Natalie Kauffman, Author at MTM College

Paris Alleyne Wins Award for Best Comic Book Colourist

Paris Alleyne thought he might eventually get an award in his career as a comic book artist, he just didn’t anticipate it happening so soon. In the summer of 2020, Paris received an Eisner Award for Best Colourist on a Comic Book Series for his work on Afterlift, written by Chip Zdarsky and Jason Loo.

Natalie Kauffman, MTM Director of Outreach, spoke with Paris, who graduated from Max the Mutt’s Illustration program in 2013, about being an award winning colourist, his work on other projects such as Crescent And Io by Marvel Comics, and Black Comix Returns, as well as his personal work.

Colouring takes thought and attention

When asked how he makes his choices for how he colours his projects, he says it varies greatly each time. “Every project is different…that’ll change what you’re trying to get across.” It depends what the mood and style is that you’re trying to get across working with the illustrator.

Veering away from comics, Paris was a colourist for a book called Deal with it, a graphic novel dealing with real issues experienced by teens, published by James Lorimer & Co. He speaks about how the work that you do for comics – like meeting deadlines, working with writers/illustrators, working independently and fulfilling creative requirements – is not just limited to the comic book world. “Comics really prepare you for other types of illustration.” If anything, working on a book project was easier as the deadlines weren’t as tight as they normally are for comics. It is a profession that has many applications – from freelancing for comics and graphic novels, to graphic design for advertising and film – all of which are covered in the curriculum in the four year diploma Illustration & Storytelling for Sequential Arts program at MTM.

MTM teaches more than art skills

Paris credits MTM with teaching him more than art skills. “It’s where I learned self-reliance.” He continues, “Working as a freelancer now, if I don’t respond to this email or I don’t get this work done today, it doesn’t get done.” Paris remembers overhearing an instructor during his first year in one of his classes say: “The point of this is to learn to see”. Paris admits that his youthful defiant self resisted that instruction at the time, but later it clicked with him, and it’s been pivotal term that he has found has made a difference in his career ever since. He admits these principles taught at MTM saved him a lot of time and agony, which otherwise would have come from trial and error over many years. “The fundamentals that were taught there (at MTM) have carried on with me.”

Contributing to Black Comix Returns is particularly meaningful to Paris

Black Comix Return is a project which holds particular significance to Paris. He remembers seeing the first book, Black Comix (published in 2010), and thought “I want to work on this!”, even though he knew he didn’t have the body of work to contribute anything at that time. Years later, he actively sought out to be part of the next publishing, which worked out well since the author was seeking Paris out to be part of the next book too. “I knew I wanted to be part of a book like this so that I could properly feel like I was part of this community.” Being part of this book is his way of both contributing to the legacy of Black comic book artists, and to his own identity as a Black artist making his mark in this industry, which has traditionally been a white dominated field.

Teaching is a way to give back… and to constantly learn

Something else significant for Paris is to give back to the artist community, which means he has become an instructor at Max the Mutt! Paris taught Digital Painting last year and is teaching Digital Media for our students this Winter semester. Every time he teaches, he says, he learns from his students, which keeps things fresh for him.

Congratulations again, Paris!

We look forward to see what other super interesting projects you will be involved with next.

Watch the full interview on Youtube

Learn more about Paris on Instagram

Learn more about our Illustration and Storytelling for Sequential Arts Program

MTM rated one of the top schools in the world by The Rookies

The Rookies — known for its creative community and school rankings in creative media and entertainment categories — recently released its 10th annual ranking lists naming the Top 50 schools offering programs in game design, animation, visual effects, concept art, motion graphics and architectural visualization.

Over 500 International Schools Apply for this Award

We are honoured to say that Max the Mutt College of Animation, Art & Design made the cut. Over 500 International Schools submitted their student work to the Rookie Awards 2020, which were reviewed by industry professionals, so it means a lot to be included in the rankings and to be recognized as one of the Top Schools in the World!

Check out the full list of 2020 Top 50 Creative Media & Entertainment Schools and Colleges.

We’re also thrilled to be named one of the Top Concept Art Schools and Colleges in 2020.

Congrats to all the schools who made the list!

Artwork by massimilianobianchini95

A chat with Dave Ross: Comic Book Artist and MTM Instructor

Dave Ross, comic book artist and a long time instructor at MTM, loves to tell stories, not with words, but with pictures. That’s why he became an illustrator – specifically, a comic book illustrator.

