Category Archives: Artists Interviews

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Floyd Bishop

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What is your name and your current occupation?
I’m Floyd Bishop. I’m currently the senior animator on Free Realms at Sony Online Entertainment.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was a lifeguard for eight years, mostly summers during high school and college. In the winters, I would work odd jobs. These included a short stint at a bakery where I started as a dish washer but then got to decorate wedding cakes and a bra factory where I would sort bundles of sports bra sections and then carry them upstairs to the factory floor to be sewn together. I tried to learn something at every job I ever had. For example, the average sports bra has five pieces!

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I’m really proud of Free Realms. There is a ton of animation in the game, and we get to be really creative on the project. I was also a character animator on the first Ice Age movie. I have something like 90 shots in the final film.

How did you become interested in animation?
I always liked cartoons as a kid. I watched a lot of Sesame Street, and that show had a ton of animation on it. As a result, I was exposed to a lot of different kinds of animation at a very young age. I drew a lot as I got older, and started to Continue reading

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Larissa Marantz

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Larissa Marantz, Owner of OC Art Studios, Illustrator, Fine Artist, Art Instructor

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I am short so I used to work as a mascot for various conventions and shows- any time there was some kind of costumed character with a big head. Once I dressed up as Elmo.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I am proud to be one of the 200 artists that were involved in the Manifest Hope:DC art exhibition celebrating the inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2008. I flew to Washington DC a few days before the inauguration to participate in the art exhibit and the energy was amazing. The first Obama painting I did “Unite America” was sold in an auction during the campaign. The image was also published in a multicultural calendar. The second painting “This Moment”, was published in an Art of Obama book, exhibited at the Bowers Museum and now hangs on my wall. Someone I knew was doing a brief stint at the White House and passed out a bunch of posters of my paintings to the people in his department. I was told that they were put up on the office walls. So, although I don’t have physical proof, I think I can say that my paintings are in the White House.
How did you become interested in animation?
I had always wanted to teach art but after meeting with my advisor and finding out that Continue reading
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Maeve McGrath

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What is your name and your current occupation?

Maeve McGrath, Flash artist and animator
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Worked at a pet store and helped hatch lizards and baby birds, fed mice to snakes.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
The Simpsons Movie, Neopets the startup…

How did you become interested in animation?

Ever since I watched my first cartoon as a kid, I have been interested…I created my own comic books based on the smurfs. They are pretty bad, but when I was little I thought they were awesome…

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?

I grew up all over the world.  Lived in Papua New Guinea and Burma, among other places… I found myself in Continue reading
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Reginald Hudlin

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Reginald Hudlin, and I’m a writer, producer and director of motion pictures and television.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
When I was a kid, I worked in my dad’s insurance office.  Part of my responsibilities was taking pictures of buildings we insured. Around the corner from our office was the Chamber of Commerce, which my dad also ran.  For some reason, people would come to the Chamber of Commerce to get married.  So I would go down the street to get Fred, a manager at the local Walgreen’s to officiate the ceremony since he was also a minister.  Since I had a camera, I would take a picture of the couple, which they were very appreciative of because they never expected to get a wedding day picture.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I directed movies like HOUSE PARTY and BOOMERANG.  Specifically in animation, I wrote and produced the first African American animated feature film, BEBE’S KIDS;  and executive produced THE BOONDOCKS, which is also a groundbreaking series.  While President of Entertainment at BET, Continue reading

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Isaias Crow

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Isaias Crow, I currently work for myself, I am a visual storyteller using a diversity of mediums.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Working at a telemarketing company. It was crazy because you needed to get into character as if you are going to act in a play or film. I created so many characters to sell the services we offered over the phone, the character of choice depended on who I was speaking to on the other line. Now you know, when a telemarketer or bill collector calls you, just remember, they need act in order for you to budge into paying, so don’t take it personal. 🙂
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
After finishing art school, I realized how many people can’t afford to pay such expensive tuition fees so I gathered some of my closest friends and associates and created Continue reading
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Ed Ghertner

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is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Ed Ghertner and at the moment I’m a Designer at Walt Disney T.V. Animation

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was young when I got my first gig in animation,but the jobs I had ranged from a grocery clerk, auto mechanics assistant and gardener.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
While going to Cal Arts some of the students were privileged to work on the first Muppet Movie for one then I would say Continue reading