Today we’d like to introduce you to Zack Flavin.
Zack, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started drawing as soon as I could hold a pencil. From an early age, all I wanted to do was come up with stories and characters. I had this big dream that I’d make a cartoon show or a video game. My dad used to get mad because as soon as I got a new notebook it’d be filled with doodles by the end of the day.
My parents and teachers would say they always figured something artistic was in my future. But as I grew older the idea of doing art professionally seemed like some distant pie in the sky dream. I grew up in Palo Cedro, a small country town outside of Redding. Growing up in Shasta County if you were a boy you either did sports or hunting. It was a pretty big agriculture area, so people were pretty conservative. Unlike LA land is plentiful, so most properties sit on four acres at the least. Because of this most houses, including mine, were farms. I grew up with sheep, goats, chickens, ducks and geese. Part of having so much land meant upkeep, that’s where the farm animals came in handy. Because of the conservative atmosphere, most people were old school, they really frowned on the idea of doing art. I’d hear a lot growing up “Artists don’t make money, you’ll starve!”
My indecisiveness only grew after high school, I knew I wanted to do something artistic, but I was afraid. So I pursued other fields, I tried nursing, teaching, retail, all careers which are ‘stable’. It was only after I was fired from my retail job that I finally decided to take an art class. Turned out the people, and the atmosphere of the art world, it was like a drug. I was hooked.
I knew I wanted to work in animation since I was little. My mom was a Disney fanatic, we’d watch Disney movies together religiously. Throughout our house, there were hundreds of Disney figurines scattered about. I’d get in trouble for trying to play with them. Before moving to Palo Cedro I lived in Victorville till the age of eight. We’d got to Disneyland a lot, years later I found out my mom loved going there because she missed the trees of Northern California and it reminded her of home. My mom, unfortunately, passed away my junior year of art school, due to an unknown heart condition. Now when I go to Disneyland it reminds me of my mom.
I moved to LA in 2015 to finish my art degree at Cal State Long Beach. I’ve been here ever since. CSULB introduced me to the animation world, and my passion only grew further. After school, like most kids, I struggled a bit finding work, but I focused on freelance, eventually getting a deal illustrating a coffee table book for video game journalist Laura Kate Dale, the books titled “Thing’s I Learned from Mario’s Butt” – Laura really took a chance on me and I’m grateful to this day for her. Working on her book was also a lesson in to manage my time. Right after finishing the book I was hired to work at Cartoon Network, my dream studio, working in the Shorts-Development.
Working in Shorts has been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. I was able to work alongside many of my heroes, some I now call mentors. Nick Jennings and Paula Spence, two former Spongebob Alumni would often sit with me for hours teaching me things about the industry, but also giving me a helpful critique on my art. Probably the hardest moment in my career was when I had to say goodbye. But now I’m on the hunt for more work, taking odd jobs and freelance here and there.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The hardest struggle of my art career was definitely the passing of my mom in art school. When a parent passes away it feels like time stops. It didn’t help that it happened one month before finals. I spent a few weeks crying but realized my mom wouldn’t want me giving up on my dreams, suddenly I felt this fire in me I had never felt before, that passion still goes on, I like to think I dedicate everything I make to her. I hope she’s proud.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
I make art for TV Animation! I like to think I’m a Zack of all Trades. I’ve gotten in trouble quite a bit because I can never really truly narrow down what I want to do. I love doing everything. Part of this I think I can blame on growing up making comic books. I like to do character design, background art, storyboards, props, color styling. If there’s something that needs done in animation, I want to do it!
I think I’m most proud of the work I do, my favorite art is the stuff I want to just stare at for hours after I make it! I don’t know if you’ve ever built ikea furniture before, but it’s kind of like that feeling after it’s done!
I think what sets me apart is I’m a very easy going guy, almost simple-minded in a lot of ways, I just love to draw. I love being able to pull this intangible idea out of my brain and just manifest it in a form that anyone can understand. Art is like wizardry man, it’s awesome.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Favorite childhood memory was definitely making comic books growing up. I loved to come up with stories and create a comic that I’d then share around with my friends and family. I’d get in trouble a lot at school because of them. Some were a bit more riské than they should have been!
Pricing:
- Hourly work starts at $30
Contact Info:
- Website: flavinart.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flavinflave/
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