Bio:

I've had my own studio since the 1980's and have worked for several software game companies since 1994.

Amazon.com 08/11 to present...
Senior Artist

Avatar Kinect for Xbox 7/10 - 12/10
Created backgrounds of Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter for Avatar Rooms. Also created Emotes for those rooms and other rooms,... including some animation.

Microsoft/Filter 04/10 - 07/10
Storyboards for several projects that involved Xbox.

Microsoft Xbox 10/15/09 – 11/21/09
Storyboards for Natal.

Microsoft Xbox 06/15/08 – 06/15/09
Starting with designing concepts of characters, backgrounds and final art for a trivia game called Astuto. Created final art mostly in Illustrator with a bit of Photoshop. Also used Xui and a couple of proprietary environments. Also did some work for Xbox game 1 vs 100 and an un-named Football game.

Wowsie (kids game company) 03/08
Los Angeles, CA
Sketch concepts for backgrounds and logos for on line Kids Social Network.

Topics Entertainment 02/08
Renton, WA
Designed and illustrated software game cover for “Volver”.
Designed logo for “GalGames” line of games for women.
Designed character and cover for “Chameleon” game.

Microsoft 01/07 – 01/08
Redmond, WA.
Research: KidTab
Designed Color Background Art, Character Concepting, Storyboards and User Interface for these proto-type games:
Animal Hospital, Bakery Detective, Blob Game, Cooking, Dancing Game, Devin Danger, Giggle Brain, House, Letter Petz, Meeples, Music Monster, Quest, Sketchville, Storybook, and Toymaker

Microsoft 04/06 – 09/06
Redmond, WA.
Carbonated Games. MSCG.
Designed art for MS Instant Messenger games:
Sudoku Too, GO, Sweepstakes, Summer Solitaire, Fall Solitaire, Winter Solitaire, Spring Solitaire and Hypnotic.

Sierra 04/00 - 08/04 (11/04 with severance)
Bellevue WA.
My position was that of Illustrator, Designer and Animator. Responsible for creating concepts, illustrations, game pieces, animations, user interface.
Hoyle Kids Games, Hoyle Table Games, Hoyle Board Games, Hoyle Casino,
Hoyle Card Games, Hoyle Puzzle Games, Hoyle Casino Empire (an original title)

Microsoft 07/96 - 02/09
Redmond, WA.
Several contracts over several years. My position was that of Illustrator, Designer and Animator.
15 Seconds of Fame (MSN internet game show.), Barney the Dinosaur,
Professor Math, Smart House, The Adventures of Interface, Expedia,
Kids Games Group, Casual Games Group, Microsoft Hardware Group.

Electronic Arts Seattle 06/95 - 06/96
Issaquah/Bellevue, WA.
My position was that of Illustrator, Designer and Animator.
Manley and Assoc. were bought by Electronic Arts and turned into EASeattle.
Need for Speed, PGA Golf, FIFA.

Manley and Assoc. 01/94 - 06/95
Issaquah, WA.
My position was that of Illustrator, designer and animator.
Starting off with SNES games, here’s a list of products that I worked on:
King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table,
Wild Snake, Lion, Wolf, Pitfall Harry (1995),
Children’s Atlas of World Wildlife

Group West Inc. 01/84 – 06/90
Los Angeles, Ca.
A collective of 10 illustrators, two designers, a copywriter and a P.R. firm. I was one of the illustrators. Client list:
Reader’s Digest, Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Los Angles Times, and Camel
Cigarettes, Salisbury Design, Wells/Rich/Green, BBDO, Cedars Sinai Med.
Center, ARCO, Union Bank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, LACMA, So.
Cal. Edison, Mattel, CBS, Paramount, Transamerica, Warner Bros., Disney,
General Mills, Post, Los Angeles Magazine, LA Weekly, The Reader,
Peterson Publishing, Hunting Magazine, SPORTS magazine, Ticket Master,
Studio Mongo 06/90 – 08/96
Venice, Ca./South Pasadena, Ca./Seattle, WA.
My Illustration studio with varied clientele:
CSMC, Salisbury Design, LA Times, LA Rams, Barrington Publications,
MECC, Sanctuary Woods, Price/Stern/Sloan, Stocks and Commodities,
Seattle Weekly, USDA, Nintendo, CCC Publications, Disney, LA Weekly,
CBS, Denver Post, Emmy Magazine, TRW, UCLA, Guitar Player mag.,
AAA, MGM, Hustler mag., LFP inc., Video Games mag., etc…

JetPak Studio 09/96 – Current
Bellevue, Wa./Renton, WA.
New name for my Illustration Studio, and more clients:
Seattle Weekly, Disney, USDA, Stocks & Commodities, Grolier Pub.,
Penguin Putnam Pub., Becker and Mayer, Merwyn Creative, University
Of Washington, Compaq, Microsoft, Electronic Arts, Sierra Entertainment
Hadley/Green, Volks Wagon, (VW), Jim Henson Prod., Art Garden,
McCue Realty, Simon & Schuster, Playboy mag., LFP inc., Shortland pub.
Rigby, Reed Elsevier inc.,…etc…

Extra curricular activities

- 5 paintings and 10 years of participation in the Society of Illustrators Air Force Art Program
- 2 paintings and 2 years of participation in the Society of Illustrators L.A. Sheriff’s Art Program.
- RSVP gallery showings. 3 years at the Society of Illustrators New York gallery.
- Critique student portfolios at Seattle University. 3 years.
- Lectured summer 1990 at Art Center in Pasadena, Ca.
- Guest speaker at Cornish College of the Arts.
- Guest speaker at the Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators Seattle chapter. 3 years.
- Critique night at the Society of Children’s Book Writer’s and Illustrators, Seattle chapter. 4 years.
- Guest speaker at the Seattle chapter of the Graphic Artist Guild.
- Gallery showings at the Los Angeles chapter of the Society of Illustrators, 4 years.
- Gallery showings and book signings at the Art of Illustration for 3 years.
- Taught illustration at Pacific Coast College for 2 years.
- Advertised my illustrations in RSVP, Showcase, Workbook, Picture Book and Seattle’s Media Index for multiple editions.


Writer/Illustrator
PAL
Member since 2000
Region: Western Washington

Contact Information

Website:  http://www.mikecressy.com

Published In Children's Market: Yes