Chris Savino

This slideshow requires JavaScript.


What is your name and your current occupation?
MY NAME IS CHRIS SAVINO. CURRENTLY I SERVE AS THE PRODUCER AND DIRECTOR OF DISNEY XD’S ANIMATED TELEVISION SERIES: KICK BUTTOWSKI SUBURBAN DAREDEVIL.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
BOY, I DON’T KNOW IF IT CRAZY, BUT ONE SUMMER I TARRED THE ROOFS OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS. IT WAS GRUELING AND BACK BREAKING WORK, BUT MY FARMER’S TAN WAS PRETTY AMAZING!

 What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I FIND PRIDE AND LEARNING IN EVERY JOB I HOLD. I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE (LUCKY) TO WORK ON SOME REALLY GREAT PROJECTS WITH SOME EQUALLY GREAT AND TALENTED PEOPLE. I ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO MY NEXT PROJECT BEING MY
FAVORITE!

How did you become interested in animation?
I WASN’T REALLY “AWARE” THAT ANIMATION WAS A CAREER CHOICE UNTIL LATE HIGH SCHOOL. WHEN I REALIZED THIS I TOTALLY IMMERSED MYSELF IN  Continue reading

Pete Michels

This slideshow requires JavaScript.


What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Pete Michels and I am the Supervising Director on the upcoming hit show “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim. I work at Starburns Industries in Burbank.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I never really had any crazy jobs. I once parked cars and did phone surveys. Both of those jobs lasted less than a weekend.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
The Simpsons and Family Guy are probably the top projects. It’s an honor to be part of animation history.

 

How did you become interested in animation?
I think I’ve always been drawing cartoons, since I got the “Charlie Brown Dictionary” for Christmas one year. I was always watching “The Flintstones” and “Scooby-Doo”. But I think it was Ralph Bakshi’s version of “Lord of the Rings” that made me want to do that for a living.

 

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m from Little Ferry, New Jersey… a suburb of New York City that’s located just south of Hackensack.  After graduating from Jersey City State College, I took Continue reading

Sam Ellis

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

What is your name and your current occupation?
Sam Ellis, Creative Director at Never Say Die Studios LLC.  I also teach Animation, Story Art, and Concept Design to college students, 2 days a week at the Art Institute of Washington.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was a supervisor at a quick service chicken restaurant, a Mormon missionary in Arizona, a house framer in historic Williamsburg, a pizza delivery driver, a burger cashier, I built curbs all over Virginia Beach, an off-ice hockey linesman, as well as quite a few more freelance art jobs.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Well, the one project that really helped launch my career and that is going into its 5th season is Archer. I was Lead Designer on Archer Season one and left at the end to go work on personal projects, but we were wrapping up an episode of the short lived Xtacles on adult swim and Adam Reed was getting ready to pitch a new show around called Duchess, Neal Holman was too busy with his other duties so Matt Thompson passed off the majority of the work over to me and Chad Hurd. I was to draw Duchess (later to be known as Archer), his mother, and his father, while Chad drew Archer’s love interest, his foil, and his car.  After his pitch was successful and a pilot was green-lit, I got to do quite a bit more designing, Chad and I were pretty delighted to start making some changes to the designs when we got hold of them, there was some great stuff already done by Neal Holman and Eric Simms, but with Neal working on creating backgrounds before we found Trinity Animation and Eric taking some heavy animation duties, Chad and I were like kids in a candy shoppe. We had a blast on that first episode, it came together real fast and we came up with some interesting solutions.  Even though I left Archer I still love the crew and am tickled when I see some of the art I did show up all the time, also I get a kick out of seeing my son every time I see young Archer as he was the model for it, Although he has never seen or probably will see Archer.  Outside of Archer I have been able to work on Cory Edward’s Krogzilla with the fine folks at GreenShoe Animation, Jason Shwartz’s company–man totally forgot, working with those guys let me work with Disney and Marvel I am heck’a proud of that I also got to foray into gaming and got to do some designs for that Avengers ultimate alliance game–that was fun.

 

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I currently live in Spotsylvania VA, and I grew up on the east coast, most of my life was spent in Virginia Beach, VA.  I always wanted to be an animator and a comic artist, I love telling stories and find that using pictures and being able to draw was another great skill set in being able to Continue reading

Derek Carter

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

What is your name and your current occupation?
Derek Carter. Current occupation ? Hmm that’s a little difficult. Basically I’m a humorous illustrator and artist. In animation I was a background designer and art director if you need basic labels.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Well, naturally the craziest job I had was getting into animation. I did stints as a mail room clerk, box boy in a supermarket, working in construction and doing ad campaigns for film enthusiasts group and a tailor’s shop.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
While I’m proud of working as the Background designer on Disney’s “Gummi Bears” and “Winnie the Pooh’s Grand Adventure, the Quest for Christopher Robin” there are projects that I enjoyed just as much only to see the final results turn out as total duds. I’m proud of the work I did, it was such a let down to see some of the final results.

 

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I’m English from just south of London. Came home one afternoon from my first regular job in an exhibition design studio and caught Halas and Batchelor’s “Tales of Hoffnung ” series (shorts based on the cartoons of Gerard Hoffnung ). As I was looking for something a tad more challenging than making large felt covered plywood figures of British policemen and Yeoman Warders I thought animation looked interesting so I Continue reading

Elana Pritchard

This slideshow requires JavaScript.


What is your name and your current occupation?
Elana Pritchard, cartoonist/animator.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was an assistant in a hair salon, hostess in a restaurant, a cashier in a newsstand, I sorted mail, I was a nanny, an assistant preschool teacher, and an usher for the Big Apple Circus.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I worked as one of the animators on Ralph Bakshi’s upcoming film, Last Days of Coney Island. It was an amazing project to work on because all of the animation is hand drawn with a pencil, which is such a rare opportunity for a person my age right now. Plus, Continue reading

Gabe Swarr


What is your name and your current occupation?

My name is Gabe Swarr and I am the Supervising Producer/Director of “Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness” at Nickelodeon.

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was a bus boy and sandwich artist at Subway.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
El Tigre, Dexter’s Lab, Kung Fu Panda, Yo Gabba Gabba, Ren and Stimpy

How did you become interested in animation?
Ever since I was a kid I watched every cartoon on TV. When I made a little flip book in my reading book I was Continue reading