I manage the production of the artwork for the Warhammer MMO. That includes such non-glorious tasks as scheduling artwork production and attending meetings, as well as highly rewarding stuff like developing the artistic vision of the game and interacting with our vastly talented art staff.
What is your background?
I have been drawing since I was a child. I took 10 years of art schooling including my degree in painting and drawing from
James Madison University.
How has this experience helped you with this job?
Artistic discernment is a huge part of my job. It allows me to critique someone's artwork and offer suggestions that
improve their work. Part of this, I would say, is innate ability. However art classes, exposure to cool artwork, and
keeping yourself steeped in relevant imagery and media such as movies, fantasy paintings, comic books, etc. are all part
of what helps an artist to be as creative and effective as possible.
What was your first game industry job?
Does working as a sales clerk at Babbages count? I started in game development over 10 years ago at one of the online
gaming pioneers, Kesmai Corporation. Both Kesmai and Mythic were offering online games that supported thousands of
players long before other purported "pioneers".
Where else have you worked?
After being at Kesmai for six years, a startup company named Lodestone Games brought me on board as their Lead Artist.
That was a great experience that allowed me to form strong bonds with many of my co-workers who now in fact work at
Mythic, where I've been for the past two years. I have worked with the Lead Programmer and Technology Director on
Warhammer for over 6 years on various projects.
What was your "welcome to the game industry" moment when it hit you that you were really making
games for a living?
I never had an epiphany so to speak regarding my career. However I often think about how cool it is to do what I do and
remind myself to be thankful for the blessed life I have.
What excites you about the Warhammer property?
Warhammer has great art design, cool characters, and a thickly detailed world benefiting from 20 years of
development and refinement. I have no doubt that when Warhammer is unleashed, everyone will be blown away
by the great artistry of the fantasy Warhammer universe. We will be offering some amazing player
characters and epic environments. It is all very exciting stuff to work on!
What are your hopes/goals for the game?
That the hard work and talent of our team will bring to fruition an amazing MMO experience set in
the Warhammer world so that everyone realizes just how exciting the Warhammer world is.
What is the biggest problem with current MMO's you hope to fix with the Warhammer MMO?
Player avatars are boring. They have become very cookie cutter. Warhammer has some of the most amazing armor and
character designs. Anyone familiar with the miniatures can attest to how flavorful this stuff is.
What are your favorite video/computer games of all time?
Civilization, Unreal Tournament, and Enemy Territory. I'm playing Resident Evil 4 right now.
Is there a recent movie you've seen or book/comic you read that you'd recommend to others?
Check out the new Wallace and Grommit!
Anything else you want to add?
Dwarfs for the win!
