How old are you?

At the time I write this I am the current age I am supposed to be. However, my birthday is February 10, 1976. You can do the math. And yes...I am an aquarius.

What got you into art?

Ever since I was young and I saw my first cartoon I've known what I wanted to do. As I grew up I fell in love with many other forms of art besides animation and realized more than animation I love storytelling.

Do you take commissions?

Yes I do. They are done on 11" x 14" bristol board with a 9" x 12" centered boarder. It can be done in pencil, ink, and/or color. Contact me for prices. Note: Commission art is for private collections only and may not be used to make money. If you wish to use my work for anything where you will receive money in return, please let me know and we can discuss pricing.

Do you take requests?

No. I do not draw pictures of characters doing something out of their storylines. Which means no He-man dancing in go-go boots with Starscream.

Do you do caricatures?

Sort of. I do not do traditional caricatures. What I do is cartoon people showing you what you'd look like in a comic and/or animation. I work off pictures provided by client. Contact me for prices. Note: Caricature art is for private collections only and may not be used to make money. If you wish to use my work for anything where you will receive money in return, please let me know and we can discuss pricing.

Do you have formal art training?

Yes, I did attend art school but like most artists my training began in my youth and was self taught.

What is your favorite type of animation to do?

I'm trained in 2D traditional and computer animation as well as stop motion. These days I spend more time working in 2D computer animation, even though traditional is my favorite.

I love to draw but I am not very good. Can you help me?

Drawing takes time to learn. It's an acquired skill that requires a lot of practice. The more time you put into it, the better you'll get. I recommend a few books to help you out. They are Cartooning the Head and Figure by Jack Hamm, Cartoon Animation by Preston Blair, Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes: The Walt Stanchfield Lectures Volume 1 and 2 edited by Don Hahn, and The Big Book of Cartooning by Bruce Blitz. I also offer private tutoring. Contact me via e-mail for more information.

Do you have a theory on humor?

Yes I do. I don't care if you laugh with me or at me. As long as you laugh I did my job.

What is you favorite cartoon?

Way to many to name. However, I can constantly watch The Animaniacs and Freakazoid over and over without getting bored. Those two cartoons really changed my life.

What is your favorite comic?

Another one with way too many to name. In comic books, I would have to say Groo and Usagi Yojimbo. In comic strip form it would be The Far Side, Beetle Bailey, and Hagar the Horrible.

Who is your favorite character?

I don't have one favorite character. Zorro, Green Lantern, Peter Pan, Fred Flintstone, Popeye, Freakazoid, the entire cast of The Animaniacs, and Bugs Bunny rank in my top ten.

What is your favorite television show?

Out side cartoons, I have a few. They are Little House on the Prairie, Stargate SG-1, Highlander, and Disney's Zorro.

What is your favorite movie?

Another question with a few answers. In no particular order they are Highlander, Stargate, The Godfather 1 & 2, the original Star Was triology, Animal Crackers, The Muppets Take Manhattan, and A Mighty Wind.

Do you ever do trade shows and/or conventions?

I attend comic book conventions regularly.

Who are your influences?

Another great question with too many answers. I have posted all my influences under my links section where you can go learn more about them.

Do you take interns on?

As an educator and someone who got a lot of his first jobs through internships, I know how important they can be. I try to offer them when I need a little extra help and the project calls for it. Contact me via e-mail for more information.

What programs do you know?

Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, Dreamweaver, After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Premiere, Screenwriter, Art Rage, as well as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

What traditional mediums do you work in?

Pencil, Pen and Ink, Marker, Colored Pencil, Pastels, and variety of sculpture materials.

Why puppetry?

Puppetry has always been a hobby of mine. It has a history that can be traced back thousands of years. Puppetry is a beautiful medium to tell a story. Also as a cartoonist and animator, my work is seen by an audience that I do not get to see enjoying it. As a puppeteer I can get an instant gratification from the audience's reaction.

Do you make your own puppets?

I do build puppets for my shows as well as others, but I do not build all my puppets. Sometimes I have them made for me or I purchase others. Depends on my puppet needs and schedule. My preference is to build my own puppets when I can.

What types of puppets do you make and what materials do you use?

I build all types of puppets but my building preferences are hand puppets, rod puppets, and marionettes.

As for my materials...well there are just too many to name. I do try to build out of everyday materials. For example, take an empty plastic salad dressing bottle and an old towel, throw a little paint and/or fabric scraps on it and you can have a simple hand puppet. That's a little construction tip for all you aspiring puppet builders. However, I just don't use everyday materials. I love sculpting characters in clay, casting plaster molds of them and then using different materials such as plastic, latex, or paper mache' to build the puppet.

What do you think makes a good storyteller?

I think a good storyteller should have an understanding of myths from the ancient world. Societies were built from myth and there is no such thing as an original story. You can find any story you think of with a basis in myth. I believe it is good to go back and understand the original stories. Study the works of Joseph Campbell as much as possible to fully understand myth. A good storyteller is also very open-minded and willing to explore all aspects of story. Oh and don't forget to ask questions. Questions are the key to storytelling.

Do you have any special tools that you use?

I don't have any special tools. It's not the tools that make great art, it is the artist knowing how to correctly manipulate the tools that makes the work look great. However, I do use a Pentel Mechanical Pencil (.5mm) that no one is allowed to touch. It's my magic wand.

What are your workshops like?

Fun...At least I think so. They are normally in-depth lecture and demonstration with audience participation. I try to make them as hands on as possible.

Do you do consulting?

Yes. I've been known to consult on a variety on projects and educational development. For more information please contact me via e-mail.

Do you have tips for an aspiring cartoonist/illustrator/puppeteer/filmmaker?

There are many things I can say here, but I want to keep it as simple as possible. When I started studying cartooning I was told comics are 70% story and 30% art. I believe that transfers into all storytelling mediums. The story is the most important part of storytelling and can never lose sight of that. Make sure you write and/or draw everyday, even if it is only 30 minutes before you fall asleep. If you want to tell stories you will need to make the time.

Make sure you understand conflict and that your audience can relate to your characters. I believe in character driven stories and to create these characters you should look at the people you know and meet. Observation is the key. Keep a pad with you to jot down ideas and sketches. Make sure to read a lot and pay attention to world around. It is also important to keep up with current events. Not just because its good to help you create stories, but because you are going to spend so much time in your imagination, you will need reality as a break.

Also don't be afraid to experiment with mediums and materials. There are so many ways to visually tell a story and it is good to have an understanding of what each medium can do.

Finally, whatever medium you choose to work in....PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

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