Long Story Short ★ TODD NAUCK

A Comic Creative Who Takes FUN Seriously!

---

When I think of comic artists who bring an unbridled energy into a medium that is all-inclusive, I think of Texas-born TODD NAUCK. Nobody else does it like Todd and for someone who knew from the get-go what he wanted to do, this is a great lesson in pursuing your dreams.

BTP: Upon doing research about you I realized we both are Art Institute graduates, though I went to the one in Pittsburgh a couple years before you. Was the Art Institute of Dallas your first choice when you finally decided that trying to break into comics with your portfolio wasn’t working? What would you do differently if you had to do it over in terms of education?

TODD: That is cool! I didn’t realize we were fellow Art Institute alum!
The Art Institute of Dallas was an option that was discussed between me, my parents, and high school art teacher while I was in high school. I initially decided to forego more schooling after high school, attend comic conventions, show off my portfolio, and try to break into comics on sheer passion/talent alone. A year and a half after graduating high school and discovering that showing my portfolio at comic cons was not achieving the results I was looking for, I was ready to seek some art instruction. The Art Institute of Dallas was the closest school and already on my radar.

If I had to do my time at the Art Institute all over again, I believe I would allow myself to be pushed more in trying other things with my art. At the Art Institute, they didn’t teach anything about comics or comic books. They didn’t offer an animation program until years after I graduated.

The things I learned in the commercial art/graphic design program were beneficial and definitely helped me up my skills more quickly. I took what I was learning there and applied it to comics books in my continued “self-teaching” in sequential art.

As for what I could’ve done differently… I was so focused on comic books and comic art, I was infusing that material into all my projects; album cover design, logo design, menu design, and every illustration assignment. I feel if I had allowed myself to try completely different types of art and design beyond or separate from comics, I could have expanded my skills in completely new ways and bring that to comics.

But at least it all worked out and I got to my true goal of being a pro comic book artist! LOL