LeSean Thomas
Encyclopedia
LeSean Thomas A South Bronx, NYC native is an American
animator
, illustrator
, comic book artist
, writer, and character designer. He is currently working as animation production staff for Studio Mir in Seoul, Korea.
His current projects include: The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra
(originally titled Avatar: The Legend of Korra) & Black Dynamite: The animated series
His recent projects include: Co-Director and supervising character designer for Aaron McGruder's The Boondocks
animated TV series for Sony Pictures Animation, as well as work on Ben 10: Alien Force
animated series on Cartoon Network, Batman: The Brave and the Bold
TV series, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
animated DVD movie and Green Lantern: First Flight
animated DVD movie for Warner Brothers Animation.
animated series helped propel the show to be nominated for an NAACP Image Award
for Outstanding Comedy Series and win the honorary Peabody Award.
Thomas has worked as a storyboard artist on Ben 10: Alien Force on Cartoon Network. assistant animator and key storyboard artist for such shows as Lizzie McGuire
and Kim Possible
on The Disney Channel
, and The Batman on Kid's WB! He served as Lead Character Designer and Key Animator on Showtime's web series WhirlGirl.
LeSean landed his first production deal with the late George Jackson's UBO Network. There, he created BattleSeed, an animated online series. Thomas wrote, produced and directed the series which was presented at the New York Anime Film Festival in 2000. He produced a BattleSeed original animated trailer which aired in theaters as a promotional trailer for the Sci Fi Channel. Thomas also provided production development for the action adventure movie UltraViolet
.
Thomas is also a comic book
artist, with work on such titles as Arkanium, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
. His books include sketch bible Nervous Breakdowns: The Art of LeSean Thomas Vol. 1.He has also released the artbook Midnight Marauder: The Art of LeSean Thomas Vol. 2 and currently working onCannon Busters
, a creator-owned graphic novel
.
In 2009 he was hired in-house as animation production staff for top, Korean animation studios, JM Animation Studio, Studio Mir and later Moi Animation studio in Seoul, marking him as the first American animator to be hired to work in-house as permanent, independent production staff for animation studios in South Korea.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
, illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
, comic book artist
Comic Book Artist
Comic Book Artist was an American magazine founded by Jon B. Cooke devoted to anecdotal histories of American comic books, with emphasis on comics published since the 1960s...
, writer, and character designer. He is currently working as animation production staff for Studio Mir in Seoul, Korea.
His current projects include: The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra
The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra
The Last Airbender: Legend of Korra is an upcoming American animated television series that is expected to air on Nickelodeon in mid-2012. The series is a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender, which aired on the same network from 2005 to 2008, and may run for 26 episodes...
(originally titled Avatar: The Legend of Korra) & Black Dynamite: The animated series
His recent projects include: Co-Director and supervising character designer for Aaron McGruder's The Boondocks
The Boondocks (TV series)
The Boondocks is an American animated series created by Aaron McGruder on Cartoon Network's late night programing block, Adult Swim, based on McGruder's comic strip of the same name...
animated TV series for Sony Pictures Animation, as well as work on Ben 10: Alien Force
Ben 10: Alien Force
When it recalibrated it gained a more watch-like shape, a green wristband, became smaller and sleeker, and the face dial became black and green. The inside of the hourglass shape glows in different colors at special moments; these colors signify the state that the Omnitrix is presently in...
animated series on Cartoon Network, Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Batman: The Brave and the Bold is an American animated television series based in part on the DC Comics series The Brave and the Bold which features two or more super heroes coming together to solve a crime or foil a super villain...
TV series, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies
# "Markets Crash"# "Main Titles"# "Freeway Chase"# "Admit Something"# "Meteor"# "Metallo"# "High Voltage"# "Framed"# "Luthor talks to Power Girl"# "S.T.A.R...
animated DVD movie and Green Lantern: First Flight
Green Lantern: First Flight
# "Main Title" # "The Ring Chooses Hal" # "Hal Meets / The Flight of The Lanterns" # "Labella's Club" # "Going After Cuch" # "The Way I Heard It" # "Bugs in the Baggage" # "Teleport Pursuit"...
animated DVD movie for Warner Brothers Animation.
Career
Thomas's contributions as Supervising Character Designer and Co-Director on Seasons 1 and 2 of Adult Swim's The BoondocksThe Boondocks (TV series)
The Boondocks is an American animated series created by Aaron McGruder on Cartoon Network's late night programing block, Adult Swim, based on McGruder's comic strip of the same name...
animated series helped propel the show to be nominated for an NAACP Image Award
NAACP Image Award
An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
for Outstanding Comedy Series and win the honorary Peabody Award.
Thomas has worked as a storyboard artist on Ben 10: Alien Force on Cartoon Network. assistant animator and key storyboard artist for such shows as Lizzie McGuire
Lizzie McGuire
Lizzie McGuire is an American teen sitcom which premiered on the Disney Channel on January 12, 2001 and ended February 14, 2004. A total of 65 episodes were produced and aired. Its target demographic was preteens and adolescents...
and Kim Possible
Kim Possible
Kim Possible is an American animated television series about a teenage crime fighter who has the task of dealing with worldwide, family, and school issues every day. The show is action-oriented, but also has a light-hearted atmosphere and often lampoons the conventions and clichés of the...
on The Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
, and The Batman on Kid's WB! He served as Lead Character Designer and Key Animator on Showtime's web series WhirlGirl.
LeSean landed his first production deal with the late George Jackson's UBO Network. There, he created BattleSeed, an animated online series. Thomas wrote, produced and directed the series which was presented at the New York Anime Film Festival in 2000. He produced a BattleSeed original animated trailer which aired in theaters as a promotional trailer for the Sci Fi Channel. Thomas also provided production development for the action adventure movie UltraViolet
Ultraviolet (film)
Ultraviolet is a 2006 American science fiction action film written and directed by Kurt Wimmer and produced by Screen Gems. It stars Milla Jovovich as Violet Song and Cameron Bright as Six. It was released in North America on March 3, 2006...
.
Thomas is also a comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
artist, with work on such titles as Arkanium, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
. His books include sketch bible Nervous Breakdowns: The Art of LeSean Thomas Vol. 1.He has also released the artbook Midnight Marauder: The Art of LeSean Thomas Vol. 2 and currently working onCannon Busters
Cannon Busters
Cannon Busters is an American fantasy comic book series by LeSean Thomas, launched in March 2005.-Publication history:The first issue of the series was due to be published by Com.x in 2003 but moved to Devil's Due in 2004 and was published in 2005....
, a creator-owned graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
.
In 2009 he was hired in-house as animation production staff for top, Korean animation studios, JM Animation Studio, Studio Mir and later Moi Animation studio in Seoul, marking him as the first American animator to be hired to work in-house as permanent, independent production staff for animation studios in South Korea.
External links
Interviews
- Freestyle Collective Interview With LeSean Thomas
- Character design Interview with LeSean Thomas
- CATCH THE CRAZE COMICS PODCAST Interview with LeSean Thomas
- A Close Look At The Young Career of LeSean Thomas, Comics BulletinComics BulletinComics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...
, March 1, 2004