Paper Mechanics

I spent most of my career writing and sketching my ideas. At times I would fill in as an editor and art director on Season and Everyday line planning.

This page from the book Hallmark A Century of Caring gives a quick history of my time at the company.

This is the first paper mechanic card I wrote and did final artwork. It became a best seller and I was able to give it to Jan on our anniversary. A win-win.

Animated Characters

We would write ideas for the many licensors partnering with Hallmark. It was exciting because we had the chance to work with the all-time greats like Jim Davis and Sparky.

It was a bit intimidating because we didn’t want to disappoint the creators with bad ideas (which we did often). On the other hand, it was great fun writing for such well-defined and beloved characters.

And what better way to bring cartoon characters to life than through pop ups.

This card highlights the two sides of Garfield’s personality.

And who doesn’t want a hug from Snoopy?

Paper Mechanic Workshop

I have always been fascinated by pop up books. It’s the magic of how combining writing, drawing and engineering can bring a story to life.

Here’s a workshop I gave around the holidays. I brought in samples of pop up books and greeting cards. We brainstormed ideas for Christmas cards, then started drawing and cutting mock-ups.

One student came up with a money holder idea. When you open the card, Santa will hand the money to you from the fireplace.

In this case, instead of a big turkey, the Christmas feast would consist of a bucket of KFC.

With no prior training, I am amazed at the thoughtful concepts the students created.