What led you to become an illustrator? For as long as I can remember, I have been fixated on making things. When I was a kid I would try to make things out of wood, paint, fabric and anything else I could find. As my childhood went on, I broke out into making short films, painting and drawing before finally deciding to set my sights on a career in illustration. I love finding new ways of communicating and explaining things using visual language. Did you study illustration in college? I studied Illustration at Maine College of Art & Design, where I have taken up a position teaching in the illustration department. Where did you grow up? Scarborough, ME. Do you have a childhood memory relating to art that you hold dear? At my wedding, my father told a story about the beginning of my art career. I was 5 or so, drawing on my driveway with sidewalk chalk with my brothers and other kids from the neighbourhood. I came storming inside screaming “I’m the worst drawer in the world”, upset that I couldn’t make things the way I wanted. My (extremely supportive) parents came outside to see and cheer me on, but my dad confesses he and my mom both agreed “Yeah, he might be the worst drawer in the world”. I’ve spent my whole whole life painting, drawing, cooking, shooting movies, learning instruments and starting bands with the support of my parents, but I don’t think they ever quite understood why I needed to be good at drawing. I have a fair amount of natural talents and drawing isn’t one of them. I think commitment is tough. Where do you live now and what drew you there? I moved to Biddeford, ME after spending the past 13 years in Portland. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t because of money, but you also just need a change of pace sometimes. Describe your studio for us I actually just moved into a new apartment where I finally have a full room just for my studio space. I have a lot of illustrations and design work hanging up, tons of design books and graphic novels for inspiration, guitars and chachkies to play with. At my desk I have a large iMac to work on and a couch to go to for reading, sketching, thinking and breaks. Do you have a studio pet? I have a dog named Ripley who is a 3-year-old Pitbull/Husky Mix. She keeps me from sitting still too long and gives me a great reason to take a couple walks during the workday. Who or What is your biggest inspiration? As broad as it will sound, I would have to say film is my biggest inspiration. The clash of light, sound, individual performance and collaboration, the long process and many pitfalls. If you could collaborate with another artist or creative of any genre, living or dead, who would it be? I think I’d have to choose Charlie Kauffman. I find him to be endlessly fascinating, both narratively and visually. If you were funded for a dream artist residency, where would you go, and what would you create? I would book out a small playhouse and put on a stage production of a slasher movie. Halfway between a play and a haunted house. The kind of play with a splash zone and complimentary ponchos at the entrance. What’s your favourite way to spend a day off? My favourite way to spend a day off is to pack it full. For some people, doing as little as possible is relaxing. I prefer to do as many relaxing and enjoyable things as possible, hopefully in this order: Go to breakfast with my wife. Walk my dog and listen to podcast. Go to a movie. Get a drink and talk about the movie with my wife. Cook a meal that takes over 2 hours without a recipe. Watch a Boston Celtics game. Draw. Watch another movie. What's your most prized possession and why? My iPad. It’s how I do most of my work and provides nearly endless potential at my fingertips. What causes are you passionate about? Animal rights. I stopped eating meat around the age of 15 and never looked back. Do you collect anything? I collect movies. My wife and I have a very large collection. I especially love to collect horror movies. What do you listen to when you work? I listen to a ton of music but I also listen to a lot of podcasts. My favourites are How Did This Get Made, The Bill Simmons Podcast, My Dad Wrote a Porno, With Gourley and Rust, The Flop House, The Rewatchables and Lore. What is the first record you bought? The first vinyl I ever bought was Hunky Dory by David Bowie. What was your favourite assignment ever? My favourite assignment I’ve ever had the pleasure of working on was a series of animated promos for Miracle Workers on TBS. I worked with the team at Creative Mammals as well as the incredible animator Mark Phillips on 5 animated shorts that accompanied footage of actor Daniel Radcliffe explaining some of the stranger happenings on the Oregon Trail. We pushed absurdity and humour and really got to push the envelope on this assignment and came out with some really incredible work. This was also a longer term project, which I always enjoy. Who is your art hero? Stanley Kubrick. Who is your design hero? Wayne White. Who is your music hero? David Bowie. If you were not an illustrator, what would you be? I always wanted to work on practical effects for horror films. Like a lot of other people, I think using practical effects and make-up in film makes all of the difference. I am by no means against CGI as a tool, but I think that there's no better outcome than the one you get from an artist problem solving in the real world. I have always been obsessed with the likes of Rob Bottin, Milicent Patrick and Tom Savini. Nothing excites me quite like “movie Magic”. What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given? The incredible Scott Nash was kind enough to give me advice, opportunities and encouragement at the very beginning of my career. When I asked him to review my portfolio at one point when things weren’t taking off for me, he advised me to stop trying to be something I’m not. I was doing mostly horror themed work at the time, being such a huge fan of the genre, and he was there to tell me that while horror was something I like, it is not who I am. That really opened me up to creating a wider way of thinking and really unlocked my career. He also gave me my first big job, which allowed me to go into freelancing fulltime, so I really owe him a lot. Have you any hidden talents? I don’t know about hidden, but I am a drummer and guitarist, a rather good cook, and if you get me a gift, I almost always guess what it is. What is your go-to comfort food? Spicy noodles. Well, spicy anything really. Whenever I’m having a rough day eating something with a little too much heat will break me out of my funk. What movie can you watch over and over? Scream. I have seen that movie more times than I can count. I have it so well committed to memory that it helps me think and really puts my brain at ease. What is the last show you binged? I don’t really like to binge; I like to take my time. I just watched White lotus though and really loved it. What was the last exhibition you saw and loved? It’s on the Loose, a collection of old scifi and horror poster art from collector Kirk Hammet. I saw this at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA and it really blew me away. What is your favourite book? Black Hole by Charles Burns. What career advice would you give your younger self? Stop trying to be something you’re not and trust yourself a bit more. Things don’t always make sense until after you’ve done them. Is there a work lesson you’ve had to learn the hard way? Absolutely. I have had to learn the hard way to focus more on my health and mental state then on my artwork. Like many creatives, I am a bit obsessive. I would be happy drawing 24 hours a day. However, after having a lot of repetitive use injuries and other health concerns, I have learned that you can end up with a lot less time for your craft if you don’t take care of yourself. I couldn’t stop making things if I tried, so it’s more important to focus on the other things in life and trust that I will always have the motivation to create every chance I get. Plus, all the best ideas come when you’re not trying. Everyone knows that. Do you have any tips/advice for other illustrators? Take care of yourself! It’s easy to get sucked into your work and let everything else slip to the side when you love what you do. Drawing now is great, but personally, I want to spend my whole life making things and growing as an artist. I don’t want my body to shut down on me from over using one part, I don’t want my vision to fade because I had too much screen time, I know you all don’t want that too. Just make sure you keep everything in perspective.
