Straight Ahead Animation Podcast

Kevin Casas is a Latinx production coordinator and writer working at Nickelodeon studios! He studied Graphic Design in undergrad, and had no idea that production existed in the animation industry. As a graphic designer Kevin built skills in pitch packaging and communication, both of which translated into his role as a production coordinator. Kevin shares what duties are expected of production on CG shows like Max & the Midknights and Star Trek: Prodigy. Kevin strives to join the development team someday, and shares his passion for storytelling and advocating for the stories that people want to tell. http://kevinjcasas.com/ IG: @heyokjc X: @heyokjc If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com/straightaheadap⁠⁠!

Karolyn Schenewark-Moses is a Mexican-American artists working in Development at Nickelodeon. From intern to Production Coordinator, Karolyn tells us about what it's like to work in development, and what crucial role this department does in an animation company. Having been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, we talk about how her disability has affected her life and goals, but also about how the diagnosis gave her closure and outlets for how to manage it. Karolyn's original industry goals were to be a color designer, but after having much freelancing success, her ideal artistic outlet has evolved into something else. Nowadays she happily enjoys the stability of her role in development while being able to focus on illustrations and working towards creating children's books. karolynmoses.com IG: @prismakitty If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com/straightaheadap⁠!

Meet Harley Knife, a First Nations (Cree) artist who has been animating for over 11 years. He shares his start going from intern to full-time at YetiFarm Creative (now called Artists Animation Studio). He candidly shares his experience living with depression and grief, and how it has affected his work in the past. We touch on his hopes for the future: to inspire the next generation of Indigenous kids to explore careers in the tech industry (animation, development, or coding). IG: @thetinyrobotdoesart Twitch: @thetinyrobotlives Linkedin: Harley Knife If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com/straightaheadap!

Making his way to the ring we have Rajkamal Singh a Punjabi-American Character Designer who is currently working as a Storyboard Revisionist. How does something like this happen you might ask yourself? Well tune in and find out how it all started by attend D23! Portfolio: https://www.rajkamalsinghart.com IG: @ruberduckyboi Twitter: @ruberduckyboi Cara: @ruberduckyboi If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Joining us this week is Nina Robinson, a black background artist! We talk about how she got her start and how she took any role that came her way and learned and she went. Ultimately she just want to make art for the gorls and we love to see it! Portfolio: https://www.neens-world.com/ IG: @nii.naa.bean If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Today we have Maritza Louis a Syilx & Secwépemc Character Modeler working in the animation industry! Maritza has experience that spans across Feature Animation, Game, VFX and Cinematics! With all this experience she has been using her knowledge to help mentor fellow native and other BIPOC artist break into the animation industry! Portfolio: https://maritzalouis.com/ IG: @_punchy_ Linktr.ee If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Vanessa Guvele shares her experience being fully remote for the Pixar 2020 internships, juggling Youtube freelance work, and how she made the most of what seemed to be a fleeting dream... that is, until she was offered the story residency! But first, she had to complete her schooling to fulfill the dreams of her immigrant mother. Learn how Vanessa deftly navigated all these things, and got to play DnD along the way. IG: @van_guv Youtube: VanGuv https://www.vanguv.com/ Edited by Ashley Itliong If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi⁠⁠⁠⁠!

This week, we are proud to spotlight the Superhero Project: an organization dedicated to empowering youth impacted by serious illnesses, disabilities, community trauma, and other complex mental health or medical need. They interview these youths, and then design a superhero poster of them. We have the opportunity to speak with Taryn Cozzy, a creative director who also shares invaluable experience from her creative career; as well as Maria Jimenez, one of the many volunteers that make the magic happen. https://www.superheroprojectkids.org/ If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Ricardo Scioville is a Latino character designer, story artist, and creator of Cazadores De Estrellas/Star Chasers. He shares his experience creating a pilot in collaboration with Cartoon Network Latin America, and the project's spontaneous creation. Ricardo chats about his time on Rey Mysterio vs. La Oscuridad, shares some emotional motivations about his inner-child, and we get to try out a new icebreaker game... Portfolio: https://www.behance.net/Rslle IG: @richiscioville Twitter: @RichiScioville Cazadores de Estrellas Pilot If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠⁠⁠ko-fi⁠⁠⁠!

