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Noel Saabye

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What is your name and your current occupation?

My name is Noel Saabye and I’m currently the Owner/ Art Director of my own business ( Clown Pirate Productions, LLC). I specialize in 2D Animation (traditional & Flash), as well as Cartoon Illustration. I occasionally tackle some web design, and social media for local small businesses and I’ve recently started to learn to tattoo!

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

Hands down, the strangest job I’ve ever had was working at a Dental Lab. They had me doing metal finishing on crowns and bridges prior to them getting the porcelain finish. I have no idea why 19 year old me was trusted to make your teeth.

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


Although the show wasn’t the most popular, I will always look back on HISTERIA! from Kids WB as being the “Big One”. The characters were a lot of fun to work on. My second would be Directing Edd hosting Cartoon Cartoon Fridays for Cartoon Network. I also have several games on CartoonNetwork.com that I’m really proud of including TKO and Magnet Face.

How did you become interested in animation?

I’m the son of a high school art teacher, so I’ve been drawing all my life. Oddly enough, my mom had given me The Illusion of Life as a birthday gift when I was in Jr. High and I never really thought much of it other than it had cool pictures. It wasn’t until after high school that I started trying out different art related jobs and found an opportunity to learn animation.

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


I’m a native Minnesotan. Back in the early 90s I was invited to attend a monthly meeting of comic and animation artists. Each month I would make it a point to learn something from someone new. My eagerness caught the attention of someone who had introduced me to an animator who was starting his own studio. I became his apprentice/ intern and the rest is history.

What’s a typical day like for you with regards to your job?

The majority of my day is spent working on the particular project I may have on my desk, but I also incorporate an hour or two keeping up with my networking on various sites and replying to potential clients. In the case that I’m between projects, I’m probably working on personal art which I sell at conventions or spending time at the tattoo shop.

What part of your job do you like best? Why?

My favorite part of the day is when you hit “the zone” and you’re just drawing as if there’s nothing else around you. I feel that’s when I do my best work.

What part of your job do you like least? Why?


Letting down would-be clients that don’t understand the cost of creative work. At this stage, I would often times really like to work on projects that people come to me with, but I just can’t pay my bills with barters, or portfolio pieces.

What kind of technology do you work with on a daily basis?


My weapons of choice are… Sketchook Pro and my Cintiq. From there I will use Photoshop, Illustrator or Flash.

What is the most difficult part for you about being in the business?

Staying in the business! If you don’t have a full time gig, you’re always networking and trying to secure that long-term project. I kind of like the challenge, but it can be difficult at times.

In your travels, have you had any brushes with animation greatness?


I’ve had the privilege to not only meet, but work with many great animators. Some of which were big inspirations to me including Star Toons owner Jon McClenahan. Also, working at Cartoon Network I was able to meet many of the show creators including Maxwell Adams, Genndy Tartakovsky, and Danny Antonucci.

Describe a tough situation you had in life.

Freelancing is always unpredictable. If you’re not good with your money, you can find yourself it a sticky situation during the down time. It happens to all us. That’s when you learn to save your punch cards from the coffee shop.

Any side projects or you’re working on or hobbies you’d like to share details of?

I have a few game apps in various stages, I’m creating art to sell at various conventions and art festivals and I’m also starting to tattoo.

 

Any unusual talents or hobbies like tying a cherry stem with your tongue or metallurgy?

I have this amazing talent of making people believe I’m much younger that I am. Maybe it’s because I act immature or I don’t dress the part… maybe it’s just taking the animation thing to far and refusing to stop laughing at everything?

 

Is there any advice you can give for an aspiring animation student or artist trying to break into the business? Draw, Draw, Draw! Draw your dog, your cat, a bird out the window… keep drawing. Stop with the Manga characters (unless you already live in Japan). Draw in different styles, and learn the old school methods of animation. I’ve seen too many portfolios from students that rely too much on flash and don’t understand the fundamentals of traditional animation. It’s not just knowing “how” but knowing “why”.

 

http://noelsaabye.com

http://youtu.be/0m33lAMP2k0

https://www.facebook.com/noelsaabyeart

https://instagram.com/noelsaabye/

http://nsaabye.deviantart.com

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Chuck Maiden

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Chuck Maiden—color designer on American Dad! at Fox Television Animation.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Crazy, huh? Well, I don’t know about crazy, but I’ve worked at a lamp factory, delivered Dreyer’s ice cream, worked at a 7-Eleven, delivered pizzas for a half of night, played in rock bands, colored comic books—I could go on, but you might fall asleep.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Well, definitely, this one, American Dad! and also King of the Hill, which I worked on for 12 years.

