{a chat with} Todd Spence

{picture via}

Geek Art! Pop culture, illustrated.

I sat down for a (Skype) chat with self-proclaimed geek artist, Todd Spence, who is currently living in Los Angeles, working for the Jimmy Kimmel Live Show. Not too shabby for a 9-5.  But after hours, Spence spends his time working on his pop-culture inspired paintings.

Only taking the ‘required’ art classes through highschool and college (right here in Missouri!) because he wasn’t very fond of art teachers, Todd developed his artistic abilities by the old adage, practice makes perfect. Starting at fourteen, Spence learned early that he enjoyed painting. “I remember the exact year I started painting.  It was 1995.  And I only remember that specifically because I painted Woody and Buzz Lightyear when Toy Story came out. It was the first time I really painted, painted.”

While studying film at Webster University, Spence took the few required art classes, noting “it [art class] seemed to be very black and white. ‘I’m teaching you this way, so it has to be this way.’ That never really made sense to me, because everyone has their own style. ”

After moving out to California and trying to fill free time, Spence started painting more. “At some point I came to the realization that this is something I should try to do as much as possible. After finding out there is actually a market for movie/fan art, with a lot of galleries in L.A. showing that sort of work, I thought ‘Oh, there’s actually a demand for this, and I like doing it, so I’ll just do even more now’.”  

Aside from putting paint to canvas, Spence had a hand in creating the web series Dealership, recently played the ‘westerny dirtbag’ in Roundball, and has appeared in his share of Jimmy Kimmel Live bits.

Connect with Todd: on twitter, on tumblr, & etsy!