When I was a kid, I wanted to draw comic books. Superheroes. I read them constantly, copied the costumes, the heroes, the ideas. My favorite book was “How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way.” My elementary school librarian covered it in library plastic for me. Now, I just read comics, and not as much as I used to. But I still have the book, in its library plastic.
My junior year of high school I learned about commercial art and graphic design. They really were considered different back then. I was more interested in becoming a graphic designer. I didn’t get interested in making animation and movies until later, after I was done with undergraduate school.
I will always be a graphic designer first. That’s where I learned to think.
Northern New Mexico was a great place to grow up. But I was ready to go. After 23 years, Los Angeles is home now.
I joined Picture Mill in 1995, after 2-plus years in network television. Movies have always been more interesting to me. Though lately I see more creative work on television than in the multi-plex.
In 2000, I was asked to become Creative Director of Picture Mill. It took me more than a year to figure out how to do that job. After 13 years, I am still learning how to do it better. Some days are more successful than others.
A number of years ago, I traded my rapidograph for a keyboard. Though I am a visual person I mostly deal in words now. I can paint with words so much faster. But a dry-erase board is still the fastest way to block a shot.
My wife and kids would agree that learning the ukulele has made me a better person. Not a better musician, a better person. Which seems to be the point.
