What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Joe Sanabria and I’m an Art Director/Concept Artist. My most recent work was on Fallout:New Vegas and the DLC’s (Downloadable Content) Dead Money, Honest Hearts, Old World Blues and Lonesome Road.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?Â
I’ve had a number of jobs before getting into the games industry and most were boring rather than crazy- lab technician at a photo lab, delivery guy at a cabinet shop and back in high school, cashier at a newstand.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?Â
Two stand out for sure, Fallout: New Vegas and Skullmunkeys; there’s a huge following and great history to the Fallout franchise and what the team was able to achieve in the time we had was nothing short of amazing. In addition, Bethesda and the studio leads at Obsidian really trusted me and let me put my own spin on the look and feel of the game. The reception of the art by the press and folks was great and made all the hard work worth it.  On Skullmonkeys, I was able to do a number of different types of work, lighting design, level design and even some marketing art including the cover for the game. However, most folks will remember me as Joe Head Joe, a wicked level-boss where my head was animated , stop-motion by Ed Schofield. Every once in while a fan of the game will recognize my name, because it‘s a pretty rare name and they get so excited when they realize its me. Not too many folks can say they were a level boss.
How did you become interested in animation?Â
At an early age I loved cartoons– Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, He-man, Thundercats and of course GI-Joe. As I got older the Disney and Bluth films really inspired me and got me interested in art. Unfortunately it never went farther than that until years later when I was out of college and I moved in with a couple of friends who where animation interns. They where working on Earthworm Jim under some great animators and late one evening I stopped by to say hi. Seeing that environment, Continue reading