The idea behind HP: hitoteproject.deviantart.com/j…

Hey Gang!

Just in time for the holidays we have a new interview! Mike Jungbluth, also known as , was kind enough to sit down with us and impart some knowledge.  This is a huge interview and I want to thank Mike for devoting so much time to it!  Let's get this shindig underway!

Mike was the diabolical artist behind the Eleventh Hand:



..::Introductions::..

Hitote Project:  Hey, Mike! Tell us a bit about yourself.

Mike Jungbluth:  My name is Mike Jungbluth.  I was born in rural Pennsylvania and artistically nurtured by my mother and grandparents.  After giving up my dream of being a firefighter/clown at a fairly young age, I decided I wanted to draw cartoons for the rest of my life.  I now live in Austin, Texas with my lovely wife and two cats.  By day I am an animator at Edge of Reality, currently working on the new Incredible Hulk game.  By night I work on my comic Eat the Pattersons.

..::Art::..

HP:  When did you know you wanted to do art professionally?

MJ:  Probably around the 4th grade, I started to get into drawing cartoons all the time.  Any book I could find that would show me how to draw Hannah Barbera characters I would pick up and draw from cover to cover.  That was my first introduction into drawing characters as shapes.   

  

HP:  Are you self-taught or institution-educated in the ways of art?

MJ:  I am pretty much institution educated through and through.  I started taking art lessons in the 10th grade, which focused on cartooning and comics.  I would look forward to the lessons ALL week long.  After that, I went to Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, and I studied animation.  I also focused a lot on Art History and fine art so that I could soak up as much as humanly possible.

HP:  Coming from an educated art background what major differences do you see between yourself (or artists trained like yourself) and self-taught artists?

MJ:  I think being self-taught really lends itself to a level of spontaneity that I don't necessarily have.  But on the flip side, having all the education gives you a greater level of diverse knowledge to pull from.  And for the most part, it helps you to vocally communicate what is working and what isn't working in a piece.

HP:  What are your major influences? In that same vein, what really inspires you to hit the drawing board?

MJ:  My biggest influences and inspirations are my friends from college.  We would REALLY push each other, and crit the hell out of each others work.  We craved it so much, that when we were graduating, we started the Sketch Tavern ( www.sketchtavern.com ) to keep that going, after we all moved away.  And that really kept me motivated, knowing that I still had that support net.  It also helped to keep that competitive spirit alive, seeing how much everyone was still growing on their own.

  

HP:  Who do you look up to as an artist? Is there someone you are dying to work with?

MJ:  I look up to Will Eisner as my number one art hero.  I had a chance to meet him at a con a few years ago, and ended up not going, assuming I could go the next year to meet him.  Of course, he then passed away before that next year.  Not meeting him has to be one of my biggest regrets.  But, just to keep it from being all doom and gloom, the first video game with animation that blew me away was Mark of Kri.  When I saw that, I realized, “Holy Crap!  Games CAN have good animation.”  Then last year, while working on 300, Warner Bros brought in the Lead Animator/ Art Director from Mark of Kri, to sit in with us for a week.  After geeking out hard, I picked that man’s brain until I was blue in the face!

HP:  What would you do if you weren’t an artist? What is #2 on the “what I wanna be when I grow up” list?

MJ:  Professional podcaster.  I guess that would actually just be a disc jockey huh?  I love podcasts though.  You can find one on any subject, and because it is done from a love of the medium, it can be really magical.  And because there are no rules or laws for it, there isn’t anything that can’t be done.

HP:  You regularly appear in the Staple Pop podcast.  What is it and where can people get a hold of that?

MJ:  Ah yes, Staple Pop!  It is a comic book and pop culture podcast recorded here in Austin, Texas that I decided to crash on a regular basis.  The best place to listen is either at the website, www.staplepop.com or to subscribe to it on iTunes.  It's like talking comics with your best friends, except that we are funnier, and you aren't talking.

  

HP:  What is your dream job?

MJ:  My dream job is to have a game or TV series that is set in a world I create.  One where I can play art director, writer, etc. and really shape all aspects of it.

..::The Process::..

HP:  Can you describe your process?

MJ:  When it comes to drawing, I usually do some thumbnails first.  Rarely do I get a pose or drawing on my first attempt, so I have to noodle around a bit until I get something I like.  Once I’ve got something I like, I tighten up the drawing to a level I feel is complete enough, and then I scan it and ink it in illustrator.  From that point, it gets the Photoshop treatment.  I don’t really do too much fancy stuff, just some cel shading with a dash of effects.

With animation, I do a mix of pose to pose and straight ahead.  I really try to do most of it straight ahead though, so that I can keep it as organic as possible.

HP:  What tools (materials, mediums, programs) are you most comfortable with? Which ones do you want to learn? Which ones do you hate?

MJ:  For drawing, I love my blue Col-Erase pencil and gum eraser.  I love Photoshop, Illustrator, and Painter.  I really want to use more traditional inks and colors, as I haven’t touched the stuff since school, and I miss it.

