We recently had the chance to connect with Chris Battle and have shared our conversation below.
Chris, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Teaching what is being billed as a “Master Class” in Animation Character Design via livestream to the staff of an overseas studio. I never even went to art school, so what do I know about teaching?!?
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Chris Battle, and I’m a Los Angeles-based animation character design artist, best known for my work on Cartoon Network shows like TEEN TITANS GO, POWERPUFF GIRLS, DEXTER’S LABORATORY, and SAMURAI JACK, as well as projects for Disney, Marvel, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros, & more. Along the way, I’ve also worked in the kid-lit, video games, & toy industries; Definitely the kind of adult career my 8-yr old self would be impressed by!
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who saw you clearly before you could see yourself?
Probably my parents — They could see that I was a seriously driven childhood artist (prone to obsessively attempting to draw the PERFECT Snoopy and not resting until I had achieved some semblance of that artistic perfection) and encouraged & nurtured my interests and pursuit of a career in the arts.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
On my first animation job (after years of thinking I was a really good artist able to draw ANYTHING cartoony), I quickly realized there’s a VAST difference between being good at drawing characters on an amateur level and being good at the PROFESSIONAL level, and that I was NOT prepared to draw things at the pro level. Wrote my boss a letter letting him know I was OK with him firing me if need be, as I didn’t want to screw up the production or jeopardize his job since he hired me. Luckily, he tossed that letter and moved me into a more beginner friendly position (prop design) and I learned at a gradual pace until I was ready to handle characters again 2 years later.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Whose ideas do you rely on most that aren’t your own?
Great artists (both artistic giants of the past & my contemporaries) who’ve figured out how to draw things the best. There’s an endless lineage of artists who take inspiration from their favorite artists to create something new, be it animation, music, or film.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
People seem to think I had a much bigger role on many of the shows I worked on; Most of them are all creatively led by the creator, and then the Art Director. I’m often just one of a collective group artists working together to bring the creator’s vision to life, often by following what has been laid out in front of us to emulate/enhance.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artstation.com/chrisbattleart
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisbattleart/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cbattle/
- Twitter: https://x.com/chrisbattleart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisBattleArt
- Other: Bluesy: https://bsky.app/profile/chrisbattleart.bsky.social
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0061497/