How did you become interested in animation?
When I was a kid, I watched Popeye, The Flintstones, Bugs Bunny, as well as a lot of others. There was one old cartoon, where it showed an artist’s hand drawing the character, which then came to life. It made me realize Continue reading

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Dan Shefelman

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Dan Shefelman, Cartoonist, Director, Head of Story, Writer.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Hanging 200 feet on the side of a building painting a trompe l’oeil mural on Park Avenue in NYC. The owner of the company was color blind but we were’nt supposed to know. So he would come to the site and tell us to add more red. We would do nothing and the next day he’d say it looked much better. The union guys on the site hated us because we were non-union. They would tip over our paint. Once I got stranded 200 feet up on the scaffold when the electrician shut off the power at quitting time. I had to swing like Spiderman on my safety line over to a fire escape and climb down. I finally quit the next day when I realized I was risking my life for “art”.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Teaching storyboarding at NYU. It’s so great to see new talent develop. I did a flash political web cartoon during the 2008 election on CNN.com. Wrote, designed and animated it. I love the collaboration of big productions but it’s always very satisfying to do everything on your own.  I have always been proud of working on the story team at Blue Sky on Ice Age. It was the first feature for Blue Sky and it was great to be there in the beginning as we all flailed our way to discover how to get these monsters done. I am particularly proud of the cave painting sequence I storyboarded which dealt with difficult issues of loss and forgiveness in a family movie without terrifying the kids in the audience. The big challenge was to Continue reading

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Dean Yeagle

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Dean Yeagle – I have my own animation company, Caged Beagle Productions, and I do cartoons for Playboy Magazine and publish my own books as well.  My pinup girl character, Mandy, has become known all over the world due to the Internet, and I do original drawings of her for galleries and collectors.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Well, aside from a summer job when I was just out of high school with the Head Start program, animation was my first ‘real’ job.  It was interrupted by a stint in the Navy during Vietnam, and then I went back into animation.  There’s plenty of ‘crazy’ in animation, anyway.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? 
I produced, directed and largely animated the Cookie-Crisp cereal spots for eight years…they were fun, sort of like 30 second Tex Avery cartoons.  I worked on  various TV specials, for Warner Bros. (animating Bugs and Daffy and Elmer), and animated the Trolls in The Gnomes; I did pre-production work on ICE AGE; and I did lots and lots of commercials and worked with some great people, here and in London.  And now I’m doing full-page color cartoons for Playboy Magazine.

How did you become interested in animation? 
The way everyone does – watching cartoons as a kid.  The Disney features were just magic to me, and I knew early on that I had to be involved in doing that.  The old Disney ABC network show often had programs about the process of animation, and I knew Continue reading

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Stanley Somers

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Stanley Somers, and I teach at Hawthorne Academy High School as their Art Teacher.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
In Animation, I worked for twenty two years at; Disney, Warners, Hyperion, FilmFair and many others. My favorite projects were Rover Dangerfeild, The Little Mermaid, and BeBe’s Kids.    In art I with my ex wife Marsea open New Image Art gallery in 1994 in west Hollywood. The Gallery Initially juxtaposed Minimalist artist with performance art to create a new dialogue in LA.
How did you become interested in animation?
In the 70’s through to the beginning of the 2000’s it was the best way to draw and earn a living, the studios sought out artist that were schooled and loved drawing.
Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m from LA and in 1978 went to Disney after graduating college. There they put me under Eric Larsen to be Continue reading

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Elroy Simmons

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Elroy Simmons and I’m a 2D Traditional Animator (and sometime Director/Designer). I’m also a part-time tutor on the Access to Motion Graphics course for adults at Tower Hamlets College, East London

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

 I’m not sure about crazy jobs, so much. When I was on my degree, I worked as a caricaturist – at local markets and for a company that organized swanky, massive Office parties in London. I’ve sold drawings (with varying success) since I was 12 (to schoolmates), but the first time I set up a ‘pitch’ and drew absolute strangers was, as I said, while I was ‘studying’ Animation at degree level.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
 I’ve been relatively lucky – so far, in so much as a lot of the stuff I’m able to derive the most pride from, is work I’ve designed and directed – as well as animated; so though the budget may be small, the amount learned is broad and the fulfillment felt is massive (“A Haven In a Brick Jungle”, “No Search/No Entry”). I think the best time I’ve had professionally was working on a cartoon short called “George et Alfred”; it was a ‘souped up’ spin off from a series shown on TF1 called “Ca Cartoon”, and it was broadcast that Christmas. The Director – Mark Woods, wanted two Supervising Animators – and asked me if I wanted the role, and to know who I’d suggest as the other Supervising Animator. I suggested a friend/colleague – Rob Newman. The studio that made the series (and presumably still do) wanted British Animators to work on the cartoon (their thinking was that British and American cartoon animation had ‘compatibility’, and more importantly that British Animators work longer – and for less money. So, for about three months we worked on the short with a crew of French Animators, in Paris, being put up in a Hotel about five minutes from the studio, and the studio even paid for weekly Eurostar travel back to London. Believe me, this level of care is stuff of myth in London. We had a party for all of the crew – even the Producers – at the end of the job. I’ve worked as hard since, but I’m not sure I’ve laughed so much – and I’ve not had reason to be as competent at speaking French since, either.

How did you become interested in animation?
 I remember seeing the workmen building the circus tents in”Dumbo” on what must have been “Disney Time” (a show that would pop up on the BBC) when I was very young. I was confused by how they seemed real, but were like moving sweets; I think I was ‘hooked’ then. I’d enjoyed drawing from very young, about 3 years old, but the time I was six, I’d said ‘out loud’ “I want to be an Animator”. My teachers at Primary School  (Mrs Sheffield at the time, then Mr Fairhall and later Mr Bandey) were all very aware and very encouraging (I was a bit of a ‘swat’, generally – so it never really interrupted my school progress), so I drew relatively often, regularly pestering my Mum for ‘Drawing Books’ to keep me entertained at home – and then by the time I was eight years old, I’d got into ‘flickbooks’ (Mum was a nurse, so there were thick Medical books that she didn’t mind me drawings on the corners of) – and it just went on from there, really. I remember thinking I could Continue reading