Chris Oatley
Director
ImagineFX Magazine called him “The best kind of teacher.” Many of Chris’ students have become professional animation artists or illustrators and consider his teaching to be an essential part of their success.
Since 2005, Chris has worked as a Visual Development Artist, Character Designer and Illustrator for companies such as Disney, DreamWorks, Sony, Disney Theatrical Productions, Universal, Hasbro, Electronic Arts, Activision and Geffen Records.
In 2012, Chris opened The Oatley Academy Of Visual Storytelling (now The Magic Box Academy) where he teaches courses in Composition, Color Theory, Visual Development, Character Design, Social Media + Self-Promotion, Digital Painting and Visual Storytelling.
Learn more about Chris’ newest mentorship The Clockwork Heart.
Pronouns: He/Him
Connect with Chris: Portfolio | Instagram | YouTube | Subscribe
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!
Pronouns: She/Her
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!
Pronouns: She/Her
The Magic Box 