From storyboarding to making their own comics, Chinook Cartoonist Quinne Larsen is telling their own stories! Tune is as we talk about their graphic novel with First Second Publishing and how that came about. We also chat about their love for storyboarding musical sequences. Did we mention they're also in a band? IG: @quinnecl Portfolio: quinnelarsen.net Edited by Edgar Arellano If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠⁠ko-fi⁠⁠!

Humble and hungry, James imparts a wealth of knowledge from his career path from production to writer in animation. We also get to chat about his dissertation on the Evolution of the Disney Princess he wrote for his Master's of humanities. And finally, we all give the well-deserved flowers to the significant others in our lives. IG: @rayoflight789 If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠⁠ko-fi⁠⁠!

Tune is as we talk to Manuela Escolar Gonzalez a Colombian animator who is currently working at Powerhouse Studios. We also discover that her love for How To Train Your Dragon is the reason why she decided to study at Sheridan College! Portfolio: manuelaescolargonzalez.weebly.com IG: @artisminerva Twitter: @Artisminerva Short Film: Mi Pukita Edited by Ashley Itliong If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠⁠ko-fi⁠⁠!

Tune in as we talk to Haruka Sato, a Japanese concept artist working in Japan. Learn about all the different jobs Haruka worked until she landed her Background Painter role on an anime feature film. Portfolio: https://harukasato.com/ IG: @here_is_haruka Twitter: @here_is_haruka Youtube: Make a Graphic Novel with ME! 2024 Edited by Edgar Arellano If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠ko-fi⁠!

Tune in as we talk to JohnTom Knight, a Cherokee Native writer working in animation. JohnTom mentions how the book We Had a Little Real Estate Problem: The Unheralded Story of Native Americans & Comedy landed him his Script Coordinator Position on Spirit Rangers! We also talk about how on Spirit Rangers he became known as The Lore Keeper! IG: @JohnTomKnight Twitter: @JohnTomKnight If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠ko-fi⁠!

Tune in as we talk to Kiana Khansmith, a Japanese/Jamaican artist working as a Director on Big City Greens at DTVA! We discuss her amazing rise from storyboard artist to director as well as her love for Team Rocket! IG: @kianamai Twitter: @kianamaiart Edited by Ashley Itliong If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠ko-fi⁠!

We are still alive! We are back with a brand new season and a brand new look! Tune in as we touch base about our animation journey and our personal lives. We also give our thoughts about the current state of animation and the use of AI. Ray's IG @radiosilence Yuli's IG @chuudles If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi!

Time for a throwback! This is a recording from 2021 of a panel Straight Ahead hosted during Geek Girl Conline. We hosted a round table discussion with Samia Khalaf, Steph Rizo, and Li Cree. We take this rare opportunity to share some of the many different paths one can take breaking into the animation industry. We talk about personal pitfalls in our early years, and how relatable those experiences can be. Samia tells us about her film she painted in VR, Kteer Tayyeb, and why she chose to tell this story. Steph talks about working on the bluesky phase of feature film. Li tells us the "secret" to how she creates so many personal projects. This and so much more as we take a dive back in time! Many thanks to Alyssa Askew, Alyssa Jones-Comtois, Marina Martinez, and the entire GGC staff for inviting us to host this event. GGC - https://geekgirlcon.com/ Samia Khalaf - @samsoomfull (instagram) Steph Rizo - @steph_rizo (instagram) Li Cree - @li_cree (instagram)

Kelly Lynne D'Angelo (she/they) is a Native—Haudenosaunee Tuscarora and Muscowpetung Cree—writer for animation, live action, and musicals, who also plays D&D professionally. Kelly kicks-off by telling the most insane story about how she met the producers of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia... who then gave her an internship! We get to chat about the process of Starry, a musical about brothers Theo and Vincent Van Gogh, and what magic happens in the writer's room before a production even begins. Outside of her career, we get to talk about Kelly's time as a professional Dungeon Master. From an online presence, to personal games run on Cruise ships, Kelly talks about how the storytelling informs her writing and vice versa. We touch on the subject of Native visibility, not only in the industry, but in America at large. Kelly has such a sense of adventure and will to connect with others, we are sure her story will connect with you. Instagram: @KellyLynneDang Twitter: @KellyLynneDang Bluesky: kellylynnedang.bsky.social Girls, Guts, Glory: girlsgutsgloryrpg.com NDND (all native DnD campaign) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-XY8JUTCQ0 Starry (instagram): @starrymusical

