Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
My name is Jared Morgan, and I’m a Director, Writer, Storyboard Artist, and Designer in animation. I’ve also worked in comics from time to time. I’ve been living it up professionally for about 10 years now. Like most people in the industry, I’ve wanted to work in animation for as long as I can remember. My dad’s a blue-collar type of guy, but he always loved animation. Stuff like old Fleischer Popeye and Looney Tunes were commonly played on ancient VHS tapes when I was growing up, and I fell in love with watching them and drawing early on.
I grew up in a very small town in Missouri where most of the industry was factory work or agriculture. A career in the arts was pretty much unheard of in my neck of the woods, but my family was always incredibly supportive and encouraged me to chase my odd little dreams no matter how unattainable they seemed.
I attended the Savannah College of Art and Design for about a year after graduating high school, hoping to pursue a degree in animation. Unfortunately, art school is pretty expensive, and I had to drop out after a year. I started working service industry jobs to keep a roof over my head and continued drawing any time I had the chance after work. Slowly, but surely, I ended up making some connections through friends and, what do you know, landed that first coveted job. A lot of people took a chance on me and I’m eternally grateful. So, special shout-out to Kevin Lee and Amanda Rynda who saw potential in my weirdness. It’s been a dream come true ever since.
What challenges have you faced in navigating a career in animation?
The same we all do. Imposter syndrome is always lurking in the corner of my peripheral, so I try to keep my eyes focused on the project in front of me. Artists are a neurotic bunch, myself included, and I feel like I’m always wrestling with the usual internal suspects—anxiety, depression, etc. It can be difficult to prioritize yourself and your well-being, especially with all of the other external stressors in this industry—whether it’s unrealistic deadlines, job creep, lay-offs, or regular job hunts.
I try to roll with the punches the best I can. Going on a walk, watching a double feature of my favorite sleazy horror movies, or blasting some gurgling old-school death metal is usually a nice balm to get me through.
Who are your inspirations in the field of animation?
It’s always an insanely daunting task just to point to a few inspirations, but I’ll try to keep it brief. I love old animation masters from Ub Iwerks, Tex Avery, and Bob Clampett to figures like Ralph Bakshi with his gritty, roll-up-your-sleeves indie attitude to contemporaries like Aaron Springer, Genndy Tartakovsky, Craig McCracken, and so on. I also love classic anime like Dragonball and Astro Boy. Most of all, I’m inspired by, and have learned the most, by just listening to my peers talk while getting my fifth cup of watered-down ice coffee.
I think it’s also important to pull influences from outside of animation. Heavy metal, comics, film, and various authors like Douglas Adams, H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard—all this stuff informs my approach to animation, and I try to pull as much as I can. I’ve probably ripped off Sam Raimi’s camera work more times than I can count at this point. And when in doubt, if the gag was good enough for The Three Stooges, then its good enough to fit into whatever I’m working on too.
What do you hope to accomplish as an artist in the animation industry?
I think you’d be hard pressed to find a cartoonist who doesn’t fantasize about having a “created by” in front of their name, so I suppose there’s that. But I also like to keep smaller, more personal goals. I’m always striving to become a better draftsman, a better writer. I’m always trying to figure out how to make that camera work a little more elegantly. Finding that cut that feels effortless; that perfect, tapered line. At the end of the day, I think producing the work IS the reward, and trying to find the fulfillment and happiness that can come from within is always the goal. But I wouldn’t be mad about a nice paycheck, either.
What does being in the Union mean to you?
I grew up in an area where factory work was a large cornerstone of the local economy. Corporations were terrified of unions and did everything in their power to stop them. I’ve seen family and friends worked to the bone, only to be thrown to the side by the employers they dedicated their lives to the moment they fall ill, get hurt, or are no longer useful. Being in a union means I have the chance to fight this behavior that my family wasn’t afforded, and I have a means to stand up, not only for myself, but others as well.
Learn more about Jared at his website.
Follow him on Instagram.
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