“Tell a story, whether it’s your own or someone else’s”, advises Ross

MTM Director of Outreach, Natalie Kauffman, “sat down” (virtually, that is) with Dave Ross to chat with him about his career as a comic book artist, his teaching career, his book and more. So what does Ross, who has worked for Marvel, DC Comics and Darkhorse, amongst other publications, and has drawn such well-known characters as Captain America, Spiderman, Iron Man, Batgirl and Daredevil (and many more), recommend to those who want to make it in the big leagues? “Get out there and get yourself published.” Start off with an Indie comic, or self publish. “Tell a story, whether it’s your own or someone else’s, but show publishers that you can put together a visual story from start to finish – that’s the key.”

Ross was instrumental in the design of MTM’s Illustration Curriculum

As one of the founders of the Illustration and Storytelling for Sequential Arts diploma program at MTM, Ross has been instrumental in helping to design the curriculum over the years. When asked why Illustration should be a four-year diploma program for a college (upgraded from our original three-year diploma program), Ross has a simple answer: we teach everything you need to know in order to have a life long career in illustration. “It’s a really broad base of skills that you need”, Ross explains. “With a fourth year, we’re able to diversify some of the learning”. He goes on to explain that he’s now able to spend more time on teaching areas of study that there wasn’t time for before, which serves to make students stronger in the field and ready for a wider variety of potential career options.

Dave Ross’s book is used by art students all around the globe

Ross also talks about making his book, Freehand Figure Drawing for Illustrators, which has been widely received, translated into several languages (Japanese, Korean, Mainland Chinese) and has had him tour places such as Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. He has essentially crafted the book around courses that he teaches at MTM – constructive figure drawing – and has designed the book to be like a text book with exercises after each chapter. Ross loved meeting art students from around the globe, and can’t wait to get back on his book tour again, once it’s safe to do so. “You can go to the other side of the world and essentially be dealing with the same challenges with the students there,” Ross comments. Speaking of these artistic challenges, Ross notes that “the struggle is a universal struggle” – a struggle that he is happy to help students overcome!

This is a must-watch interview for anyone wanting to pursue a career in illustration, particularly in a comic book or graphic novel illustration. It’s also great for any of the multitudes of comic book lovers or fans of Dave Ross!

Watch the full Dave Ross interview here

Interested in becoming a comic book illustrator, a graphic novel illustrator or a children’s book illustrator? Find out more about MTM’s unique Illustration & Storytelling for Sequential Arts Diploma Program – the only one of its kind in Canada!

Be sure to check out daverossart.com too.

MTM grad M.Sassy.K makes her bread & butter in comic book art

Michele Assarasakorn, a.k.a. M.Sassy.K, has come full circle in her work as an illustrator. She started off her diploma at MTM in Illustration for Sequential Arts, then switched to Concept Art (which she graduated from in 2011) and now primarily works as a comic book artist. She thought that background art for video games would be where she would have ended up, but she came back to her love of comics. So skeptics beware, there is money in the comic book world!

It is possible to have a career as a Comic Book Artist?

Is it possible to have a successful career as a comic book artist that also pays the bills? “It is!”, says Michele from her home in Vancouver, “And it’s a lot broader than you think.” She goes on to say that “all the skills you learn in school with the foundations…it’s so broad that you can just leap into different careers as you progress as an artist”. There’s a lot of crossover in the industry so it’s not like you are stuck with the diploma choice you made, and the training at MTM prepares you for this kind of flexibility as a career artist.

Michele is the colourist on the comic book Isola, co-created by Brendan Fletcher (MOTOR CRUSH) and Eisner Award-winning storyteller Karl Kerschl, which just launched volume 2 (July 2020) in its series.

Understand what the market wants

Michele stresses how important it is to do your research before embarking on your career. Start your research before graduation, so you know what path you want to apply yourself after graduation. “You are your own business person so you have to understand what the market wants,” she emphasizes. As a freelancer, it’s critical that you set out with plan – even if you end up deviating from it. You have to choose your own direction and start working towards it – you cannot sit there and wait for someone to approach you.

It is because of the feedback of alumni like Michele, and others in the field, that the Illustration and Storytelling for Sequential Arts program was expanded in 2018 from a 3 year to a 4 year program to make sure that graduates were better prepared for a career as a freelancer, and to increase their general versatilely as visual storytellers, giving them many potential career options in areas such as Background Painting, Storyboarding, Layout and Visual Design for Marketing alongside freelance or published work in Comic Books, Graphic Novels, and Children’s Books.