Nicolette Ray is Native American, Acoma Pueblo, a storyboard artist and currently a game dev artist. She tells us about her strong start in animation, working for Wild Canary on Puppy Dog Pals for 5 years! We talk about work culture at Wild Canary, and the difference between working under Disney vs. Lucasfilm. We chat about her personal Native American Renaissance, as she dove into the history of her own people, and how connecting to those roots helped feed into her experience on Spirit Rangers. Also, Nicolette guides us through her journey struggling with mental health, and how the conversation opening up in society at large helped give her the courage to seek help. We are very fortunate to have had such a vulnerable and honest guest, and we hope her journey can help open up that conversation for you or someone you love. Twitter: @unbadger Instagram: @unbadgr If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com/straightaheadap

Entering the ring this week is Joey Clift, a Native American enrolled Cowlitz tribal member, currently working as a freelance writer. Not only has Joey worked as a Staff Writer and Consulting Producer for Netflix's Spirit Rangers, he has also wrote and directed his own animated digital series Gone Native for Comedy Central. Joey has a love for comedy and has a unique sense of humor that has helped him pitch and sell shows. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did! IG: @joeycliiiiiift Twitter: @joeytainment Portfolio: http://joeyclift.com/ Gone Native: https://gonenative.tv/ If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠⁠ko-fi.com/straightaheadap

Ashley Chung works as an Associate Animator in the video games industry! In her first job working at Steamroller Studio she was thrown into the deep end working on Mortal Kombat 1! Ashley also talks about taking additional animation classes post graduation really helped her improve as an animator. Tune in and find out more about the world of animating for video games! Portfolio: ashleychung.com IG: @ashthemush Twitter: @ashthemush If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠ko-fi.com/straightaheadap

Steve Sandoval talks about how he slipped into the cracks of animation. Out of high school Steve started working as a carpenter with his cousins, unfortunately was laid off in 2007 due to a recession. However, Steve took this as an opportunity to go to school to study animation! One of the things Steve loves to do is plein air paint and posting it to social media. Eventually Robh Ruppel came across his works and asked if he wanted to work on Entergalactic. Steve has had an amazing journey into animation, find out more by checking out this episode! IG: @Sketchinsteve Portfolio: Sketchinsteve.com If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap

Sofia is a Mexican-Salvadoran American storyboard artist currently working for a studio based outside of the US. Find out how Sofia's journey in the entertainment industry shifted from live action to animation. Not every journey is a straight path, alot of times its a winding path that goes in several different directions. She worked several non-union jobs before landing her first industry job as an artist at Warner Bros. Animation. Despite the current state of the animation industry, Sofia has not let that deter her and has found career opportunities in Canada. We hope you enjoy this episode! Website: https://www.sofiacanales.com/ Short Film: Mujer Instagram: @moctezumas_nose LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-canales-5480321b/ If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ⁠ko-fi.com/straightaheadap

Angela Sánchez is a Xicanx writer and magician with a shining personality. We have a blast talking about their work on Primos, how their work with Latinx in Animation led to the position, and about how cathartic it was to work on a Latine/Hispanic-American show. We dive back into her first gig, her time at school, and how she didn't even know writing for television was a career one could have! We also get to chat about Scruffy and The Egg, their children's book that draws from the times she and her dad were homeless. Scruffy and the Egg is also donated to shelters in the hopes of helping young kids through a difficult and confusing time. Website: angelamsanchez.com Instagram: @angelamsanchez.writer Twitter: @_AngelaMSanchez Bluesky: @angelamsanchez If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap

Jose Hernandez is an El Salvadorean-American freelance artist for Visual Development. We chat about how he got his start doing an unpaid internship, how the industry has changed over time, and the reality of getting through the valleys of the industry as a freelancer. He takes us through his artistic journey not being able to go to university out of high school, joining mentorships, and learning on the job. We talk a lot about his time on The Casa Grandes, and sprout a conversation about culture as a Hispanic-American. Instagram: @main3venter_hernandez If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap

Kayse Villalba shares her experience wearing hats in both 2D animation and storyboarding positions. We chat a lot about workflow and expectations when working in rigged animation, grabbing fun shots while working for Studio Yotta, and how animation can differ wildly per production. Kayse also shares insights into how her experiences have informed each other art job she's had, from awareness of animation while boarding scenes to just having a positive attitude when starting a new role. We chat about her personal work, and Kayse shares some inspiring words for growing minds. Instagram: @roboklown Twitter: @KlownCar Youtube: TheKlownCar If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap

Yanna Casey is a Black artist working as a production coordinator in Atlanta, Georgia! We talk about their position as a PC outside of Los Angeles, and the ID she did for Adult Swim before deciding she didn't want to pursue an art role professionally. We also learn about Yanna's background in music production, and how they incorporate that into their personal art. We also talk about getting in touch with your passions, like creating the art that you want, or collecting black funko pops. Instagram: @supa_flowa TikTok: @supaflowa If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap

Cynthia Furey is a hapa-vietnamese-italian-irish writer and currently a staff writer for Nickelodeon! Follow her journey of building connections through Sesame Workshop, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, and the CBS writer's program. We chat about her experiences on The Ghost and Molly McGee, Hello Jack!, and Tiny Chef. But before her career in screenwriting, she worked as a food writer for the Orange County register for 8 years! Learn all about her career shift, and the differences between writing for journalism and screenwriting... but also the unexpected strengths that came with that experience. (If you need more incentive, please listen to this episode for the most unhinged inbetween question I've ever heard Ray ask. - Yuki) Instagram: @mortalcyn99 Twitter: @cynnamonshticks If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap

This week we are honored to spotlight Rise Up Animation, an organization that offers mentorship and portfolio reviews to burgeoning BIPOC talent. (fun fact: the idea for Straight Ahead was inspired by Rise Up!) To tell us all about this wonderful organization is co-founder and 16-year industry veteran: Frank Abney. We have such a great time chatting with Frank and listening to his wealth of insights into the Industry. We chat about the history of RUA, its goals as an organization, and some common pitfalls of young artists. Mixed into the interview is no shortage of Frank's own experience as both an animator, filmmaker, and black man bringing his voice to his work. https://www.riseupanimation.org/ Instagram: @riseupanimation Frank Abney Instagram: @frankabney Twitter: @iFrankAbney If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap

This week we are proud to host Black Card Members' founder Celeste C. Black Card Members is a space meant for empowering creatives of color from all backgrounds. They are an online, international-friendly community that provides a safe space for creatives to grow and bond while providing prompts and events to nurture that creativity. Cel chats with us about her background as an event organizer and creative person themselves, and how BCM began as a humble Zine project. We chat about BCM's events and greatest achievements, including the Black Card Gala we partook in a couple years ago! Check out BCM, and consider joining them for the joy of creativity! Website: https://blackcardmems.org/ Instagram: @blackcardmems If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap

This week we are spotlighting Asian Queens in Animation: an organization dedicated to fostering a community of Asians of underrepresented genders in the animation space. We have the pleasure of talking with co-founders Maansi Sunkara and Shrav Yalsangikar, along with one of their admins, Sanisha Agarwal. We talk about the inception of AQIA, how their built their brand as an organization, and their panel at Lightbox Expo. These achievements are topped by their most successful program, Coffee with a Queen, which pairs-up professionals and those aspiring so they can make real connections. Instagram: @asianqueensanimation https://linktr.ee/asianqueensanim If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap

This week we are joined by the amazing Jim Mortensen (founder of SFA) and Tristan Cabral (Admin of SFA) as we learn all about their amazing program: Story For All! Volunteer-run and completely free to join, SFA is a mentorship program focused on 1:1 mentorship between industry professionals and budding storyboard artists. The organization helps mentors onboard, guide them on how to touch base with mentees, and even how to finish that mentor relationship in case they have a big gig coming up. For the mentees, SFA gets them into a big meeting with all the mentors in order to pair them up with the appropriate board artist that understands what their goals are and who vibes well together. Jim and Tristan also share their stories, and how they both switched out of full careers outside of animation before entering this creative space. Website: http://storyforall.net Instagram: @storymentorship Twitter: @storymentorship If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices! If you'd like to support us directly, we have a tip jar open at ko-fi.com/straightaheadap

