Creator Spotlight: Everett Downing’s 365 Supers
Published: 1/8/2013 4:00 PM
Last Modified: 1/8/2013 4:03 PM
Everett Downing’s blog has exploded in recent weeks. You may have read the original article about him in WIRED, or when that article was featured on IO9, or Superhero Hype, or Geek Draw, or Forbes, or you may have heard him interviewed on NPR’s All Things Concidered, or where ever else it has shown up. Suffice it to say that Everett has had a pretty awesome start to 2013.
It just so happens that Everett and I go way back. Almost 20 years. We parted ways sometime in the mid-1990s when we were both living in Denver and ran in the same circles and were in that weird haze that creative types often find themselves in during their 20s where they don’t quite know what to do with themselves. We re-connected a few years ago on (where else?) facebook, and I’ve been following his artistic endeavors pretty closely ever since. He’s gone on to become an animator for Pixar and has been having a great time doing so. He's worked on some of their most popular films, including "Wall-E," "Up," “Brave,” and "Toy Story 3." He also has several side projects in addition to 365 Supers.
I had a chance to speak with Everett about what he does, how he got where he is, and what he thinks about all this new found attention:
JP: First off, what is your actual title there at Pixar?
ED: My title is Story Artist. I've recently transferred into the department. Before that I was a Character Animator. (2 months ago)
JP: And what does that actually mean?
ED:A story artist job is to help the director visualize their films by drawing shot by shot and generating ideas.
JP: So, we last saw each other in the flesh in Denver sometime in the mid-1990s. Why don't you tell a little about how you went from starving artist to Pixar.
ED: Well its a bit of a bitter sweet story. After spending most of my time working at various coffee shops in Denver and Chicago always talking about perusing my art but never following through, my mother was killed in an automobile accident in Denver. I was shocked by the incident and it really forced me to take a hard look at myself. She was always so supportive of my artwork. I decided that I didn't want everything my mom worked so hard for to mean nothing. So I got off my ass and worked to get back in school.
While attending school at Columbia College in Chicago I was able to get job as a freelance Story Artist at a company called Big Idea working on Veggie Tales. I worked there for 4 years moving from story into animation on a project called 3-2-1 Penguins. From there I got a job at Blue Sky Studios working on their first feature Ice Age. I worked on 2 more films as animator, Robots and Ice Age 2 before switching back into story helping develop Epic. A friend told me of an animation position opening up at Pixar and being a huge fan I jumped at the opportunity. I landed a job on Ratatioulle working with my dream director Brad Bird. I've worked on seven films since including Wall-E, Up, Toy Story3 and Brave before switching back into Story. Whew!
JP: Tell me a little about 365 Supers.
ED: 365 started as a creative exercise to force myself to draw and get out of a rut I had found myself in. When talking to a buddy of mine he suggested I start a daily drawing exercise to loosen up. Well I love drawing supers so I decided that I'd start a blog as a way of holding myself accountable. Well it was a deceptively difficult undertaking that's really pushed me creatively, but looking back at the characters is rewarding.
JP: How hard is it to come up with so many? Do you just start adding the definite article "The" to as many words as possible to see what sticks, then make a character out of that? IE: "The Hand Sanitizer?”
ED: Well simply put its damn hard! Haha! Once you get past the first 50 ideas in your head you really have to search your brain and dig deep. Actually a lot of them were wordplay or puns. I'd brainstorm names with a few friends (one of which is an incredible punster). After a while it became a fun game.
JP: After this is finally over, would you consider another 365 project? Like 365 Puppies or something?
ED: Hell no! Ha! No, I don't know. Probably not. I feel like I got what I wanted out of it. I'll probably create a book if there's interest. There are other projects I'd like to explore.
JP: How did the Wired article happen?
ED: The writer Joseph Flahtery had been following the blog (unknown to me) for a while and approached me on twitter asking if I'd be interested in doing an interview in a new year's resolution theme. Of courses I was thrilled to do it.
JP: What was the jump in interest like after the article ran and other media outlets started calling(myself included)?
ED: It's been pretty crazy. I'm pretty shocked actually. I thought that I might make a book when it was all dome, but I didn't think the blog would get much attention. The blog got over 200,000 hits on the second day after the article was posted! Before that, if I got 100 in a week I felt pretty good.
JP: Everyone is making a big deal about 365 Supers. Here is your chance to talk about MOJO and/or any other projects you are working on. GO!
ED: Oh! Ok! I'm working on a 4 book limited series called MOJO right now. It's an modern urban fantasy about a golem with amnesia who's searching for its identity with the help of a runaway street witch named Creepy. The second book is nearly complete and I'm looking to post pages on the comic's site: www.bookofmojo.com .
I'm also working on a couple other projects (in my copious free time). A short comic for a zombie compilation called Dead Anyway and two other fun upcoming projects that are in very early stages. So this looks to be a very busy year.
JP: What are your future plans as an artist?
ED: Well I'd be lying if I say I didn't want to try and realize one of my ideas on film or TV. It's a crazy ambitious goal, and I have lots to learn, but damn it if I don't try. For now my goal is simple. Tell more stories.
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Written by
Jason Powers
Scene Writer
