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Home > Archive > Apr 10, 2008

An Animated Life
By Katrice Schimbeck
Staff Writer
For Mark Swan, who has owned and operated Swan Animation in St. George for almost 15 years, the goal is to delight children and parents while entertaining and educating them through animation.
“It’s very rewarding when people like what you do,” Swan said.
Swan was an art major graduating from BYU in 1979 when a small animation company recruited him.
“At first, I thought it would be a good summer job, and then I would get back to being a serious artist,” Swan said.
It started a 25-year lucrative art career and love of animation films. While working on Saturday morning cartoons like “Thundarr the Barbarian,” “The Incredible Hulk,” and “The Smurfs,” Swan decided he wanted to work on feature animated films. 
“The more I got into it, the more I liked it,” Swan said.
He landed a job with Don Bluth Studios and worked on “An American Tail,” becoming head of the layout department before it was done. While heading up the layout department, Swan was in his element with story development and storyboarding.
“Working on story has always been my first love,” Swan said, “that and creating the initial sketches and designs that define the look and feel of a film. It’s the moment when your mind is most free to imagine and explore.”
When those things are completed, the project becomes a challenge of execution. Swan has always specialized in story and visual development.
“You invest a lot of yourself in every film. They become like your children,” Swan said.
He worked on animation for movies for Don Bluth Studios for almost 10 years, working on “Land Before Time,” “All Dogs Go To Heaven,” “Rock-a Doodle,” “A Troll in Central Park” and “Thumbelina.” He even moved to Ireland for a few years, when the studio moved there.
Swan relocated to St. George in 1992 and set up Swan Animations. Unfortunately, Don Bluth Studios declared bankruptcy before the end of the year. Swan was out of work in St. George, where there was no animation industry.
It wasn’t long before Universal Studios tracked Swan down. He worked on all the “Land Before Time” sequels, Disney’s “A Goofy Movie,” Warner Brothers’ “Cats Don’t Dance” and “Space Jam.” At times Swan had so much work, he had to turn some away.
Swan is currently branching out into illustrating and writing children’s books. He is publishing a guidebook for children on Zion National Park with characters he developed. Grandpa Teddy Squirrel takes two of his grandchildren through the park. Eventually he might produce a film on them.
He is also contracted to illustrate four Little Sportsman books by Robert H. Jacobs, Jr.
Swan did a limited film for the Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm, with T-shirts and coloring books.
As a child, Swan drew horses, superheroes, and Disney cartoons, but never considered a career in movies.
“That was Hollywood and far away,” said Swan, who grew up in Idaho. “It seemed like the other side of the world.”
His interests in art, creative writing and theater steered him in that direction anyway. He’s even done incidental voices in some of the films.
Swan said he loves bringing drawings to life to tell a story and will continue his animated tales.
“It’s addicting,” Swan said.

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