Kicking off our August Special Speaker series with one of the co-founders of Diverse Toons: Jade Seaberry! Diverse Toons is a East-Coast (USA) based organization and resource dedicated to uplifting diversity in the animation industry. Jade shares the story of how she and Monique Henry-Hudson created Diverse Toons, and how they wanted to foster a community outside of the West coast. We learn more about Jade's own history: forming her own production company, president of Women Against Rape and Sexual Assault, and volunteer for the National Association against Domestic Violence. It all plays so much into the empathy and awareness that guides Diverse Toons' actions. We talk about so many important and amazing things about this wonderful organization, so please check them out! Website: DiverseToons.com Instagram: @diversetoons Twitter: @DiverseToons Simply Robotix (Monique's podcast!) If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

Joel Zamudio is a Location Designer for Disney TVA! We chat about his "first three starts" in animation: working on the Sony Animation's Mitú project, then as a freelance character designer for Shadow Machine, and then again for Disney TVA. Why so many "starts"? Well, we talk about the clarity of losing your ego after graduation, and continuing your education after school to become industry-ready. Joel also tells us about his time working on The Loud House comics, and how that differed from his experience in animation. Joel also talks about Toon Therapy: a shorts channel on Youtube he collaborates on with his friends. If you're not tired of us talking on education yet, Joel shares his unique experience testing for and attending an art-highschool: the Orange County School of the Arts. Instagram: @joelz_art Portfolio: www.joelzamudio.com If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

Zharia B Rahn is an African-American artist working as a Model Designer for Disney TVA! This means she works on both props and characters, and she shares her workflow with us and how she makes and meets her own work quotas. She also tells about the multi-platform work she and her team does, and how this emerging department has evolved into this fast-paced age of social media. We also chat about her time as an intern for ImagineX: an indie animation collective headed by an upperclassmen of hers from school. Speaking of school, we have a grounded conversation about how art school isn't for everyone, but if you need that structure it can be a good option. In this episode, you are guaranteed to learn about something you've never heard of before! Instagram: @Ziggora Twitter: @ziggora TikTok: @ziggora If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

Isabella Martinez Luna is a Colombian artist working as an Associate Artist at Blizzard. Join us as we learn about the world of 3D Modeling and why Bella enjoyed learning the technical side of Animation. She has worked in a variety of different 3D pipelines at a variety of different studios, from small indy studios like Ignite Animation Studios to big studios like Blizzard Entertainment. We hope you enjoyed learning more about her journey in animation as much as we did. Also don't forget to support us on ⁠ko-fi⁠, every little bit helps! Instagram: @bellacgart Twitter: @theartofbella Twitch: twitch.tv/theartofbella Portfolio: https://www.artstation.com/bellacgart If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

WE ARE CELEBRATING 100 EPISODES! Thank you to everyone who has been following our podcast and giving us a platform to spotlight BIPOC voices. We are so honored to have hit this huge milestone! To celebrate our 100th episode we brought back previous guest that we have had on the podcast. Join us as we catch up with Trilina Mai, Li Cree, Joon Chung, and Rebecca Chan! Also don't forget to support us on ko-fi, every little bit helps! Host Ray Mendoza Landa @raydiosilence Yuki Okamura-Wong @chuudles Guest Trilina Mai @trilinamai Li Cree @li_cree Joon Chung @thejooniverse Rebecca Chan @_rebchan If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

Ash Tahilan is a fil-am artist who grew-up in the melting pot of Hawaii. She shares with us her journey of bumping to a few different studios, each time as a revisionist to ease on to the production before promoting into boards. We chat about her incomparable time on Craig of the Creek, the culture of the production, and her foray into writing a fan-comic for a property she worked on. Ash also has a message for you: Don't Hold Back! Write and draw what you love, show your passion in your work! Hear it in her own words on this week's episode... so what are you waiting for?! Linktree: https://linktr.ee/onihat Website: ⁠www.onihat.com⁠ Twitch: Ashe_Thistleclaw If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

