From flipbooks to animation…

Tom and Jerry, Mickey Mouse, Pink Panther, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Camp Candy fascinated and inspired Karachi-based animator Marcus Kim Cade growing up.
When he was between 5 and 7 years old, Cade watched cartoons like other children, but “I always had a different point of view towards them,” he said during an interview.
He said he wanted to know about the people who made those programmes and how they did it. “I wanted to find out why kids in my age group were enthralled by them,” he added.
He said he started looking for people with the same interests as his. “I had to struggle a lot, but I didn’t find anyone who was like me. I felt alone and depressed. I used to pick up my pencil box and drawing book and spend hours on the rooftop imagining and drawing.”
Cade said he was always drawing. “I used to draw in my school books as well, and when I was between 12 and 14 years, I made a flip book. I observed people, how they move and act, and then created my flip books. I had no idea that what I was doing was animation,” he added.
But, he said, he received incredible comments on it from his teachers, friends and everyone who was a part of his small world. “And then I started my career,” he added.
He started working for Sharp Image where he learned the nuts and bolts of the animation industry. He said, “I learned a lot there and enjoyed working on concept art.”
Differentiating between concept art and animation, he said, “Concept art is creative art about the things you can extensively think about and just show people the picture (by drawing it). Animation is creating a being and then making it move.”
A dedicated and loving person who is proud to have a supportive family, Cade’s other interests include video games, kickboxing, and playing the piano and the flute.
He said he was unable to pursue a higher education because he comes from a middle-class background and was supporting his family through different jobs.
“I couldn’t complete my education, but I never felt sad over that because I have already acquired master’s level skills in my profession through my profession,” he added.
He said someday he would be teaching all that he knows to those talented individuals who are unable to acquire formal training because of financial difficulties.
“I shall be happy to teach them because my God has blessed me with such a talent that makes me different from others,” he added.
When asked for his advice to aspiring artists, he said, “They should work hard and use the internet to improve their skills by watching tutorials and perusing e-books, so they could have better chances of making progress in the future.”