Want to work in Canada after graduation? Don’t forget to do your research!

MTM is very welcoming to international students – we offer a unique international student orientation, we offer support throughout your time at MTM, and we have one of the lowest international tuition rates of animation, concept art or illustration program in North America.

Michele was one of our international students. When asked about her experience of what it was like to come to Canada as an international student, she says “it was a long journey… but it was definitely worth pursuing”. Michele believes that this country is full of opportunities for illustrators – comic books or concept art – and it’s worth the time and effort to make Canada your home to have the career that you love. Just don’t forget to research the permit process and what you will need to do post-graduating to stay in Canada!

Watch the full interview for helpful tips for any current students pursuing illustration, or for graduates looking for some pointers in starting your career. You’ll also see lots of Michele’s artwork too, a must see for any of her fans!

Interested in MTM’s Illustration and Storytelling for Sequential Arts Diploma Program? We also offer workshops for artists of all levels if you want to take a shorter course or one day workshop.

All illustrations in this article are by M.Sassy.K.

You can check out more of her work here!

Click here to see more of ISOLA

Second time a charm for recipient of our first year Scholarship Award!

Taneikah Anderson could have given up after she got rejected the first time she applied for the Sean Michael Stewart Memorial Scholarship at Max the Mutt, but instead, she took it as a challenge to improve her portfolio and apply again. Good thing she did as the second time around was what made the difference! Here’s why Taneikah chose Max the Mutt to foster her skillsets towards building a creative freelance career.

Illustration & Storytelling for Sequential Arts Program

Taneikah is the recipient of this year’s scholarship which is awarded to a first-year student entering one of our diploma programs; she is going into the Illustration & Storytelling for Sequential Arts (ISSA) program. Taneikah took the time over the past year to improve on her skills and keep pushing herself, a quality that is necessary to have in this field if you are going to make it, especially if you want a creative freelance career. She took the time to develop herself as an artist, to get over some of her anxieties, and “focus on getting better as an artist”, she says in our video interview from her home in Toronto.

Thriving Environment and Catered Art Classes

Taneikah chose MTM because of the small class sizes and the environment that the school provides. “When I went there (for the Open House) I just really liked the environment, I liked the vibes; it just seemed like a really cool place to be”. She also did her background research and was impressed with the instructors who teach at MTM and the courses that are offered. “The programs they had were super specific”, Taneikah commented, as compared to other schools where there were many art skills combined into one class, much “too generalized” for her. She recognizes how this attention to honing distinct art skills is what will set you apart in your art career and better prepare you for success.

Building a Creative Freelance Career

Asked about where she envisions herself after she graduates? “I want to be making my own comics…I want to have my own store where I’ll be selling my own prints”. Taneikah sees herself as an entrepreneur. Which was another reason why she chose MTM as her first choice of college, as one of the courses that are taught to ISSA students is Freelancing and Self Promotion.

Taneikah knows that she has a lot to learn and explore as a young art student, but she is clear about two things: “I love to tell stories and I love to draw”. Well, we can’t wait to see where she will take this passion of hers.

Congrats Taneikah and welcome to MTM!

Watch the full interview:

Do you see yourself as a freelance illustrator or are you looking towards building a creative freelance career? A comic book or graphic book artist? Do you love telling stories with your images? Then check out our ISSA diploma program or contact our admissions counsellor to learn more about how you could become a student who, like Taneikah, follows their passions to pursue the career of their dreams.

Aaron Long of BoJack Horseman fame, says his “terrible” drawing skills were what made him choose MTM

Max the Mutt’s animation diploma program graduate, Aaron Long, knew from an early age that he wanted to animate and make films. “I made my first animated film when I was nine”, says Aaron in my video interview with him from his home in Los Angeles. The film was called Hot Rod and Stinker, and he taught himself a lot from that point on how to create animated films.

It was drawing where he needed help. That’s where Max the Mutt came in.

“My drawing abilities were terrible” Aaron says reminiscing back on what led him to art college. Aaron recognized that being a good animator takes knowing how to draw well, something that is a significant part of the curriculum at MTM.

Drawing skills are key to being successful as an animator

It’s Aaron’s passion for animation that brought him to MTM, but he knew that he needed much more than just knowing how to animate. “They really pushed me to learn how to draw”, Aaron says of the instructors at MTM. Aaron wasn’t too keen on learning still life and painting, but later in his career, he understood how important that all was. It was also learning the History of Animation in year 1 that gave him his inspiration for Fester Fish, his animation series that caught the attention of the producer that hired him to work on his first studio production, TripTank, which was the reason for him moving to LA.

