Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven Shackelford.
Hi Steven, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I guess the story really began at age 3; the creative spark struck me quite early, doodling stick figures and reading comics. As the years went by, there was a lot of art class, regional competitions, and eventually, the Art Institute of Dallas straight out of high school.
My stint there didn’t last too long, though, as my gaze was transfixed on the West Coast. My cousin David (also an artist) and I had formed a company, SKETCHKINGS INC., and wanted to try our hand at Hollywood; therefore, we marshaled our resources and charted course for LA.
Our first couple years were rough, doing freelance grunt work, such as concept art, storyboards, and treatments for various productions–our true goal was to produce our own original animated feature. In the summer of 2011, we got our chance.
We pitched our project to ICM and WME, the latter taking to our idea and landing us an agent partner who saw its franchise potential. Seeking to pair us up with SeaWorld, who was also looking to rebrand their parks, our agent planned to partner us up in an unprecedented package deal. Things were looking up.
Or so we thought, in the following 6 months, SeaWorld’s legal woes and its documentary expose, “Blackfish,” killed our chances. Our agent stopped calling, and David and I had to move back to Dallas to lick our wounds. Getting over that loss was a difficult road in the years that followed.
But like all blessings, they came in perfect disguise–I was given the opportunity to rebuild everything from the ground up. I completely retooled my project, Dave and I were able to acquire new representation, and I even discovered an entirely new arena of expertise: graphic design. My rebrand concepts have started to grow in recognition in social media, even as recent in collaborating with the AI company Alpha3D!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
That would be a resounding NO.
Homelessness, bankruptcy, fights with loved ones, creative slumps, multiple restarts, existential crisis of faith–the scars are real.
But nothing worth doing is an easy path; it’s not supposed to be.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I consider myself a ‘hypercreative’ artist, very conceptual-imagineer driven.
The go-to mediums are my illustration and graphic designs with a ‘pop-art aesthetic, which is pretty much my signature style.
I find my best work lies in my original, intellectual properties, namely my animated project–it truly will captivate the entire world upon its debut. It is unlike anything anyone has even seen!
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
Being an 80’s Baby and 90’s kid, experiencing the periods pop culture was the best thing going: Saturday morning cartoons, comic books, movies, video games, action figures literally molded my creative upbringing into who I am today as an artist.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/stevencshackelford
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Email: sketchkingsinc@gmail.com
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Phone: (469) 350-4365
Image Credits
@stevencshackelford
