Meet Hye Jeon Jeon | Animation Producer & Comic Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Hye Jeon Jeon and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Hye Jeon, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
While I’ve been creating things since I was a little kid, I actually didn’t aim to pursue art when I was a teenager because I, like many others, thought creativity was something that you “got over” as you grew older. I remember being miserable because everyone else seemed to have some kind of passion in life. Some really wanted to be a doctor and some really wanted to be a lawyer. Many of my high school friends are indeed doctors and lawyers now. But back then, there were even fewer opportunities for artists. Though things are still hard for the creatives, there are a lot of different career/business opportunities today that simply did not exist back then. I don’t think there wasn’t quite as much content being produced which meant fewer opportunities for artists. Also, platforms like Youtube that makes independent business more possible for artists weren’t quite where it is now. I remember my high school art teacher telling me that she wished I wouldn’t stop drawing. That made me realize I didn’t have to give up art, so I went to university to study art and art history.
There were many times that I tried to move away from art. To be honest, I think about it from time to time still, wondering if there would be a simpler way to make living and grow a career. Still, there are always those like my high school art teacher who pull me back.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I currently work as an animation producer for animated shorts in English for Asian children. I also work as a comic artist and am currently working on a short story with the Asia Society, which I am most excited about. I’ve clearly come far from where I was a few years ago. But I don’t know if I will ever feel like I’m in a good place or if I’ve achieved enough. I don’t know if any artist does.
In my case, I actually did not get to follow the path I wanted. My dream was to get a job in a big animation studio like Disney or Pixar and grow my career step by step. In a way, I wanted a corporate life. Sadly, things didn’t work out that way. Some of my acquaintances told me that they would love to see me draw/produce my own stories whether it was animation or comic, rather than work for someone else’s show and draw in someone else’s style even though that was what I really wanted. Even today, I kind of envy those who have a straighter path in their career that starts with a Disney Internship, then a Disney job, and so on.
At this point, I do have a sense that my creative career will not work out that way; my art will not be a part of a Disney or Pixar story.
If I can tell people one thing, I want to ask them to support small brands/creatives like me and many others. Creative world has an ecosystem. Just as the declining biodiversity hurts our planet, the lack of diversity hurts the creative landscape. So if there are small artists in your neighborhood who make weird art, please support them.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m currently living in Seoul, so I would definitely take my friends to some of the traditional neighborhoods around Jongno or Bukchon for photo opportunities. Then we might go to Gangnam or Hongdae to look at some cute stores.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a shoutout to everyone at ACCAD at the Ohio State University. Without ACCAD, I wouldn’t have discovered my passion for animation and digital art. I hope I can meet everyone again in a cool project whether it’s an animation production or something else. I also want to say thanks to thank Professor Karin Broker and Professor Christopher Sperandio from Rice University for encouraging me when I was still a fledgling artist. Without them, I wouldn’t have had the opportunities I had back then or now.
Lastly, I want to recognize Rise Up Animation community for being there during the difficult time and helping me and many others to recognize our passion for art and storytelling.

Website: https://hyejeonjeon.myportfolio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenfield_comic/