He’s been working consistently ever since graduating from MTM in 2013. After TripTank, he was hired to work on Bojack Horseman (starring Will Arnett), then Tuca and Bertie (which Aaron claims is the most fun show to work on!). He also finds time to visit his alma mater whenever he’s back in Toronto. Aaron was last at MTM in Nov 2019 to speak with current students and his fans about his journey as an animator and to offer some tips.

Personal work key to standing out in the animation biz

“Always work on your personal stuff; it’s what makes you stand out from the crowd”. Aaron still finds time, even as a busy director/animator, to work on his own projects, which since 2015 has been the show Sublo and Tangy Mustard, set in his hometown of Toronto. The show, based on his frequenting subway sandwich shops as a student, and observing store mascots wearing their outfits performing daily mundane activities like arguing with their girlfriend over their cell phone.

Several years later, he’s still making personal projects, just like that nine-year-old.

So, always find time to work on your passion projects; it can really pay off in the long run.

To see more of Aarons’ work check out his website AaronLongCartoons.com

Interested in a career as an animator? Check out our Animation Diploma Program. Want to try out a workshop? We’ve got a full range of workshops for you to choose from.

Love painting? Consider being a Concept Artist like Tiffani Brown

Tiffani Brown always knew that she loved art. So when she decided that she wanted to pursue a career as an artist, she thought that animation was the only way to go. “I thought Concept Art was for Video Games, I didn’t know!” Once Tiffani was enrolled at MTM, that’s when she discovered that a concept artist can do much more than video games. And so, her concept art training began!

A Career As A Concept Artist

Tiffani works as a background painter for the hit show Esme and Roy, season 2, at Nelvana Studio in Toronto. “I get to paint the world that they run around in!” she says of what she does for her job. “The company wasn’t even on my radar”, explained Tiffani in our interview with her. She thought she would have to start off small and work her way up. To her surprise, she was hired straight out of graduation. Proving that her concept art training was a success!

How did MTM help her achieve her dream of being a concept artist at a company that she loves?

“I love Max the Mutt because of how they push you into art.” It is this focus on traditional art skills, coupled with instructors who push you to do better that got her to the point where she was making art without even thinking about it; it helped build her confidence as an artist.

For the full interview and to see some of Tiffani’s work, see her website: tiffanibrown.myporfolio.com

Interested in pursuing a career in Concept Art? Check out our Diploma program! Want to getter better at painting skills? We have a series of Traditional and Digital Painting workshops that anyone can enjoy!

The 2D Animation Artist is definitely not a thing of the past – Interview with Josh Hill

An Interview with Animator and MTM Graduate Josh Hill by MTM Outreach Director, Natalie Kauffman

It’s a good thing Josh Hill didn’t listen to people’s advice when he was considering what kind of animation to focus on when he started at Max the Mutt (MTM) in 2014. At that time, a lot of people outside of MTM were saying 2D animation also known as traditional hand-drawn animation, was dead. Well, they were wrong.

Josh’s Journey Through Traditional Hand-Drawn Animation

We caught up with Josh, a 2018 Animation Program grad, who discusses getting his first job at YOWZA! Animation for the Netflix Series, Green Eggs and Ham, as a 2D animator. He landed this job while still completing his last year of school. He found out about the job from one of his instructors at MTM who knew that he loved traditional hand-drawn animation. Josh applied for the job by submitting a demo reel, and he got it! “I was on a high kinda after that…’cause I scored my dream job!”. It’s this kind of small community where instructors, who are working professionals, really help our grads to land the job of their dreams, that makes MTM special.

Take a listen to hear Josh’s story and find how he’s adjusting to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and other interesting anecdotes. Images of Josh’s drawings and video clips are also played throughout the interview so you can get a good glimpse into what he does. For any students currently in or considering a career in animation, particularly 2D animation or traditional hand-drawn animation, this is a great interview of someone who pursued what he loved doing and made it work!

Interested in pursuing a career in Animation? Check out our Diploma program! Just want to give Animation a try? We have a series of Traditional and Digital Animation workshops that anyone can enjoy!

You can also view the video on Instagram, in Part 1 and Part 2.

Thanks Josh! We look forward to hearing what’s next for you!

Interested in hearing what our other alumni are up to? Read some of their amazing stories or check out a selection of their artwork from their time at MTM.