Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
I’ve been working as a Character and Prop Designer for a little over five years now. In that time I’ve gotten to work with some amazing people on shows like The Fungies!, Middlemost Post, SpongeBob SquarePants, and a couple others. I’ve also recently started working in product design, designing toys, which has been a fun curveball.
Growing up in the suburbs of Indianapolis, nestled between a corn field and a pumpkin patch, it seemed like the animation industry was in another world. But with social media I was able to meet other artists in the industry and make meaningful connections and friendships, which helped make my goals feel a little more possible.
What challenges have you faced in navigating a career in animation?
Besides the imposter syndrome I feel daily, a big challenge for me has been learning how to navigate the waves this field goes through. Knowing there will be dry periods and then there will be periods where you’re being flooded. In those periods where I would start to get flooded, I used to try to say yes to all of it because I was worried that it would dry up again. Knowing when to say no, and to know that they won’t hate you for saying no, was a big thing for me to learn. It’s either that, or learning to navigate the new landscape of giant corporate mergers.
Who are your inspirations in the field of animation?
I could fill up this whole page with people, shows, and comic strips that inspire me, but I’ll try to consolidate. Some of my inspirations from the past are artists like Ub Iwerks, Jay Ward, Charles Shulz, and holiday specials from Rankin/Bass. On the newer side, artists like Bob Flynn, Stephen Neary, Jess Marfisi, Asia Ellington, Austin Faber, and Valerio Fabbretti have been huge inspirations to me.
A lot of those artists who serve as current inspirations are people I have gotten to meet, and I not only got to see their work, but got to see how they’re just straight-up awesome individuals.
What do you hope to accomplish as an artist in the animation industry?
It’s weird. I always said that all I wanted to do was be a Character Designer on a show, and now that I’ve been lucky enough to do that, I think my main goal is just to keep doing it. Hopefully, with creators and artists with unique voices and backgrounds who need a fun, cartoony style.
What does being in the Union mean to you?
Being in a union to me means having a sense of community, support, safety, and stability. Knowing that we have a united voice that stands together and demands better working conditions makes working in this industry a little less scary.
See more of Adam’s work at his website, and follow him on Instagram.
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