I am an Illustrator with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Auburn University and a Master's degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design. My work has been featured in prestigious publications such as Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art Vol. 10 and 13. Notable clients I have worked with include Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering, DC Universe: Online, Digital Domain, Disney, Ray Villafane, and Todd McFarlane (Image Comics Co-Founder). (In a unique opportunity, I contributed to the film "Mississippi Burning" as part of the Transportation Crew. This experience was truly remarkable. During the production, I collaborated with acclaimed Make Up Artist David Forest, assisting in applying makeup for the significant civil rights march scene. Moreover, I had the exciting chance to appear as an extra in the same scene, ultimately making it into the final cut!)…

Joel Thomas

I am an Illustrator with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Auburn University and a Master's degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design. My work has been featured in prestigious publications such as Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art Vol. 10 and 13. Notable clients I have worked with include Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering, DC Universe: Online, Digital Domain, Disney, Ray Villafane, and Todd McFarlane (Image Comics Co-Founder). (In a unique opportunity, I contributed to the film "Mississippi Burning" as part of the Transportation Crew. This experience was truly remarkable. During the production, I collaborated with acclaimed Make Up Artist David Forest, assisting in applying makeup for the significant civil rights march scene. Moreover, I had the exciting chance to appear as an extra in the same scene, ultimately making it into the final cut!)…

Available to hire

I am an Illustrator with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Auburn University and a Master’s degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art and Design.

My work has been featured in prestigious publications such as Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art Vol. 10 and 13. Notable clients I have worked with include Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering, DC Universe: Online, Digital Domain, Disney, Ray Villafane, and Todd McFarlane (Image Comics Co-Founder).

(In a unique opportunity, I contributed to the film “Mississippi Burning” as part of the Transportation Crew. This experience was truly remarkable. During the production, I collaborated with acclaimed Make Up Artist David Forest, assisting in applying makeup for the significant civil rights march scene. Moreover, I had the exciting chance to appear as an extra in the same scene, ultimately making it into the final cut!)

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Principal Artist at Zynga
March 1, 2015 - September 1, 2019
Led likeness and character design for The Princess Bride Slots, Willy Wonka Slots, Vegas Casino, and Wizard of Oz: Casino Slots. Partnered remotely with the NY team to create the Crosswords With Friends mascot. Conducted artist training on digital portraiture, improving production consistency.
Illustrator III at Multimedia Games
July 1, 2013 - March 1, 2015
Produced illustrations and animations for mechanical and video slot machine titles. Designed engaging game assets aligning with brand and regulatory guidelines.
Concept Artist at Electric Bat Interactive
February 1, 2009 - July 1, 2010
Developed concept and production art for Webwars: Weblings and Weblords.
Graphic Artist at Outhouse Design
January 1, 2008 - January 1, 2008
Designed custom graphics, logos, and typography for retail apparel. Managed prepress color separations and printer communication.
Senior Concept Artist at Sony Online Entertainment
October 1, 2004 - July 1, 2006
Created concept/UI art for Star Wars: Galaxies expansions. Collaborated with Jim Lee’s Wildstorm team on the initial DC Universe Online pitch.
Lead Concept Artist at Sony Computer Entertainment of America
October 1, 2001 - October 1, 2003
Directed a 5-member art team for an unreleased IP. Managed outsourcing pipeline; directed cinematics and menu design.
Senior Concept Artist at Rogue Entertainment
April 1, 2000 - June 1, 2001
Developed concept art and UI for American McGee’s Alice. Directed visual design for manuals and in-game assets.
Concept Artist at Ritual Entertainment
October 1, 1997 - January 1, 2000
Designed characters, weapons, and environments for SiN and Heavy Metal: FAKK2. Co-wrote game narrative with John Mueller and Kevin Eastman.

Education

Masters of Fine Art at Savannah College of Art and Design
October 12, 1994
M.A. in Illustration at Savannah College of Art and Design
January 11, 2030 - December 22, 2025
B.F.A. in Fine Arts at Auburn University
January 11, 2030 - December 22, 2025

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Gaming, Other, Media & Entertainment, Software & Internet
    uniE621 Flesh Failed
    This was my "Magnum Opus" circa 2022. I worked on it off an on for 5 years. I had the idea for over a decade, had sketched out elements of it on scratch paper here and there. My goal was to illustrate something akin to Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein work. I wanted to have every square inch "finished" but still draw the eye to a specific path without relying on "tricks. I believe I succeeded! illustrator…
    uniE621 Mortisara
    Just a different take on the Grim Reaper. Mortisara is a Latin for Death's Alter. Seemed appropriate. This is the only piece I have " so far" that was laid out in Midjourney. The painting was executed SOLELY by myself but I generated a rough layout in Midjourney. (AI is a great tool but creates pretty vanilla artwork, in my opinion. You can just ell, ya know?)…
    uniE621 Blast-Ended Skrewt
    If you're a Harry Potter fan you've heard of the Blast-Ended Skrewt. When the "Fantastic Beast" films were announced I did this for fun. illustrator conceptartist…
    uniE621 the Luciferian- Ecantoella
    exploration for a a card art personal project. I ended up scrapping the idea but sent it to Spectrum: the Best of Fantasy Illustration Vol. 10. It was selected for publication! illustrator…
    uniE621 Shmark and Klarl
    No clue. MY mind get's wild sometimes. SO when Shmark and Klarl, conjoined twins, had to be painted. IT JUST HAAAAD TO. Once again, another "Let's elevate and learn" so this was an exercise in 1) static storytelling and 2) digital painting techniques illustrator…
    uniE621 "No-Pants" Pfaffenschmidt
    Just a random Intergalactic Bounty Hunter character that popped into my brain one day. He needed to see the light of day so I painted him up. My favorite thing of things is to tell a character's story in a single image. illustrator…
    uniE621 Toby's Back
    I am a HUGE "The Office" fan. So naturally, I had to make a sticker of my all time favorite moment from show! illustrator branding…
    uniE621 Super 'Cuda
    There was a beautiful short-spined dog featured on Instagram. I was an avid follower. She was so full of life and SO spunky. Her owners always remarked that she was their "Gargoyle". One morning I heard the news that 'Cuda had abruptly passed away. Complications with her deformity. I was broken-hearted. 'Cuda genuinely made my day brighter. I painted this for her owner and sent it to her. I wanted to do something to let them know how this amazing little creature made me smile. And of course, I painted Cuda with her newly acquired Gargoyle wings. illustrator…
    uniE621 Shambling Shell Redux
    I was a freelance Magic: The Gathering artist for a few years back. I took an old piece, Shambling Shell, that was pretty popular. I dug the old art out and repainted it adding a two decades of technique to it. illustrator…
    uniE621 Schirpple.
    For me, For fun. Idea born of an "Inktober" sketch. Decided to paint it out to expand my knowledge base and new portfolio work.…
    uniE621 Puddles the Clown
    I truly enjoy portrait work. Every piece is a new lesson. For this, I wanted to caricaturize Puddles while remaining respectfully to hi art. Not wanting to mock but rather to make people smile. This was done for the sake of my Portfolio. illustrator…
    uniE621 Orkses
    THIS illustration was done a little while ago. I needed to up my painting game, lighting knowledge and form. It did the trick. I learned SO much from this and was able to transefer that to every aspect of my work.…