Phil Trumbo
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Phil Trumbo is an American art director, graphic designer, and film director. He is professor and department chair of digital gaming and media at the Kirkland Campus of Lake Washington Institute of Technology and is the creator of multiple
video games A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
.


Education and teaching

Phil Trumbo has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from
Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a Public university, public research university in Richmond, Virginia, United States. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virgin ...
and studied Classical Animation, Storyboard and Anatomy at the American Animation Institute in
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. Trumbo has exhibited and lectured at the
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the History of cinema in the United States, motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private fu ...
, Antioch University in London,
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, Siggraff,
UNICEF UNICEF ( ), originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing Humanitarianism, humanitarian and Development a ...
in Paris,
University of Brighton The University of Brighton is a public university based in Brighton on the south coast of England. Its roots can be traced back to 1858 when the Brighton School of Art was opened in the Royal Pavilion. It achieved university status in 1992. T ...
in England, and the
University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...
. He taught art and animation at
Digipen Institute of Technology DigiPen Institute of Technology is a private for-profit university in Redmond, Washington. It also has campuses in Singapore and Bilbao, Spain. DigiPen offers bachelor's and master's degree programs. History In 1988, DigiPen was founded by ...
and
Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a Public university, public research university in Richmond, Virginia, United States. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virgin ...
.


Biography

According to artist Stephen Hickman,
Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a Public university, public research university in Richmond, Virginia, United States. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virgin ...
in Richmond was "a bohemian paradise in the late sixties." In January 1983, Trumbo and Steve Segal set up a spaceship set to prepare for filming actress Mary Copeland and actor/animator Jim Jinkins. The four worked for a week on a project for
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filming 10-second scenes for possible use as ID spots. When bass guitarist Trumbo joined the experimental jazz and improvisational performance group Orthotonics in 1979 in
Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...
, they began incorporating his art and released three albums before breaking up in 1989. During his time living in Richmond, Trumbo contributed to the comic tabloid ''Fan Free Funnies'' along with artists Bill Nelson and
Charles Vess Charles Vess (born June 10, 1951) is an American fantasy artist and comics artist who has specialized in the illustration of myths and fairy tales. His influences include British "Golden Age" book illustrator Arthur Rackham, Czech Art Nouveau p ...
. In 1982 an illustration by Trumbo appeared in Heavy Metal Magazine. Trumbo and Steve Segal's 1984 short film '' Futuropolis'' was shown at the Biograph Theatre in Richmond and was later made available on
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. F. T. Rea, also a contributor to ''Fan Free Funnies'', was a manager of the Biograph Theatre in Richmond and has written that "In the Fan, in the early-1970s, there was a group of young, mostly VCU-trained artists, who created paintings and prints in a style that owed much to old animated cartoons. Some of them were also making short films in Super 8 and 16mm and hung out at the Biograph." Rea adds, "Due to his well-honed talent for drawing cartoons, the most obvious of this pack was Phil Trumbo." Rea quotes Trumbo 's statement that "We were all influenced by the amazing work of sixties underground cartoonists . . . like
Robert Crumb Robert Dennis Crumb (; born August 30, 1943) is an American artist who often signs his work R. Crumb. His work displays a nostalgia for American folk culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and satire of contemporary American c ...
, Rick Griffith, S. Clay Wilson and
Trina Robbins Trina Robbins ( Perlson; August 17, 1938 – April 10, 2024) was an American cartoonist. She was an early participant in the underground comix movement, and one of the first women in the movement. She co-produced the 1970 underground comic '' I ...
." Trumbo has worked as a storyboarder,
comic artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the literary ...
,
animation director An animation director is the director in charge of all aspects of the animation process during the production of an animated or television film, or an animated segment for a live-action film or television show. Alternatively, the animation direct ...
, FX editor and
creative director A creative director is a person who makes high-level creative decisions; oversees the creation of creative assets such as advertisements, products, events, or logos; and directs and translates the creative people who produce the end results. Creat ...
in multiple productions. He worked as part of a group hired to create the children's television show Pee-Wee's Playhouse and directed the lead-in. He won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Achievement in Main Title and Graphic Design. Other awards included
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Stevie Award for best creative team,
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Fast 50 Award for fastest growing businesses for Amaze Entertainment, three
Clio Award The Clio Awards, also simply known as The Clios, is an annual award program that recognizes innovation and creative excellence in advertising, design, and communication, as judged by an international panel of advertising professionals. The awar ...
Nominations for animation, direction and special effects in animated commercials, and Critic's Choice Award at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival. In 1991, Trumbo was the designer of 13 episodes and storyboard artist for two episodes of the TV series '' Doug''. In 1995 he was art director of the video game ''Izzy's Quest for Olympic Rings''. In 2002 he was visual effects supervisor for the short comedy film ''Titanic II'', and in 2003 he was creative director of the video game '' Disney's Brother Bear''.


References


External links


Demonstration reel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trumbo, Phil Filmmakers from Virginia Daytime Emmy Award winners Artists from Richmond, Virginia American art directors American animated film directors Alternative cartoonists American graphic designers American video artists Living people Virginia Commonwealth University faculty Virginia Commonwealth University alumni Year of birth missing (living people)