For animation, I love Maya.  I am planning on picking up XSi next, so that I can say I know all the major programs.  I HATE, HATE, HATE character studio for 3D Max.  Beyond the sticky keys for hands and feet, that program is designed to make animators want to punch themselves in the face.  I dislike it so much, it has tainted Max for me.

  

HP:  Which sates you more creatively; Animation or Drawing?  Do you find them fulfilling two different creative needs?

MJ:  Really, they are two different itches.  I love the physical act of drawing, but if it was my day job, I think it would lose some of the glamour and appeal.  Doing computer animation really allows me to get into acting and movement and all that animation goodness, but also it keeps drawing a bit more sacred to me.  Sitting down with a pencil and paper just feels so good, and because it is all on my own time and my own whim, it keeps the magic alive for me.

HP:  How much does your creative process change between work and your personal projects?

MJ:  I try to keep a high level of criticism alive for both, as that always yields the best results.  But ultimately I have to make sacrifices at work that I would never make on my personal work.  And a lot of times those changes work out for the best, even if changing them at the time really hurt.  Be it my lead would prefer a different action, or a designer decides to change the timing to fit in game.  And while that is a lot of sacrifice, it is a challenge that really helps to strengthen my work.  It also makes me all the more appreciative when working on my own art to have full control of how the piece turns out.   

HP:  Since entering the professional art world have there been any previous misconceptions of yours that been shattered?  Is there anything about the industry that just blows you away (in shock or in awe)?

MJ:  I am still amazed by people who talk a bigger game than what they can produce.  On multiple occasions I have met people who claim to have 10+ years experience and a resume as impressive as it is varied.  And then when they are asked to produce, they fall flat on their face.  Kevin Smith said it best.  In Hollywood, you just fail upward.

But for those that have spent that amount of time and really can live up to their resume, I am constantly blown away by their level of skill.  The average amount of experience for an employee at my studio is 10 years, so I'm but a babe on the experience scale.  I often just sit back, look at the work being produced and wonder how I lucked out to be a part of such an experienced team.

Mature Content

HP:  What was the idea behind your Hitote Project submission?

MJ:  The major points I wanted to get across with my submission were my love of comics and video games, the act of coming up with an idea, and the desire to have my voice heard through art.

..::The Important Questions::..

HP:  Now for the big three…

What is your favorite a) Movie? B) Videogame? C) Television Program?

MJ:  A) I can never pick one movie, as it really depends on my mood.  But somewhere at the top we have Aladdin, Donnie Darko, Office Space, The Last Boyscout, Big Fish, and A Very Long Engagement.
B) Super Smash Bros, because it never gets old.  
C) I am addicted to Television.  I crave it, and must watch everything on it that is considered good.  But, my favs of all time are The Sopranos, Buffy, and Rescue Me.  Those shows can go from funny to tense on the flip of a dime.

HP:  If you were trapped in a city decimated by a Zombie attack and had to choose three people (no friends or family) to get out alive, who would they be?

MJ:  Well, Stephen Hawking first, cause we can’t let any zombies get a hold of that big brain buffet.  Then Bill Maher and Dennis Miller, because I love comedians, and I love politics, and those guys could keep me entertained forever.

..::Closing Words::..

HP:  What do you feel is the most important element in your art?

MJ:  The “whimsy”.  I don’t think at any point it feels like I am trying to take it too seriously, even if I am.  And I think that helps to cast the biggest net.  If someone just wants something fun to look at, it is there.  But if someone wants to find a deeper purpose, I’ve usually got that crammed in there as well.

HP:  How is the art you do relevant in the current world?

MJ:  As a commercial artist, the entire world is really the intended audience.  And because of that, it is up to the artist to really keep abreast of world events.  Not just political, but pop culture as well.  Your art reflects not only you, but the world as well.  And if you haven’t looked beyond your own front door, or are too caught up in your own thing, that is going to come out in your work.

  

HP:  Any advice for up and coming artists trying to hone their craft?

MJ:  Focus on one aspect/trade at a time, and really work on it until you get it down.  If you want to animate, animate.  If you want to model, model.  If you want to color, color.  If you don’t do this, you will become a jack of all trades, and master of none. More and more the commercial art field is becoming very specialized, which means you have to know one thing REALLY well.  Once you have that down, then you can branch off.  

And then of course, work harder than anyone around you.  Professional art is hard work.  Right now I am coming off of 20 straight days at work, most of which were 10+ hour days.  You have to be dedicated and passionate, or else you won’t make it.  Of course, at the end of the day, that is 20 days of working on the Hulk smashing puny humans, not digging ditches, shoveling elephant crap, or asking the customers if they want an extra pair of socks.

Thanks for cracking open your head and letting all that information leak, Mike!  Great stuff!

Thanks to everyone for reading and we will see you next time!

HP