Clay Butler is the creator of the weekly political comic strip “Sidewalk Bubblegum,” co-founder of Claytowne Productions documentary video production company and creator of the online PC Technology humor magazine Pctyrant. An accomplished illustrator, cartoonist, graphic and web designer, photographer and writer Clay has been working professionally since 1984.
Old School Training Meets the Digital Age
Long before computers became a viable tool for visual and graphical communications, Clay Butler was hard at work mastering the basics. Fundamentals such as anatomy, life drawing, perspective, fontography, color theory and layout were stressed along with developing a proficiency with such tools of the trade as ink, pen, pencil, paint and brush. Along the way Clay also developed an interest and expertise in photography, writing, animation, web design and television and video production.
Today, terms such as “digital” and “CGI” are thrown around and as if they are an ends to themselves, rather than just a means to a creative solution. A computer, as well as software programs such as Photoshop or Illustrator, are fundamentally no different than a paper and pen. They are ALL tools, and as such have no intrinsic ability to create anything themselves except in the hands of an experienced artist. With a solid foundation in the classic arts supporting his career in digital content creation, Clay can take your project from a simple thumbnail sketch or idea to a fully intergrated, fully formed product. This provides his clients the assurance and peace of mind that no matter what unexpected changes occur, or which direction or medium their project might take, Clay will have the experience and skills to see them through and deliver their project on time and on spec.
Claytowne… creativity, adaptability, punctuality and speed informed with a solid foundation in the classic arts.
Clay Butler Personal Background Information
Political and artistic accomplishments include founding a grass roots environmental organization dedicated to preserving free beach access in California (Beach Society), running for Mayor of Seaside California, co-founding the band Abnormal Growth and releasing four self-produced albums, creating all the illustrations for the first compehensive manuals on wheelchair use, developing the cartoon mascot for the Interactive Trails Kiosk for Yosemite National Park, serving on the Boards of Surfrider Foundation Monterey and Community Television of Santa Cruz County, producing four award winning weekly television shows (Yadda Yadda, The Bill and Clay Show , Book TV and Streetlight Presents) creating all the artwork for a nationally distributed line of t-shirts (Totally Screwed) and producing the artwork for a college themed greeting card line(College Daze).