Category: Interviews

ImagineFX Magazine’s “Rising Stars” of 2D & 3D Art

Post author By Chris Oatley
Post date October 2, 2024

What would you do if you learned that your artwork would be featured in an industry-leading magazine for creative professionals all over the world?

…and you only had a few days to select and submit your samples, write a professional bio and a short blurb about each submission, update your website and prepare a series of social media posts to coincide with the publication date?

Would you find that inspiring?

…motivating?

…terrifying?

Nine of my students faced this question when they were named among ImagineFX Magazine’s “Rising Stars” of 2D and 3D art.

…and they’re all here to talk about this career-defining moment.

They’ll share their initial reactions and the challenges they encountered throughout the process. They open up about their struggles with self-doubt, perfectionism, and the super-tight deadline.

…and offer insights about how the experience changed them.

…probably forever.

Comics Interviews Podcast

Is Your Art Vulnerable Enough? (Part 2)

Post author By Chris Oatley
Post date September 18, 2024

In part one of this series, graphic novelist and literary agent Tori Sharp shared tips on pitching to publishers, how story guides design and the challenge of creating honest art.

Now, in part two, Tori talks about stories as “sense-making” devices, urges the importance of “celebration breaks” during long projects and shares her experience as an autistic artist.

Once again, our production coordinator, Mari Gonzalez Curia, who is currently seeking representation for her first original graphic novel, joins me as co-host…

Comics Interviews Podcast

Is Your Art Vulnerable Enough?

Post author By Chris Oatley
Post date September 4, 2024

In this episode of You’re A Better Artist Than You Think:

Graphic novelist and literary agent Tori Sharp shares tips on pitching to publishers, how story guides design and the challenge of creating honest art.

Our production coordinator, Mari Gonzalez Curia, who is currently seeking representation for her first original graphic novel, joins me as co-host…

Animation Interviews Podcast

Rejection Is Never The End (Part 2)

Post author By Chris Oatley
Post date August 21, 2024

Previously on You’re A Better Artist Than You Think:

Amy Lewis talked about establishing a freelance animation career from Europe, the most devastating rejection of her career and the amazing opportunity that followed.

Here’s where we we left off…

Animation Interviews Podcast

Rejection Is Never The End

Post author By Chris Oatley
Post date August 7, 2024

In this episode of You’re A Better Artist Than You Think:

Animation visual development artist and background painter Amy Lewis (SpongeBob, Moominvalley) talks about establishing a freelance animation career from Europe, the most devastating rejection of her career and the amazing opportunity that followed…

Animation Articles Interviews

Can Artists Survive Today’s Animation Industry Without Becoming Jerks?

Post author By Chris Oatley
Post date November 30, 2022

The cover image shows several of Kendra Melton’s art pieces in various sizes scattered across a wooden table. The biggest image is a sketch of a female space cadet with a flying robot friend and a huge tardigrade-like alien by her side. Other images show character designs of Buddy the Chihuahua from Venture Bros, a painting sketch of an old lady with her poodle, as well as doodles of a goldfish barking like a dog, several robot helpers, and a safari travel van.

Character Designer Kendra Melton (Venture Bros, MODOK, Rick & Morty), a self-proclaimed “bad ass,” is intense, gritty and absolutely delightful.

…proving that one can become confident and successful in the animation industry without becoming a jerk.

Today she talks with Chris Oatley about networking, breaking-in and why being a jerk is a bad way to go about it…

Articles Interviews Self-Care

How Artists Can Avoid Hand, Wrist & Back Pain With Healthier Work Habits

Post author By Chris Oatley
Post date February 21, 2022

The cover of author/ illustrator Kriota Willberg's book titled 'Draw Stronger: Self-Care For Cartoonists & Visual Artists' features two cartoon artists seated back-to-back. One is hunching over, experiencing apparent back pain.

Stanley Drucker became the principal clarinetist for the prestigious New York Philharmonic at age nineteen and retired from that position at eighty.

He worked as a professional artist for over sixty years.

Unlike professional athletes, professional artists can enjoy their craft for most of (if not their entire) lives.

Unfortunately, we often develop unhealthy work habits that increase the risk of serious problems like RSI, carpal tunnel syndrome and burnout.

Author/ illustrator, massage therapist and health science educator Kriota Willberg has devoted much of her long career to helping artists take better care of themselves.

She’s here today to share tips and insights from her book Draw Stronger: Self-Care For Cartoonists And Visual Artists.

Articles Interviews Theater

Forgotten History Of Visual Storytelling: When Black Artists Came To Broadway

Post author By Chris Oatley
Post date February 21, 2022

The cover of ‘Footnotes: The Black Artists Who Rewrote The Rules Of The Great White Way’ by author and historian Caseen Gaines features two old photos, one showing the all-black musicians of the Broadway show ‘Shuffle Along’ playing their instruments, the other a street bustling with black passers-by.

It stands to reason that most Visual Storytellers want to learn everything we can about the origins and evolution of our chosen craft.

Unfortunately, certain aspects have been all but lost.

With his new book Footnotes: The Black Artists Who Rewrote The Rules Of The Great White Way, author/ historian Caseen Gaines is helping to preserve and promote the story of Shuffle Along – the first all-Black musical to succeed on Broadway.

He was kind enough to swing by and talk about why this century-old production should be remembered…

Articles Interviews Personal-Projects

For Artists Who Tend To Bite Off More Than They Can Chew…

Post author By Chris Oatley
Post date February 20, 2022

The cover of author/ illustrator Lindsay Gardner's book titled 'Why We Cook: Women On Food, Identity, And Connection' features details of several watercolor illustrations, depicting food, ingredients and women in and out of the kitchen.

Author/ illustrator Lindsay Gardner‘s new book Why We Cook: Women on Food, Identity, and Connection is so ambitious in scope and so beautifully crafted, one would never suspect it’s her first.

The tactility of her watercolor illustrations, to the cozy-but-modern design and the humanistic ethos it conveys all combine, like an ideal family dinner, into a visceral warmth.

…and, yes, the book does, in fact, smell good.

Lindsay is here today with insights from the creation of this epic, personal project…

Articles Interviews Video-Games

Unionizing & Decentralizing The Video Games Industry

Post author By Chris Oatley
Post date February 20, 2022

The cover of games journalist Jason Schreier's book titled 'Press Reset: Ruin & Recovery In The Video Games Industry' features a cartoon employee of a game studio. He walks out with a box of his stuff after having just been fired.

Despite daily reminders that the video games industry is problematic as heck, many artists and developers still hope it will change for the better.

Games journalist and author of Press Reset: Ruin & Recovery In The Video Games Industry Jason Schreier meets with The Magic Box team to talk about how unionization and the normalization of remote work could help to calm things down…