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April 27, 2006
Carl Sowerby: True Magician
By DEANNA DAHLSAD
Carl Sowerby's always had a passion for drawing -- be it on paper,
cardboard, wood, or Graphics Tablet. He credits falling in love with
animation to viewing a TV program about the Disney Studio during the
"Golden Age" of animation. He was about 12 years old, and "It seemed
like the closest thing to true magic!"
Carl was schooled in his home town, Appleby, then went to colleges in
Cambridge and Carlisle, where he studied English literature, then
Creative Digital Technology. After leaving college he worked as an ad
designer at the local newspaper for 4 years before making the big leap
and going freelance in 2003.
Initially he worked on the BBC children's series BB3B and did some flash
animations for the American Comedy Network. One day at the AWN
(Animation World Network) website, Carl noticed an ad for E-card
designers. He replied, sending samples of his work. Kat, who had
placed the ad, got back in touch very quickly asking for additional
samples showing Carl's personal style and sense of humour. Carl did so
and remembers the reply: "The reply that came back was: 'You made me
laugh Carl'. This was a good sign!"
Carl started working for No Evil Productions in 2005. Since Carl's come
aboard, he's enjoying being a member of the Dream Team. He appreciates
Kat's professionalism, her drive to succeed, and her willingness to
embrace new technology -- be it in terms of the medium, the hardware, or
the software. On a more personal level, he enjoys Kat's interest in
culture. "I can remember various online chats at some ungodly hour
about such things as Spinal Tap, Marcel Marceau, Curb your Enthusiasm
and Asian Cinema."
But his favorite things at No Evil are the flexibility and variety. The
flexibility allows Carl to remain a nightowl, and the variety of
projects keeps things fresh. "Up to now I have animated E-cards,
shorts, and am currently working on a flash game! There is a good sense
of teamwork too - with ideas/opinions being valued at every stage."
Some of Carl's favorite projects are the Martha Stewart ecard and
Subpoena Power, the flash game.
"I like the Martha Stewart ecard because it successfully parodies Martha
- but also because there is humour in the secondary characters too. I
enjoyed diverting the attention with the 2 musicians "Gabble Zindar" and
"Gog Puh". They threaten to steal the animation - much like a
supporting actor will steal a film!"
"Subpoena Power is very exciting because it's actually a game rather
than simply an animation. The interactivity involved opens a whole new
set of possibilities. It's like a 5th dimension. I've been interested in
Flash games for a while - and finally I get the chance to work on one. I
have high hopes for this!"
In 2005 Carl also won a competition to get his work showcased on the 4th
Gorillaz single from the album Demon Days. The single is called ElManana, and he
worked on the video to one of the b-sides on the DVD version.
Thirty-one year old Carl now lives in Carlisle, in the county of Cumbria
(North West England). Probably most famous for being the location of
the Lake District, Carl is spoiled by the very picturesque collection of
lakes and mountains. And his day job -- err, make that night job
isn't bad either. Life is good.
photos © Neil Boothman
Posted by photocartoonist at April 27, 2006 8:09 PM
Comments
hiya just another carl sowerby
Posted by: carl sowerby at August 24, 2006 4:00 PM