Today we’d like to introduce you to Alana Mango.
Hi Alana, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m a 2D animator from upstate New York. After undergrad, I spent several years shuffling around from one underpaying, unsatisfying job to another. In my spare time, I made comics (still do) as part of a lifelong passion for storytelling. I was working in Japan (as part of another lifelong passion for languages) when I decided to go back to school and fully commit to an artistic discipline. About four years later, I would receive my MFA in Animation from SCAD Atlanta. A year before graduating, I started working various contract gigs as a 2D animator, and I’ve been doing so ever since the decision to leave Japan was a deeply painful one at the time, as I truly loved my town and my community, but I truly feel that decision was a precious turning point in my life. I’ve come to love Atlanta and my community here as well, and I feel truly at home in the world of animation.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The period between undergraduate and graduate school was roughly ten years, and that time felt like a roller coaster with (somehow) mostly downs. I was thrilled to turn 30 and symbolically put that entire period of my life behind me. At the very least, now I’m able to laugh at all the bizarre stories I’ve accumulated. In the span of a few years, I went from working in a dental lab making crowns, to a theater costume shop, to a law firm mail room, to a bakery. Not exactly a straight line.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a 2D character animator, which means I (mostly) animate the characters you see on screen for media like television, ads, educational videos, and even theme parks. My first job as an animator was working on the short film Nanakorobi, produced at Deep Sky Studio in Portland, OR. As nervous as I was about my first professional job, to my shock and joy, that film went on to win over 50 awards at film festivals around the world. Since then, I’ve worked for a variety of studios with different clients, including Bundesliga, Disney Parks and Entertainment, and Emory University. Currently, I’m finishing up work on Warhammer Interrogator, a noir mystery series available on Warhammer+ for streaming.
My own debut film, Black Box, completed as part of my master’s thesis, will be screening at Out On Film here in Atlanta in the fall. That one is pretty special to me. As part of a thesis on developing methods to improve the authenticity of LGBT representation in animation, I wanted to make a film that presented queer characters as the heroes of their own story and simply to create the sort of media I wished I had when I was younger.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Anything that keeps me happy and engaged does wonder with my mental health, which keeps everything on course. A professor at SCAD recommended having hobbies outside of art, and I’ve found that to be very helpful. While I’m working, I’m most likely listening to a podcast (some favorites like Oh No Ross & Carrie, Sawbones, MBMBAM help keep my mood up and brain engaged). Outside of work, knitting, language learning, reading and video games help me separate work and life and manage stress levels.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.alanamango.com
- Instagram: @mangomakesmanga
Image Credits
Alana Mango (Black Box, 2022)
