Chris Oatley
Director
Since 2005, Chris has worked on a wide array of animated films, television shows, and video games. As a visual development artist, character designer, and illustrator, he has worked with clients like Disney, DreamWorks and Sony Pictures Animation.
Recent projects showcase Chris’s artistic versatility: He commemorated the 20th anniversary of The Lion King on Broadway as an illustrator for Disney Theatrical Productions, contributed to the design of the protagonists in Disney’s Firebuds, and provided character design and look development for an upcoming feature at Sony.
Although he finds deep, creative fulfillment in visual storytelling, his ultimate passion is teaching. Dubbed “The best kind of teacher” by ImagineFX magazine—a sentiment echoed by his numerous students who have become successful professionals in animation and illustration—Chris has been nurturing careers through The Magic Box Academy (formerly The Oatley Academy) since 2008.
Chris’s dedication to education extends to his podcast, You’re A Better Artist Than You Think, which explores the mindsets, strategies, and practices of professional artists across various creative fields.
Chris has offered in-person presentations at renowned art schools including SCAD, CCAD, Ringling, Emily Carr, Art Center, and TheFilmSchool Seattle.
Hobbies: Producing electronic music, playing guitar, songwriting and expanding his physical music collection.
Fandoms: Jim Henson, LOST, everything Alien, and Pearl Jam.
email: Support@ChrisOatley.com
social media: Instagram | Cara | Threads | LinkedIn
podcast: Apple | Spotify | Audible | YouTube | Email
mentorship: The Clockwork Heart
Mari Gonzalez Curia
Production Coordinator / Support
Mari is a Comics Creator and Concept Artist from Argentina. Her work features soulful and colourful fantasy characters and usually explores themes of fear, hope and mental health. She is determined about crafting stories that resonate, change and inspire us.
Empathy and kindness color every interaction with her, and she is as quick to offer insightful comments as she is to make others laugh themselves silly.
In her free time she likes to play video games, D&D and making too many spreadsheets.
As Support, Mari provides help and resources to further the education experience for members of our community. With remarkable patience and attention to detail, she brings a personal touch to even the most technical support experience.
As team member and creator alike, she strives to make others feel seen and make their day even the tiniest bit brighter. Her encouraging nature is contagious!
Connect with Mari: Website | Instagram | Email Support
Mona Lloyd
Content Producer
Mona Lloyd is an Indie Game Dev from Austria with a focus on storytelling. She gravitates toward queer stories in uncanny, atmospheric horror and soft science fiction.
She is also a published short story writer, has a Bachelors in Philosophy and a Masters in “Anglophone Literatures & Cultures”.
When she’s off the clock, she enjoys having opinions about pop culture, making lists, and playing that one video game for the third time in a row.
As Content Producer, Mona co-authors articles, course content and interviews for the website. Exceptionally observant and empathetic, she brings unique and inspiring insights to all her work.
Her courage and willingness to ask the difficult questions takes every conversation to the next level!
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