ILLUSTRATOR ANIMATION FULL

I hope that our industry can respect artists and their labor, time, and creativity and compensate them fairly. In the animation field, we had a strong union that helped us get healthcare and good compensation, but with the diffuse nature of the labor in comics, there is nothing like that. So many artists I know are barely making a living wage. The schedules are insane and the pay isn’t nearly enough. Our industry chews up artists and spits them back out. Ying: The legendary artist Jack Kirby said, “Comics will break your heart, kid,” and I see that that is still true to this day. Don’t spend your life hating yourself and trying to change to be good enough because that’s a losing game.Ĭhan: What change would you like to see in your industry? Ying: You don’t have to become somebody that is lovable, you already are. It will be another graphic novel that explores what it was like to be a young person on the internet and finding yourself in unsafe situations because of your ambition.Ĭhan: What is a life lesson you’d like to share with a younger version of yourself? Ying: Currently, I am working on the followup to my book Hungry Ghost with an untitled project using some of my own life experiences as the seed. I think that you can tell when something is written and made with sincerity and when that happens, a spell is cast and magic happens.

The power of fiction is to reveal something about our humanity and it requires a level of introspection to be able to deliver on that promise. Ying: A great story has to speak some kind of emotional truth. Victoria YingĬhan: What is the most important element to a great story? Victoria Ying decides the next part of her story. I wrote fantasies for so long that this is a big departure for me, but it was a book that needed to come out of me and it is the work that I am most proud of. It was a gut wrenching thing to write, but there’s a truth in it that is undeniable. The leadership on that film was so supportive and kind and helped me to become the storyteller that I am today.įor books, Hungry Ghost is the book of my heart. I think you never quite forget the magic of working with a team and building a vision together. Ying: In terms of films, Tangled being my first holds a very special place in my heart. My YA debut graphic novel Hungry Ghost will publish on April 25, 2023.Ĭhan: What has been your favorite project that you’ve worked on?

ILLUSTRATOR ANIMATION FULL

I moved into publishing full time with my debut graphic novel City of Secrets and it’s sequel City of Illusion. I learned a lot from watching the process at the studio and realized that I could develop my skills as a writer as well as an illustrator. I am lucky enough to say that I worked on films such as Tangled, Frozen, Wreck it Ralph, Big Hero 6 and Moana.īut the desire to write my own stories stayed with me.

I was lucky enough to be asked to stay on full time after my apprenticeship and I was a Disney employee for eight years. I got to learn the ins and outs of the Disney way of telling stories and I got to work with some of the best in the business. I applied for the Disney Talent Development program and after one failed attempt, eventually made it in in 2008. Art Center is known for their entertainment program and I learned a lot about the business of making art for films. I applied to Art Center college of design where I graduated with a major in Illustration and a minor in Entertainment. I focused hard and worked on my art during the dawn of the internet age by posting on forums and creating my own website at the age of fifteen. Victoria Ying: When I was in the eighth grade, I wrote in my yearbook that I wanted to write manga and move to Japan. Goldie Chan: What has your career path been?

Illustrator animation