Star Wars Artist Series: Jason Felix

With influences ranging from Dungeons & Dragons to Looney Tunes, Star Wars artist Jason Felix doesn't like to restrict himself to just one pop culture muse.

"When I was growing up, I loved comic books and playing D&D," Felix recalls. "DAT, Keith Parkinson, all of the old D&D modules, Tony Harris, Tim Bradstreet, Art Adams, Jim Lee, Todd MacFarlane, Dale Keown, Mike Mignola, Travest Charest, Bill Sienkiewicz, and Dave McKean to name a few of the many who have influenced me. Let's not forget about the film production artists such as Syd Mead, Ralph McQuarrie, Phil Tippett, Iain McCaig, and the Brothers Quay."

"Animation had also influenced me greatly," Felix adds. "Looney Tunes fortified my never-ending thirst for good humor and incredible animation/acting. Last, but not least, the following films also sealed my fate as a movie lover: Blade Runner, The Thing, Conan the Barbarian, Alien, and of course the original Star Wars trilogy."

Seeing Return of the Jedi in the theater as a youngster left a lasting impression on the budding artist. "I was 11 when I saw Return of the Jedi in the theater," Felix says. "The one memory that stuck with me the most (even to this day) was when Luke was fighting off the Rancor. Everything about that scene just made me so excited, frightened, and overwhelmed all at the same time. It was the first time a film gave me that rush and will never forget it."

It was this passionate appreciation for animation, film and comic book art that would lead Felix to become an artist himself one day. "I always wanted to become a professional artist since I was little, but really did not know how to do it," Felix says. "My main problem is that I enjoy all facets of art whether it's traditional illustrations, concept art, animation, character design, creature design, graphic design, comic book art, production art, etc. Each venue is so different and yet similar in so many ways."

"I am a self-taught artist and fairly proud of it," Felix continues. "From my stand point, a successful career is based on passion, drive, focus, and determination. Art degrees and attending college do not guarantee anything when you graduate. However, a great portfolio will always get the work regardless of past college training or not."

When Felix was 17, he published his own comic book and sold it through Diamond Distribution. Shortly after, he followed up with an artist portfolio, quickly selling out prints of his work. "The wonderful thing is that I was able to make a small profit and able to continue to make new art," Felix says. "The overall experience was awesome and it gave me a fundamental understanding on how to market myself. My first official published piece of artwork was an illustration for an article in Dragon Magazine when I was 19. One of the art directors had seen my work previously and contacted me for a project."

For the next 10 years Felix worked in a number of different fields including publishing, film animation, and video game development working on such game titles as StarCraft, Prince of Persia, and Hellgate.