John K. Lei

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Hey there, my name is John K. Lei. I am an animation director and artist. I recently finished up Assistant Directing on Johnny Test, season 5. Currently I am freelancing design and development, and working on my website and blog.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Well, I worked as a graphic designer for a small company in Toronto. Of course, there were the long hours (my first day there was 15 hours) and crazy expectations (I had 3 days to conceive, create and put together all the art and signage for a fashion show). However, the craziest thing about that job were the unrelated skills I developed (fixing computers and photocopiers, painting the office, being the delivery boy and my favourite – fixing the phones). I’m surprised I got any of the design work done.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I really like funny, zany shows like Johnny Test because our crew can have lots of fun. Also, working on features like Curious George is nice because we can afford time to create some beautiful artwork. I also liked illustrating the black and white art for some of the Franklin the Turtle books – it’s a nice break away from the typical animation production.

How did you become interested in animation?
Naturally, I got into animation by watching a lot of cartoons on television when I was a young kid. Some of my favourite shows were The Flintstones, Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies, Battle of the Planets (Science Ninja Team Gatchaman) and Starblazers (Space Cruiser Yamato). I was intrigued by Continue reading

Jack Cusumano

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Jack Cusumano. I’m currently working at Titmouse painting backgrounds for a show called Randy Cunningham, 9th Grade Ninja.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
Probably the weirdest job I’ve had was working in the immunizations department of my university’s health center. I had to answer angry phone calls from incoming students who didn’t have proof of their MMR immunizations. At the same time I was also doing graphic design for the campus health center, which occasionally involved designing posters about sexually transmitted diseases.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
Randy’s my favorite show to have worked on, and I’m really excited for people to see it once it’s released. Beyond that, I love working on RAD RAZ, my weekly webcomic for Dumm Comics. I’ve been reading the site and following the other Dumm artists since 2008, so by the time I was asked to come on board in 2010 I was honored to join the team. Tiny Jackie Talk Show, a short I created recently, was another highlight to me. It allowed me to work with some of my favorite voice actors and animation artists: Thurop Van Orman, Penn Ward, Jackie Buscarino, Eric Bauza and Justin Roiland. It was also a treat working with Abed Gheith. People might not be as familiar with him, but I’m a fan of his countless contributions to Channel 101 over the years, and don’t think Tiny Jackie would have worked without his hilarious performance.


How did you become interested in animation? 

I’ve always loved animation, but I spent some of my younger childhood in Italy, where we only got a handful of Continue reading

Brian Hartley

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What is your name and your current occupation? 
My name is Brian Hartley and at the moment I’m a Senior Games Artist for Fish in a Bottle, a creative agency based in Leamington Spa. My job covers a wide range of areas from UI design through to character animation.
What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation? 
I’ve been lucky enough to have been involved in games development since leaving college, so there’s not really anything crazy to report.
What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of? 
I really enjoyed working on the point and click adventure we designed at Fish in a Bottle to support the recent Channel 4 animated series, The Full English. It was the first Flash project I’d work on, so there was a pretty steep learning curve, but I think everyone involved was happy with how it turned out. Other than that, I still have a soft spot for MicroMachines on the Sega MegaDrive. Even thought it’s 20 years since the game came out, I still get people telling me how much they loved it.

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business? 

I’m from Stratford-on-Avon in Warwickshire, and my first job in games development was for Codemasters. I’d never really used a computer for anything creative, but Continue reading

Ed Anderson

What is your name and your current occupation?
Ed Anderson, CEO Mongadillo Studios

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation?
I was a Caricature artist at a Six Flags amusement park, did that for five Summers in a row.

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I’m personally really proud of our original cartoons “Shawks” (The Web Series) and “Holiday Force”, they still make me laugh.

How did you become interested in animation?
I did my Junior year in college as an exchange student at Sheffield Hallam University in England, where I was studying painting. A friend of mine told me that there was a 16mm Bolex camera and Rostrum set up in the Photography building that no one was using. I immediately set out to Continue reading

Boom Cookie

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What is your name and your current occupation?
Boom Cookie. I am an illustrator, currently designing for animation.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had before getting into animation
One of my first jobs was for a local movie theater that only had two screens (I watched Disney’s Tarzan and Notting Hill about a dozen times)… and UPS on the night shift packing trucks. That was only fun because I worked with my girl friend, and we’d have farting contests to see who would have to evacuate the truck first. Once in college I held a job as an office clerk at a rental agency. And the worst was when I tried telemarketing for home security systems. I had to quit when I found out the call lists were for the parents of newborns… and I didn’t want to know how they got that info.  All that before I realized – OH, I can make money from my art work!!

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re proud to have been a part of?
I sure enjoyed working on “Robot and Monster” for Nickelodeon. The crew was amazing, the style was fun, and the writing was awesome. ‘Twas a good fit.

 

Where are you from and how did you get into the animation business?
I grew up in Massachusetts (USA). I always loved animation, so it made sense to pursue the business when I dedicated myself to art. At 21 I moved to San Francisco to go to art school, and I really loved my classes. I met with the head of the animation department every semester to get her advice on what classes to take, and in my last year Continue reading

Sherm Cohen

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What is your name and your current occupation?
My name is Sherm Cohen and I’m currently the storyboard supervisor for Disney’s Fish Hooks.

 

What are some of the crazier jobs you had  before getting into animation?
The craziest job I ever had before getting into the animation business was working as a psychiatric aide at a mental hospital. When I first got hired, I thought it picked me because I was a promising student in my psychology classes — but it turns out they hired me because I’m a pretty big dude, and one of the key job responsibilities was being able to tackle and restrain mental patients! I got a really grim view of the inner workings of the mental health insurance schemes, but I didn’t end up quitting that job until after I received a concussion from one of the patients in the isolation tank.

 

What are some of your favorite projects you’re  proud to have been a part of?
Of all the projects I’ve worked on in my cartooning career, I’m most proud of the work I was able to take part in when I was on SpongeBob SquarePants. It just makes me so happy when I can see that the cartoons that I wrote and drew have become favorites and bright spots in the lives of so many people all over the world. A few years ago, I was standing in line at the DMV when I noticed one of the office workers cubicles in the deep background; it was completely decked out with SpongeBob posters and cards and drawings and toys… and I decide it was really neat that somebody who was working in a dreary government bureaucracy, we have brightened our day by surrounding themselves with a cartoon that I worked on. I’m also enjoying the heck out of my current job on Fish Hooks. The show is pure cartoon fun and the crew is wonderful to work with. And it’s extra-special experience because Continue reading