We are joined by young Sean Yeung, a member of the Riot Games champion skins team. He shares his experience going from intern to full-time employee, and the expectations within those positions. He shares his process in developing game animations for work by creating pose sheets, a standard practice in the industry. He also talks about going to Worlds 2022 in San Francisco, and how that really put into perspective the audience that enjoys League of Legends, and sees his work. Sean also shares his humble beginnings, and how the Valve Source Maker and his love of TF2 nurtured a love for animation. Last, but not least, we also talk about his love of producing music, and how that feeds him creatively outside of work. Website: seanyeung.com Instagram: @young_sean_yeung Twitter: @notsoyeung If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

Our guest this week is Devin Yang, a Chinese-American Concept Artist currently working in games. After graduating college Devin found a corporate job as a motion graphic artist. However, after two years he decided to take the leap of faith and jump into freelancing before landing a full-time position in video games! Devin credits twitter and his personal project The Witching Hour which garnered him a lot of attention from future clients that really gravitated toward his artistic sensibilities. Finally, Devin mentioned how his queer identity really helped him shape his artistic voice and stand out to potential clients. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed learning about Devin's journey into videos games! IG: @devinscribbles Twitter: @devinScribbles Art Station: https://www.artstation.com/scribblecat Portfolio: http://devinscribbles.com/ If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

Thy Võ is a 2D Animator staffed at Primal Screen. While working on a senior film in school, and despite feeling like her quality of work wasn't the best, her attitude and ability to take critique left an impression on her upperclassman, which lead to a recommendation on her first job. For those of you working on your own films, Thy also talks at length about her team's process on their senior film Tutorial>Skip?, a hilarious ode to JRPGs. We get into the impact of working on a crew with a director who is a person of color on Jelly, Ben & Pogo. From Toonboom Harmony to Esoteric Spine to asset creation, Thy talks about her many different hats she's worn. Speaking of different jobs, Thy also talks about her experience working on corporate motion design work, and the difference between projects and studios when working commercial vs entertainment. If this sounds too dense, don't worry, we also have a blast imagining isekai harems and escaping the HOA by running into the wilderness. Tik Tok: @Milk_Thy Instagram: @Milk_Thy Tutorial>Skip? Website: ⁠http://thydvo.com⁠ If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

Yusra Shahid is a Background Designer and Painter, who holds her Indian heritage in high respect. Yusra shares her experiences working for A24 on the upcoming "#1 Happy Family USA", and the connection between her South East Asian and Muslim peers on the production. We go back through her time working on a variety of styles, from the child-like "Frog and Toad", to the more modern cartoon adaptation for "Night at the Museum". She shares many nuggets of wisdom, and we all reflect on the struggle of juggling freelance work with full-time work. Yusra also shares her experience attending the University of Hertfordshire in England, a decision she made after researching both American and Canadian schools, and her insatiable hunger to explore and learn more of the arts. Twitter: ⁠@yusrarts⁠ Instagram: ⁠@yusrarts⁠ Website: ⁠yusra.myportfolio.com⁠ If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

Joining us this week is Elliot Salgado a Mexican Assistant Animatic Editor currently working on Big Nate at Nickelodeon! Elliot entered the world of animation as an Intern at Nickelodeon not fully knowing what specfically in animation he wanted to do. His journey then took him to becoming a Production Assistant at DreamWorks where he got the chance to be a part of every part of the pipeline. It was there when he discovered his calling... Animatic Editing! He recounts that is was listening to the conversations between the Animatic Editors and the Directors that really sparked his interest as they talked about storytelling on a grander scale. We also dive into Elliot being a DACA recipient and how it changed his outlook on life. We hope you enjoy this episode and learn more about the different roles in Animation! IG: @elliollin_ Twitter: @elliollin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliot-hs/ If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

Amie Sanchez is a Latina Storyboard Artist working at Nickelodeon. Straight out of school, Amie's first job was actually a full-time storyboard artist. We talk about her lucky break in 2D boarding, and the changes that came with the shift to boarding for a 3D show, Rugrats (2021). We have a candid conversation about having gaps in your education, and ways to fill them when your school doesn't have all the resources you need. Amie also talks about how she connects with her art outside of professional work through fan art and her friend-formed art group: Studio Rana. Instagram: @ameetoe Twitter: @ameetoe Tumblr: ameetoe Website: https://amiesanchez.wixsite.com/portfolio If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

