Milton Knight

Milton Knight (born May 12, 1962, in Mineola, New York) is an African-American cartoonist/animator, comic book artist and writer, painter, and storyboard/layout artist known for his Golden Age (1930s) cartooning style.

Biography

At age two, Knight began to draw, paint and create comic books attempts and animation. In 1978 to 1979, he attended BOCES Nassau County Cultural Arts Center (Syosset, N.Y.) and Hofstra University; Hempstead. From 1979 on, he illustrated for national magazines and newspapers: The Village Voice, Family Weekly, Nickelodeon Magazine, The Electric Company Magazine, National Lampoon, High Times, Heavy Metal, and others. He created theatre posters, music CD covers, greeting cards, candy, t-shirts, paintings, and other products. He moved to California in 1991, where he became an animator for TV cartoons. He developed the art, character, prop, background, storyboard, and color designs of animated cartoons for Disney TV, MGM TV, Saban, Rhythm & Hues, Warner Bros. Animation, HBO, and others.

He teaches art at The Colonnade Art Gallery and Studio in Pasadena, CA. He is an Animation Archive Volunteer for ASIFA.

Animated cartoons

• Cool World (1992)(Ralph Bakshi/Paramount) character designer, layout, animation
• Battletoads (1992)(TV movie) storyboard/layout artist
• Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (1993 TV series)(DIC Entertainment) Story, storyboard artist character, background & prop design, layout, animation.
• The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat (1995 TV series)(Film Roman) Directed four shorts, Co-writer
• The Mouse and the Monster (1996 TV series) (Saban) storyboard artist, etc.
• safety spot for California Dept. of Water Resources. (Baer Animation) theater & TV - directed, animated
• Johnny Test (2005 TV series)
• Class of 3000 (2006) storyboard artist
• Attila and the Great Blue Bean (2007) illustrations
• Caprice! - independent cartoon planned, not made

Comic strips & comic books

• Mighty Mouse: 8-page strip written & drawn for publisher Spotlight in 1987
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)
• Mighty Mouse: (1990 to 1991) 10 issue Marvel Comics comic book series
• Betty Boop's Big Break
• Graphic Classics: (involvement since 1991)(Eureka Productions) paperback series - H.G. Wells, Edgar Allan Poe, and Arthur Conan Doyle adaptations
• Harveyville Fun Times!
• Poker!: Zora Neale Hurston adaptation in The Graphic Canon (Seven Stories Press)

Adult comic strips & comic books

• Hugo (1982)(Fantagraphics Books) First independent comic book he published.
• Screw strips
• Heavy Metal strips (1980s)
• Mack
• Midnite the Rebel Skunk
• Moonie (Moonchild)(Mu Press)
• Nanny Dickering
• Slug 'n' Ginger (pen name: Lou Hepton)
• Wild Kingdom (Mu Press)
• Wolfo (in Screw magazine)
• Zoe (in High Times)
• Hinkley (MU Press)
• Series of 30 ink drawings about depression
• World War 3 Illustrated

Music Album Covers

• Fats Waller Hallelujah
• Halloween Stomp
• Laughter from the Hip
• Que Rico! Mozambique - Ricardo Estrada
• Raymond Scott Project Powerhouse
• Sheiks and Vamps 1920's Dance Bands Vol. 1
• Sissy Man Blues
• Viper Mad Blues

Quotes

"I've never formed a barrier between fine art and cartooning. Growing up, I treasured Chinese watercolors, Breughel, Charlie Brown and Terrytoons equally." -- Milton Knight

"Audiences actually wanted a wilder, raunchier Cool World. The premiere audience I saw it with certainly did." -- Milton Knight

"The Grim Reaper is right out of a Max Fleischer cartoon or old Terrytoons, which is why I hired and love Milton Knight the artist. He understands totally the Uncle Remus fable like qualities behind Fleischer and Terrytoons. Milton Knight is probably the purest artist of that style in the business. He has a hard time because studios think he is old fashioned...but that's the point." -- Ralph Bakshi

External links

• Official website
• Milton Knight - The World of Knight - Pasadena, California
• Milton Knight - IMDb
• GRAPHIC CLASSICS
• Milton Knight (comic artists & creators)