Biography
I'm an artist based in Los Angeles, California. I work across media — as a writer, a cartoonist, an animator, and a musician — to observe, illuminate, poke fun at, and reimagine how human beings navigate contemporary life. Sometimes, these human beings masquerade as animals, tapping the power of metaphor to bridge the unique and the universal.
I got my BA from Harvard, in English and American literature, immersing myself in the enduring power of stories. More recently, I earned an MFA in animation at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television, focusing on story development and 2D animation. At UCLA, I created three animated shorts, two of which won Matt Groening Animation Production Fellowships. I am developing my most recent short, DEAR DEATH, as a graphic novel and an animated series, featuring a variation on my longtime comic-strip character, Stewball.
Recently, I did an interview for the film blog We Are Moving Stories, about Stewball and DEAR DEATH. Here's a snapshot of that conversation, and of my vision for Stewball in the world of animation:
"Stewball is Hamlet, Ulysses, and a grown-up Charlie Brown, in bipedal animal form. He is an equine Little Prince, in an animated world of iPhones and reality TV. He is an equine everyman for our time. He is each of us when we believe we are greater than our current circumstances reflect, and when we are afraid to risk those real circumstances for an idea that may or may not come to fruition. Stewball's drama is the same drama that animates many of our lives. We need stories ... to confront it, to reimagine it, and to inspire ourselves for our own struggle." (Read full interview)
When I am not dreaming up new adventures for Stewball, I dream up adventures for myself. My editorial cartoons have appeared in national magazines including The New Yorker, The New Republic, Alta, and Narrative. From time to time, I serve as an independent writer, editor, or illustrator for various clients across industries, leveraging the pervasive power of language and storytelling.
Since 2018, I have taught animation to full-time MFA students and summer students at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television. My work with these students includes teaching them how to add sound to their animations, a topic that draws on my experience as a songwriter, composer, and audio editor.
I got my BA from Harvard, in English and American literature, immersing myself in the enduring power of stories. More recently, I earned an MFA in animation at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television, focusing on story development and 2D animation. At UCLA, I created three animated shorts, two of which won Matt Groening Animation Production Fellowships. I am developing my most recent short, DEAR DEATH, as a graphic novel and an animated series, featuring a variation on my longtime comic-strip character, Stewball.
Recently, I did an interview for the film blog We Are Moving Stories, about Stewball and DEAR DEATH. Here's a snapshot of that conversation, and of my vision for Stewball in the world of animation:
"Stewball is Hamlet, Ulysses, and a grown-up Charlie Brown, in bipedal animal form. He is an equine Little Prince, in an animated world of iPhones and reality TV. He is an equine everyman for our time. He is each of us when we believe we are greater than our current circumstances reflect, and when we are afraid to risk those real circumstances for an idea that may or may not come to fruition. Stewball's drama is the same drama that animates many of our lives. We need stories ... to confront it, to reimagine it, and to inspire ourselves for our own struggle." (Read full interview)
When I am not dreaming up new adventures for Stewball, I dream up adventures for myself. My editorial cartoons have appeared in national magazines including The New Yorker, The New Republic, Alta, and Narrative. From time to time, I serve as an independent writer, editor, or illustrator for various clients across industries, leveraging the pervasive power of language and storytelling.
Since 2018, I have taught animation to full-time MFA students and summer students at UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television. My work with these students includes teaching them how to add sound to their animations, a topic that draws on my experience as a songwriter, composer, and audio editor.
ABOVE LEFT: Kate Isenberg (photo by Megan Krause). RIGHT: Q&A at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival.