When did you realize you wanted to become a professional artist?
When I was about eight and realized I was not the "chosen one" to take over for Willy Wonka; so really this is a back-up profession. All my little notepads and books had drawings in them. I used to love those different colored construction paper pads. I would fill one of those with silly illustrations. I knew I was going to be some kind of artist; creating art was the only thing I really enjoyed. The art classes in grammar school were my absolute favorite. I had a 7th grade teacher who was going back to school at night just to take art classes. I always thought I should do that from the start.
What is your background in art?
My mother was an artist, and we had little paintings in our room growing up, so that was a big influence on me. During high school I took art, computer and photography classes. I won a regional contest to create a logo for the county teachers' association -- there was a ceremony and everything. My mom took me, they gave me a check and some T-shirts and bags with my design on it.
I have a BFA from Mason Gross School of the Arts which is the fine arts school at Rutgers University. I started out studying graphic design there. What is so great about art school is that you don't just take one thing like design, you take every possible kind of art that you want to try. I took some really amazing illustration classes where I became obsessed with stippling. I used to draw these large pieces of Tori Amos and Wonder Woman in those little tiny dots. After many a life drawing and color theory class later, I ended up falling in love with photography.
I left with my artsy-photo-design degree and went to work for a couple newspapers. Eventually, I landed a job at the toy company where I currently work, photographing toys and designing packaging. It's really fun and I'm very lucky, but I had missed having the time for my silly drawings, so I did that at night. If you want to be an artist, go to art school, all sorts of different styles and basic skills get poured into you, and you need them, plus it's a heck of a lot more fun.
What was your first published art piece?
When I was in 5th grade my school had a drawing contest for the school's Halloween program. It was something that would get printed into a pamphlet. Those things always ended up in the newspaper and in the yearbook. My school ranged from K-8 grades, so even though I was so excited to draw this Halloween drawing (because I have always been and still am a ridiculous spooky-fall time-Halloween fan) I never thought anything past making a really fun and creepy drawing. So I drew it and handed it in and that was that. Then one day an older student knocked on my classroom door and went to talk to the teacher. She had a bouquet of Tootsie Pops, a drawing and some sort of certificate in her hand. For some reason I got a a huge knot in my stomach and the weirdest feeling that it was for me, maybe it was the craving for the candy. But whatever it was, when my teacher called me up, I was like "Holy Moly!" It was the beginning of a new road for me.
As a professional, at my company I used to design a lot of tin lunchboxes .When we acquired the Kill Bill license, director Quentin Tarantino requested it be a hand-drawn piece, similar to the old Adam-12 tin lunchboxes from the '60s. We had never made one like that, usually we use movie one sheet art and unit photography to create them. I told my boss that I draw, and that I could do it. So I did, and fortunately Tarantino was very happy with the illustrations. We produced about 5,000 of those lunchboxes, and I'm sure Tarantino has one somewhere in his house!
Who are your major influences?
Sergio Argones, Mort Drucker, Jack Davis, Hermann Mejia and many Mad artists, old and new. I think their minds are insane and hilarious. Those pages have influenced me since I was a small child; reading and re-reading every silly joke, pun and tickle I could get out of the issues, even the ones I didn't understand yet. Dirk Zimmer -- In A Dark, Dark Room -- made me want to become an artist. Edward Gorey, his creepy drawings and cartoons have had a huge impact on me and shaped my love of the macabre and cartoony art.
Jim Davis, and many other comic strip artists I read everyday or every weekend -- short, funny and simple. Ron Barrett, illustrator of my favorite book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. Larry MacDougall, a brilliant illustrator, his art is so beautiful with hints of humor floating around it. Arthur Rackham's Grim Stories and Alice in Wonderland have some of the most beautiful artwork in the world. Charles Addams, spices of darkness, silliness and fun as well as Tim Burton's sketchy and spooky illustrations. All Loony Tunes and Disney artists.
I don't think my humor and creativity was born until I saw the creations that exploded from Jim Henson, which introduced me to the Muppets, Sesame Street and the Fraggles. Also my husband who is the biggest Star Wars fan I've ever met and is an obsessive action figure collector -- two of everything -- which makes for an easy access to reference. Plus he is my biggest fan, which is always good to have around, especially when I need some reassurance and support.
Who is your current favorite artist? Who is your favorite Star Wars artist?
Right now I'm on a Mort Drucker kick. I've read though Mad about Star Wars cover to cover at least 6 times now, and I can't get enough of his work, he is a genius. Star Wars artist Amy Pronovost has the most amazing color palette. Her skills are top notch and her creativity is so in sync with the way I see the world.
