Today we’d like to introduce you to Sterling Cartoons.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?Well, I have been drawing my entire life, as far back as I can remember. I have always had a fascination with cartoons and anime while growing up as a young kid and further into adulthood. So after years of school (K-12), I decided I would focus my pursuits on becoming a professional artist. I started off drawing comics while also working dead-end 9-5s constantly to try to stay afloat. No matter the circumstances, I never stayed complacent, and I truly believed that with hard work, determination, and prayer, my talents would eventually bring me somewhere.
During work as a waiter, I created my second series, “Happy Hare.” What separated this title from my previous endeavors was it’s entry into the Henry County Public School System. The popularity from Happy Hare lead me to the idea of getting the property animated. Though initially, the thought of such a task was daunting, ( being that I never attended school for animation and had no animation experience), I had faith in my latent abilities to get the job done. During the time I chose to animate Happy Hare, I faced a lot of struggles and hardships financially. Animation is no easy feat, and not having monetary support can leave almost any major project dead in its tracks. But still, I charged through despite all that with getting the project done. Almost destined by fate, once the project was completed, I found myself stationed in the animation industry. A career I always wanted but never thought I could properly achieve because of my lack of experience. Fast forward to now, I work primarily as a contracted freelance animator and have worked with dozens of celebrities, school systems, and currently Sony Music.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No it wasn’t a smooth road at all. You have to not only deal with your own self-confidence as an artist but also be honest with yourself and come to grips with why you may not be as successful as other peers in the same field. At the time, I was still growing my following when I started, so getting projects done was not easy. I couldn’t rely on crowdfunding to achieve my goals. I literally had to salvage whatever money I could from my day job into growing my career.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a black animator, game and toy maker. As it relates to my own intellectual properties, I love creating stories filled with humor, inspirational lessons, and adventure. But I am also known for creating entertaining and oftentimes, mature and quite hilarious animated music videos. I pride myself in my work, so with that being said, it always looks as professional as possible. You would not be able to tell it is being made independently, which is why I also believe I also have found great success.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I would love for people to support me by checking out my own original series, such as Faith Mcgrace, Happy Hare, D-spirits & more. Most of my content can be found via my instagram @Sterlingcartoons. If you would love to experience an amazing game, defientely feel free to check out my new trading card game as well, “D-Spirits” at dspirits-online.com. As far as collaborating, I am quite selective but I can always be reached or DM’d on social media.
Contact Info:
- Email: sirjsterling@gmail.com
- Website: www.dspirits-online.
com - Instagram: Sterlingcartoons
- Facebook: Sterlingcartoons
- Youtube: Sterlingcartoons
Image Credits
Sterling Cartoons
