Meet Landon Jenkins

We had the good fortune of connecting with Landon Jenkins and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Landon, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I wasn’t fitting into the animation industry pipeline. My first love is character design (a very competitive field), but I also do motion graphics, 2D animation, game development, electronic music… If my goal was to get hired doing just *one* of those things, my portfolio was too split-up. I simply love too many things. I started my business because I wanted my wide skillset to be an asset rather than a downside. I enjoy working on multiple stages of a project and efficiently seeing one artistic vision through.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I focus on character. Whether it’s animating a character, creating motion graphics for a client, making storyboards and scripts, or even developing games for the web — I try to make sure everything I do is dripping with personality!
For example, I recently did motion graphics sequences for an upcoming indie short film called Deuce Purgatory, and that was a lovely experience! I cartoon-ified the main cast of the film into video game-styled pixel characters, giving them wacky animations and facial expressions that put their personalities on full display. The client was over the moon!
I love doing stuff like that — developing off-beat ideas.

A few other things that got me where I am today:

I was a big reader as a kid, both books and graphic novels. I’m glad my family went to the library so often, because reading strengthens your imagination; it makes you better at visualizing scenes and ideas.

I’ve practiced my art regularly for a long time via passion projects, and I familiarized myself with advanced creative software like Adobe Flash, Blender, Unity, and Godot game engine as early as middle and high school. These projects taught me a ton.

I’ve been learning to strike a balance between what is practical and sustainable versus what art burns in my soul, clawing to get out. Don’t lose sight of what makes you excited to create, because others can feel it — and that can get THEM excited. At the same time, make sure your communication is clear, and be proactive in looking for hidden niches, obscure opportunities, and ethical ways to work smarter.

Has it been easy? No way. I struggle to this day with a lot of anxiety around my creative life, and I have a nasty tendency to freak out and second-guess every little decision. Frankly, I think that has stopped me from pursuing opportunities that could have significantly have changed my life.
In spite of that, I have made so much progress. I successfully directed an ambitious animated short in art school called “Garg”, but to finish it, I had to confront my anxiety around new challenges like working in a collaborative environment, delegating tasks, and dealing with unreasonable workloads. I started my own business and deepened my various skill sets.

I want the world to know that my brand is about character because having character is what really matters. Relying on the latest trends or technology is not enough. Human connection is what makes life, or art, worth it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
In this hypothetical scenario, my best friend and I would go to this nice place called Manuel’s Tavern for brunch. Nearby, we’d stop by this quaint little video store called the Videodrome and probably check out a DVD to watch later.

At some point we’d probably walk along the Atlanta Beltline (Is it close to the Tavern? Can’t remember. Typing too fast.) and then hit up Ponce City Market to get some ramen from Ton Ton and snacks from Five Daughters Bakery.

Then…we’ll probably go to Trader Joe’s (yes, I know those are everywhere) and get those freeze-dried okra (yes, really) and those delightful little kettle-cooked fruit chews that I can’t stop eating whenever I have them!

Then drive to this cool store called 2nd and Charles in Kennesaw that sells used books and games and stuff. It’s a long drive because the traffic be garbage, but it’s okay because I have a playlist of cringy songs I love which we can listen to the whole time. (If they’re not on board with that, they probably aren’t my best friend!)

Then, while we’re up there, we might as well go to Sugarloaf Mills mall! Why not?

And then drive AGAIN (this is a very inefficient trip….) to Canton House Chinese Restaurant in Chamblee for a dim sum dinner. Yummmmmmmmm!

And we listened to my best friend’s cringy songs they love on the way to Chamblee, just to be fair.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family! My mom taught me to use computers and creative software from a very young age, setting me on a path of creativity and continuing to provide guidance. (There’s actually a family photo of a 5-year-old me on the computer using Macromedia FreeHand.) My dad has been a strong, supportive advocate, continually encouraging me to pursue the career I’m passionate about. My siblings have always been there for me to lean on. I’m forever grateful to have them all in my life.
I’ve also found support within Monday Meeting, an online weekly Zoom group for motion designers to learn and hang out; as well as ASIFA-South, an organization full of local animation industry professionals with a wealth of experiences.
Finally, a quick shout out to my animator friend Salvé Black for recommending me for this interview.

Website: https://happycrazywild.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/landonx.art/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/landonxart/

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/landon-j-224547113

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@happycrazywild/videos