I decided to quit after two months of working there, and promised myself to never work in retail ever again.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? 
Pretty much most of the work that I’ve done is for publishing, and one of my favourite projects is illustrating a picture book based on one of Roald Dahl’s poems called “Television.”
How did you become interested in animation? 
I actually wanted to be an air force pilot after I graduated from high school. I had an obsession (and in some ways I still do) with airplanes, but with the grades that I had in high school, and because of my apparent allergy to maths and physics, I came to the conclusion maybe flying planes was not for me. But I’ve always had a fascination for art and animation since I was a kid. I didn’t grow up with video games or cable television when I was wee lad, and drawing was something I did for fun. (That, and making airplanes out of Legos). I remember my parents would always bring home boxes of scrap paper for me to draw on, and it would feel like Christmas whenever they do, and I think they may have unintentionally encouraged me to enjoy making art because of that. I also watched LOTS of cartoons, and whenever I visit my grandparents’ house, I’d rot my Continue reading