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James W. Suhr

Instructor of Film & New Media
Kendall College of Art and Design at Ferris State University
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Illustration

About James

Louisiana native James W. Suhr is a Los Angeles-based artist currently working as a board artist for Walt Disney TV Animation. He has been a director for Atomic Cartoons—making content for Netflix—in addition to working for DreamWorks Animation, Nickelodeon, Illumination, and many others. His credits include (but are not limited to): Gravity Falls, Big City Greens, Wander Over Yonder, Despicable Me, TrollHunters, 3Below, Dogs In Space, and Monsters At Work.

He graduated with a B.F.A. in Illustration from Kendall College of Art and Design, and also attended the Animation Workshop at UCLA.

Suhr loves storytelling in any shape or form, drawing, laughing, going bald, training in MMA, and gardening. He lives with his patient wife, two children, and various pets.

All people are creative and want to seek creative fulfillment—but we may feel sequestered as to how to do achieve this. The extent to which they pursue it is up to them (whether professional or hobbyist): I am just a guide to help them continue along that path and let them see that the arts are for everyone.

  • Attended the UCLA Animation Workshop (a graduate level program)
  • Mentored several professional artists—including David Van Tuyle, Derrick Malik Johnson, and Mike Sobieski—on how to get into the animation field, with some going to CalArts, and others now working for Disney Feature
  • Led guest lectures at University of California Los Angeles, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Kendall College of Art and Design
  • Currently serves as a professor at the UCLA Animation Workshop, teaching and guiding second-year students through the filmmaking process
  • Worked on professional animation projects, including (but not limited to):
    • Storyboard Revisionist, Big City Greens (Walt Disney TV Animation, 2023)
    • Storyboard Artist, Monsters At Work (Walt Disney TV Animation, 2021-2022)
    • Storyboard Artist, Ghost and Molly McGee (Walt Disney TV Animation, 2021)
    • Storyboard Director, Dogs In Space (Atomic Animation Studios/Netflix, 2021-2020)
    • Storyboard Artist, Monsters At Work (Walt Disney TV Animation, 2018-2020)
    • Storyboard Artist (freelance), Achibald's Next Big Thing (DreamWorks Animation, 2017)
    • Storyboard Revisionist, Big City Greens (Walt Disney TV Animation, 2017)
    • Storyboard Revisionist, 3Below (DreamWorks Animation, 2016-2017)
    • Storyboard Revisionist, Troll Hunters (DreamWorks Animation, 2016)
    • Storyboard Artist, Big Hero 6: The Series (Walt Disney TV Animation, 2016)
    • Storyboard Artist/Revisionist, Tangled: The Series (Walt Disney TV Animation, 2015-2016)
    • Storyboard Artist (freelance), Tom and Jerry Show (Renegade Animation, 2015)
    • Storyboard revisionist, Wonder Over Yonder (Walt Disney TV Animation, 2013-2015)
    • Storyboard Revisionist, Gravity Falls (Walt Disney TV Animation, 2011-2012)
    • Storyboard Floater, Kung-Fu Panda: The Legends of Awesomeness
      (Nickelodeon Studios, 2010)
    • Storyboard Artist, Despicable Me (Illumination Animation, 2008-2009)
    • Storyboard Artist, Making Fiends (Nickelodeon Studios, 2007-2008)

B.F.A., Illustration - Kendall College of Art and Design 1999