Hello.
I’m Chris. I like to make things.
When I was a kid, I drew pictures and made up stories. As a teenager I started playing in rock bands. Now, as a proper grown-up adult professional I basically do the same things. I play in rock bands a little less frequently, but still mainly draw pictures and make up stories. The biggest difference is that now people pay me—most of the time. For the drawing and storytelling, at least. I still don’t make much money playing rock music.
I work with ad agencies and companies in Seattle, Minneapolis, Atlanta, and elsewhere solving problems and helping to sell goods and services. Most recently it’s plant-based foods, petroleum, and toilet paper (sold separately).
There’s more strategy involved than when I was a kid, and the goals are different. Back then, it was “make something interesting you’ve never seen before,” “make people laugh,” “just try to do something cool.” Actually, maybe things aren’t all that different.
When I was a kid, I drew pictures and made up stories. As a teenager I started playing in rock bands. Now, as a proper grown-up adult professional I basically do the same things. I play in rock bands a little less frequently, but still mainly draw pictures and make up stories. The biggest difference is that now people pay me—most of the time. For the drawing and storytelling, at least. I still don’t make much money playing rock music.
I work with ad agencies and companies in Seattle, Minneapolis, Atlanta, and elsewhere solving problems and helping to sell goods and services. Most recently it’s plant-based foods, petroleum, and toilet paper (sold separately).
There’s more strategy involved than when I was a kid, and the goals are different. Back then, it was “make something interesting you’ve never seen before,” “make people laugh,” “just try to do something cool.” Actually, maybe things aren’t all that different.
I started my career in advertising as a freelancer. I’ve worked for agencies big and small, and in-house. My jobs over the years include art director, creative director, and graphic designer—plus senior, associate, etc. from time to time. Titles are weird.
I spent 10+ years in Atlanta, working for Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. (No, I didn’t draw the cartoons.) I was a part of an internal agency working on content and promotions for the networks and shows. I had a hand in the launch of pretty much every show that launched on Cartoon from 2005 to 2015.
My work has been published in Communication Arts, Print, and HOW Design, and recognized by The Webbys, Little Black Book, AdFed, AIGA, PromaxBDA, and others.
An app I worked on won an Emmy. Apps can win those, I guess.
What else?
Sometimes I make stuff without getting paid for it.
Some creative friends and I used to get together on Mondays to play collaborative drawing games. There may have been beer involved. Sometimes we turned sketches into screen prints, but usually they just ended up here.
I play in rock bands. I call it art rock, but my bandmates use descriptors that have more than one hyphen. You get the idea. I play the guitar.
Invoices (pandemic project)
lada (c. 2011–2013)
Choose Your Battles (c. 2007–2008)
I called my latest solo rock project “Invoices” because “non-billable hours” was a little on the nose.
I made a bunch of noisey, sometimes pretty, often complicated instrumental tracks with guitars in my basement and drums on my laptop.
What else was I supposed to do without leaving the house for a year and a half?