This week's guest is Michelle Lam, story artist and now, graphic novelist! She shares her experiences on so many different productions, and reflects especially fondly upon her time as an Assistant Episodic Director for Tonko House's Oni: a Thunder God's Tale. We also chat at length about her experiences at Cal Arts, how she found her voice, and how that also lead to her many different internships. Michelle also shares her new experience diving into the world of publishing, and working with Penguin House Knopf on Meesh the Bad Demon. Finally, we get the chance to talk a lot about her perspective growing-up Chinese-Cantonese-American, and how that influences her storytelling choices. There's so much wisdom and fun in this episode, don't miss out! Meesh the Bad Demon: ⁠https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/667597/meesh-the-bad-demon-1-by-michelle-lam/⁠ Instagram: @mewtripled website: https://www.mewtripled.com/ If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

Najja Porter is a half-black, half-white artist working as a supervising director on Craig of the Creek. We talk about her time on a long-running project like Craig (4 years!) and the highs and lows that come with such a unique production. Najja also tells us the whirlwind tale of how she began moving from Tampa, Florida all the way to Los Angeles, California without even a job secured! She tells us all about her experience in the Nickelodeon Artist Program, and how that trained her to be an industry-ready professional. Aside from that, we get to chat about Phoenix Blade, her fantasy collaborative comic with Dashawn Mahone; and her slice of life comic, Falling Apples, an introspective look into her personal life on topics such as being poor, or micro aggression's as a mixed person of color. There's so much packed into this week's episode, so come have a laugh with us! Instagram: @bloochikin Twitter: @najja_porter Tumblr: https://bloochikin.tumblr.com/ Website: http://www.najjaporter.com/ If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

Meet Eddie Clark, an African American Storyboard Revisionist currently working on The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder! After graduating from SJSU Eddie felt burnt out from school and decided to take a step back from animation. Outside of animation Eddie was heavily involved in theatre and started acting more. His love for acting really strengthened his skills as an animator and story artist. Eventually Eddie came into contact with Bruce W. Smith and the rest is history. Instagram: @tim3lesz_eddie Twitter: @eclackanimation Portfolio: https://www.eclarkanimation.com/ If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcast & Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices.

Meet Harron Atkins, a black writer currently working freelance. Harron is also an alumni of the Sesame Street Writers Workshop and raves how much that experience helped him in his animation career. One of Harron's most recent gigs was being a Staff Writer for Craig of the Creek! That experience helped him gain a greater appreciation for artist and has helped take the artist into consideration when he writes his scripts. He also hopes to create his own production company to help POC voices tell their own stories. Learn this and a lot more by giving this episode a listen! IG: @harron_alexander Twitter: @AtkinsHarron Website: https://www.harronatkins.com/ If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

Meet Corinth Boone, a black artist from New Jersey who works as a Prop Designer for Cartoon Network! Although she lives in Los Angeles now, Corinth originally had to turn down CN's first offer since she wasn't ready to relocate. That opportunity would have been lost if Corinth didn't follow the #1 rule of job hunting: Always Follow-Up! During her time at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Corinth took a semester off to hone her portfolio and inadvertently did a little growing-up. As a prop designer, she not only draws hand-held props, but also furniture and even effects! So many adventures with Corinth on this week's episode of Straight Ahead! Website: https://www.corinthboone.art/ Instagram: @heyitscorinth/ Twitter: @heyitscorinth Peony (webcomic): https://peony.webcomic.ws/ If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!

Our guest this week is Jaylen Tate-Lucas a black storyboard artist currently working at Warner Bros. Animation. We talk about what it is like storyboarding on a show like Teen Titans Go! Jaylen also talks about his love for the Horror Genre and how it is inspiring him for his own personal project. We hope you enjoy this episode and find it insightful. Instagram: @j_t_lucas Twitter: @jtealucas Portfolio: https://jtatelucas.com/ If you enjoy our podcast, please share it and rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We want to expand our platform and amplify these BIPOC voices!