David Trexler

What is your name and your current occupation?
David Trexler. I’m the Supervising Producer at Soup2Nuts Animation.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I’ve had a good amount of jobs – installing custom kitchens, waiter (for 3 days), summer rec counselor and above ground pool installer, to name a few – but the crazier one would have to be drilling bowling balls for a sporting good store in Philadelphia. Maybe “odd” is more appropriate than “crazier”, but that’s the one that sticks out. The job where you think – what the hell am I doing? I was attending art school at the time and the hours were flexible. I got paid per ball. I also got to etch in peoples initials.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I’m proud of many of the projects I have worked on, all for different reasons. Daria at MTV Animation was a blast to work on. That’s where I learned the business. The show was more of an underground hit with a cult following  (as opposed to their huge hit Beavis and Butthead, the series it was spun off of). Fans have been requesting to have a DVD set released since it went of the air and it finally was late last year. We had an amazingly talented team on that show and I still keep in touch with many of them.

How did you become interested in animation?
My dad was an art teacher so as a kid I was always drawing. I would work from his lesson plans to learn shading, color wheels, etc… On top of that Continue reading

Mark Byers

 

What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Mark Byers.  My current occupation?  How many hyphens can I use?  I am the CEO of Quixotic Media Group, LA – Beijing – Singapore – Hong Kong. That’s three hyphens right there.  But don’t let those three letters fool you, I am much more hands-on in this business than just a CEO suit. Producer – Writer – Director – Development Executive – Fund Manager – Headhunter – Distribution Executive – Counselor and Best Friend…  To maintain out of this world quality on real world budgets takes focus, discipline – and a lot of hyphens.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
 Making sauerkraut by hand (and foot) one summer between high school and college. Big regional brand, but after that experience, I’ll never eat kraut again.  And did I mention grading veneer to make plywood?  Those summer jobs were crazy, but financed my short films and wild media projects.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Dragon Twins, an awesome animated movie, graphic novel, and game. Innovative and oh so cool. Same for Sasha’s Adventure, a smorgasbord of projects spun around a central animated feature.  Cool and cute Yugo and Lala.  And Spiny Life – Action!  Adventure!  Laughs!  It’s like asking a father which child is his favorite. I love them all – that’s why I made them in the first place!

How did you become interested in animation?
I’ve done it all – commercials, TV, live stage, movies – and all of them are Continue reading

Louis Fagenson

What is your name and your current occupation?
Louis Fagenson. I am a Composer/Orchestrator/Arranger.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
In High School I sold Fuller Brush products and delivered pizza. I have a horrible sense of direction ( hey, my people spent the better part of forty years looking for the promised land in a place about the size of Reseda), so the pizza thing didn’t last very long. During and after college I played electric guitar with various bands in addition to solo guitar in different clubs and venues. One day I recieved a phone call from the late and great Don Murray Continue reading

Kathy Tessalone

What is your name and your current occupation?  
Kathy Tessalone, animation producer .

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? 
Dressing up in a character costume at six flags

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?    
I used to be a make-up artist before the teaching and producing, so I had some favorite shoots where I could do halloween characters, and an uncle sam and other fantasy and fictional characters. Also I have two professional credits as a make-up artist that Im proud of. My name is in the IMDB, you can referance to that.
How did you become interested in animation? 
I used to work as a teacher for special education,which inturn gave me the inspiration to an idea to do do this animated project, but at first I

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Gavrilo Gnatovich

What is your name and your current occupation?
Gavrilo Gnatovich (Gav, Big Gav) Head Honcho Grande, Horrendous Fiasco Cartoons

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Worked for the family sewer and water construction business, and late seventies disco bartender

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
The projects where I had the most lip-smacking, paddywhackin’ creative freedom. My first independent film, Lazar and the Longhair and Doubledome pilots I produced for the Cartoon Network. Had they listened to their own focus groups, it would have been a show. Ack, excuse me, choking on sour grapes:)

How did you become interested in animation?
Drinking in a Chicago Bar with Richard Williams on several occasions. I was working for a photography studio in Chicago (Jim Braddy Photography) and his sales rep, Tom Parker was also Richard’s rep in Chicago. When Richard would come in for Pre-Pro meetings, we would go out drinking and he would talk animation, (what a surprise). I figured Continue reading

Todd Myers

 

 

What is your name and your current occupation? 
Todd Myers (L. Todd Myers on IMDB)  Just completed work designing characters for a special, animated Christmas episode of Eureka on SyFy for Curious Pictures.  I’m currently designing characters for two other projects at Curious.

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

Not counting working with Bill Cosby on the Captain Kangaroo Show (that was eye opening and crazy), I’d say I’ve had the usual.  As a kid during the mid-70’s I worked for Jim Kovacs who wasone of the first nationally known comic book dealers.  He was the guy who cornered the market on Howard the Duck #1.  Everyone remembers that, right?  I later worked in a record shop after being turned down by Burger Chef.  Burger Chef!  Burger Chef wouldn’t have me.

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

Starting a studio with Gav Gnatovich and producing 3 pilots for Cartoon Network in (of all places) Cleveland, OH.  Working with “Mr.” Tom Warburton for 5 seasons of Codename: Kids Next Door.  Contributing to the development of Dragons vs Robots.  Doing boards on Venture Bros.  And even though it was canceled after Continue reading