Mark Marderosian
Encyclopedia
Mark Marderosian is a prolific cartoonist
, animator
and children's book illustrator
, a comic book artist
and noted toy designer.
Born in Cambridge, Marderosian grew up in Newton, MA. He says that he started drawing when he was seven years old, after his parents took him to see Pinocchio
. After high school Marderosian worked for advertising agencies and an art supply company, where he prepared paste-ups and mechanicals for catalogs. He also drew cartoons and comic strips and freelanced for a few magazines at the same time. In 1979, Marderosian enrolled at Massachusetts College of Art
.
Mark Marderosian created the Delta Tenn comic books for Paul Howley's
Entertainment Publishing in 1987-88. He also worked with Howley
on a set of Classic Toys Trading Cards around the same time.
After an early-career rejection, Marderosian "finally did get his foot in the Disney door in 1990," working on merchandise related to Jessica Rabbit
. Over the course of his career, Marderosian has gone on to illustrate several dozen movie and television tie-in books for Disney, as well as for Golden Books. He has also provided illustrations for other licensed merchandise such as character figurines, story books and coloring books. Among the many characters he has drawn are Mickey Mouse
, Mulan
, The Little Mermaid
, Hello Kitty
, and Jimmy Neutron. He is most identified with work on merchandise and books featuring the Disney Princesses
.
In 2007, he designed and successfully marketed his own collection of children's stuffed animals called "Angels from the Attic". Each toy set includes a related story book. A coloring book is planned.
In 2010, Marderosian and designer
/animator
Robert Palmer Jr. created a television
program called "Drawing With Mark." Their children’s media company, Big City Publishing, which sells storybooks, coloring books, flash cards, and puzzles, offered to provide the program free of charge to Public-access television
cable TV stations. The show has been called "a simple, old-fashioned TV show... that teaches kids how to draw." Within five months after the first episode, the program was accepted by 105 Public-access television channels that serve about 150 cities and towns across 25 states.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
, animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
and children's book illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
, a comic book artist
Comic Book Artist
Comic Book Artist was an American magazine founded by Jon B. Cooke devoted to anecdotal histories of American comic books, with emphasis on comics published since the 1960s...
and noted toy designer.
Born in Cambridge, Marderosian grew up in Newton, MA. He says that he started drawing when he was seven years old, after his parents took him to see Pinocchio
Pinocchio (1940 film)
Pinocchio is a 1940 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the story The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. It is the second film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics, and it was made after the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and was released to theaters by...
. After high school Marderosian worked for advertising agencies and an art supply company, where he prepared paste-ups and mechanicals for catalogs. He also drew cartoons and comic strips and freelanced for a few magazines at the same time. In 1979, Marderosian enrolled at Massachusetts College of Art
Massachusetts College of Art
Massachusetts College of Art and Design is a publicly-funded college of visual and applied art, founded in 1873. It is one of the oldest art schools, the only publicly-funded free-standing art school in the United States, and was the first art college in the United States to grant an artistic degree...
.
Mark Marderosian created the Delta Tenn comic books for Paul Howley's
Paul Howley
Paul Howley is the founder and owner of the "That's Entertainment" comics and collectibles store in Worcester MA, established in 1980, and "Entertainment Publishing"....
Entertainment Publishing in 1987-88. He also worked with Howley
Paul Howley
Paul Howley is the founder and owner of the "That's Entertainment" comics and collectibles store in Worcester MA, established in 1980, and "Entertainment Publishing"....
on a set of Classic Toys Trading Cards around the same time.
After an early-career rejection, Marderosian "finally did get his foot in the Disney door in 1990," working on merchandise related to Jessica Rabbit
Jessica Rabbit
Jessica Rabbit is a fictional character from the Roger Rabbit film-and-novel franchise.Jessica Rabbit may also refer to:* Jessica Rabbit vibrator, a sex toy* Melyssa Ford , Canadian model-See also:...
. Over the course of his career, Marderosian has gone on to illustrate several dozen movie and television tie-in books for Disney, as well as for Golden Books. He has also provided illustrations for other licensed merchandise such as character figurines, story books and coloring books. Among the many characters he has drawn are Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse
Mickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
, Mulan
Mulan
Mulan is a 1998 American animated film directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, with story by Robert D. San Souci and screenplay by Rita Hsiao, Philip LaZebnik, Chris Sanders, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, and Raymond Singer. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney...
, The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" is a popular fairy tale by the Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen about a young mermaid willing to give up her life in the sea and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul and the love of a human prince...
, Hello Kitty
Hello Kitty
is a fictional character produced by the Japanese company Sanrio, first designed by Yuko Shimizu. She is portrayed as a female white Japanese bobtail cat with a red bow. The character's first appearance on an item, a vinyl coin purse, was introduced in Japan in 1974 and brought to the United States...
, and Jimmy Neutron. He is most identified with work on merchandise and books featuring the Disney Princesses
Disney Princesses
Disney Princess is a Walt Disney Company franchise, based on fictional characters who have been featured as part of the Disney character line-up. The six original members of the franchise were Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle and Jasmine, who were later joined by Pocahontas, Mulan,...
.
In 2007, he designed and successfully marketed his own collection of children's stuffed animals called "Angels from the Attic". Each toy set includes a related story book. A coloring book is planned.
In 2010, Marderosian and designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
/animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
Robert Palmer Jr. created a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
program called "Drawing With Mark." Their children’s media company, Big City Publishing, which sells storybooks, coloring books, flash cards, and puzzles, offered to provide the program free of charge to Public-access television
Public-access television
Public-access television is a form of non-commercial mass media where ordinary people can create content television programming which is cablecast through cable TV specialty channels...
cable TV stations. The show has been called "a simple, old-fashioned TV show... that teaches kids how to draw." Within five months after the first episode, the program was accepted by 105 Public-access television channels that serve about 150 cities and towns across 25 states.