Can You Give Us Some History on What Inspired You to Become an Animator?

Popeye inspired me to become an animator. He was my hero, and in grade six, I decided to study animation because I wanted to get paid for spending my days making Popeye cartoons. “Kidhood” for me was creatively normal with crayons and paint by numbers.

Later, high school put watercolor, oil paint and sculpting tools in my hands. Art was the world I wanted to work in, but it frightened me. There were too many avenues to choose from, and my tiny hometown was not a hotbed of inspiration. While sitting in the office at Sheridan College waiting to speak to someone about the Illustration program, the coordinator of Classical Animation wandered up, looked at my portfolio and said he would be happy to accept me into the animation program – and here I am.

Guest Blogger Wayne Gilbert