theMIKEOWENSwebsite
Your Subtitle text
BIOI was born and raised in the small steel town of Johnstown Pennsylvania, the town know as Flood City due to the numerous water related disasters, one of which was witnessed first hand in 1977. After drying off,the next 18 years were spent watching cartoons, playing with action figures, pretending to be Indiana Jones by rolling under the slowly falling garage door, reluctanly played center field in little league, learned to play the trumpet in the marching band, played tackle football in Roxbury Park every Saturday, performed in a few musicals and occasionally drew cartoons.
After leaving Flood City, I attended Penn State University to study Film, Literature and Art. A growing interest in animation combined with a shrinking, almost nonexistent animation department at PSU led me Columbia College in Chicago. To support myself through those years I walked dogs for and with the rich and powerful citizens of the Windy City (including Oprah). After a summer internship at Sinnot & Associates, I was offered a full time animation position during my last semester at Columbia.
My professional career began in Chicago as a lead animator at Startoons working on The Animaniacs, Pinky & The Brain, and Histeria for Warner Brothers. While employed at Startoons, I volunteered to train students and staff at their new overseas studio in Hyderbad India. As a freelance animator at Calabash Animation, I helped create numerous commercial projects featuring Lucky the Leprechaun, the Trix Rabbit and the Keebler Eleves.
Currently I am living and working in Minneapolis as a freelance Animator for a variety of commercial, broadcast and web based projects. Transitioning from analog to digital production has opened the door for a interesting mix of animation projects ranging from infommercials for fishing lures on an obscure ESPN outdoors channel to music videos for Yo Gabba Gabba on Nickelodeon.
Between projects I teach a storyboard class at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and with the time left over collaborates on a few independent short films, watches movies, listens to records and occassionly goes out for a drink.
After leaving Flood City, I attended Penn State University to study Film, Literature and Art. A growing interest in animation combined with a shrinking, almost nonexistent animation department at PSU led me Columbia College in Chicago. To support myself through those years I walked dogs for and with the rich and powerful citizens of the Windy City (including Oprah). After a summer internship at Sinnot & Associates, I was offered a full time animation position during my last semester at Columbia.
My professional career began in Chicago as a lead animator at Startoons working on The Animaniacs, Pinky & The Brain, and Histeria for Warner Brothers. While employed at Startoons, I volunteered to train students and staff at their new overseas studio in Hyderbad India. As a freelance animator at Calabash Animation, I helped create numerous commercial projects featuring Lucky the Leprechaun, the Trix Rabbit and the Keebler Eleves.
Currently I am living and working in Minneapolis as a freelance Animator for a variety of commercial, broadcast and web based projects. Transitioning from analog to digital production has opened the door for a interesting mix of animation projects ranging from infommercials for fishing lures on an obscure ESPN outdoors channel to music videos for Yo Gabba Gabba on Nickelodeon.
Between projects I teach a storyboard class at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and with the time left over collaborates on a few independent short films, watches movies, listens to records and occassionly goes out for a drink.
MIKE OWENS grade 5
Westwood Elementary
Westwood Elementary
MIKE OWENS present day
Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis, MN