Meet Mike Parker

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mike Parker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mike, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Honestly I don’t think I have ever overcome it completely. It has a lot to do with self-confidence, and building that confidence just comes with experience and perseverance.

The best example I can give would be when my writing partner, myself and one other writer were in development with Disney. We had sold a show to them and we were in the process of building out the world of the show, character traits, designs, etc. We got to work with a ton of great artists and I really learned a lot about story and world building. It was all stuff I had done before, but not quite at this level so I had that feeling like I didn’t really belong in the room with them – I just wasn’t up to their level.
But as the work went on, and we contributed ideas and notes and getting approvals from the executives – that experience and perseverance grew and even though the project didn’t go to series, by the end of it all – I felt like I belonged there.

So when the next project came along, I had earned some self confidence – BUT this is a totally different project with new people, so that imposter syndrome creeped in again. So what I ended up doing (and still do) is use it as a motivator, along with that self-confidence that I’ve done it before, but work hard and prove that I belong and can make this new project successful.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I studied graphic design and illustration at the University of Connecticut, but animation and writing were always things that I had more fun or interest in. I worked at a design studio for 5 years and I really enjoyed the work, but I would also go home and write or animate my own projects until about 2am and then go to work the next day, etc.

I eventually got the opportunity to create a series for CollegeHumor (now known as Dropout) back in 2006, so I took the leap and quit my design job to pursue animation full time.

It was great, worked my tail off for another 5 years while I built up my client list and other opportunities came about – like working with Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central. But my bread and butter was short form comedy on the internet. Sites like CollegeHumor and Machinima were huge and allowed me to build out an audience and more clients.

It eventually got to the point where I needed to hire other artists and staff – and in 2011 I opened up Lowbrow Studios.

I really feel like I carved out the perfect niche career for myself. I get to write and produce cartoons for myself or for clients and I get to work with amazing artists and funny people.

In 2020 I partnered with Vikas Kumar, CEO of Digitoonz. We formed Pot Luck Animation where we handle pre-production and creative supervision in the US and the talented team of artists in India handle the animation.

I’m also very excited about my latest venture, a couple years ago I acquired the Youtube channel, Dorkly. It’s a channel we helped develop with CollegeHumor about 12 years ago. I write and run the channel, we recently reached 4 million subscribers and I’ve been trying to focus more efforts into growing and expanding it.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

When I first started making cartoons, I had to learn about every step. Writing, drawing, rigging, voice acting, animating, sound design, editing. Having a working knowledge in every step has helped me in pretty much everything I do every day – especially as a creative director. Knowing how each step affects the next and how that plays into the budgets and timelines and making sure your team doesn’t burn out. It’s all connected and it allows me to be involved in each step or help guide/direct my team in each step while allowing them the creative freedom to make their own choices.

The best advice I can give is be a bit obsessed with the process. Not a strong writer, read some scripts of an existing show. See how it’s formatted, paced out, how descriptive it is, etc. Or if you have a favorite writer, find some interviews about that person and try and figure out what their process is like. The same goes for every step – You don’t have to become a master at every single thing, but understand the process and decision making that goes into each step, so when you are giving notes or directing, you’re speaking from an informed place.

But also – If you DON’T know the ins and outs of a step, don’t be afraid to ask the artist. For example, I love background art, but it’s the part that I struggle with the most. So when I’m working with a BG artist and I provided them a rough sketch or a thumbnail, I’ll let them know, “this is rough, the angle is basic. So just use this as a general reference. If there’s a more interesting angle, or design, I’m wide open it to”

It’s about knowing the entire process, but also knowing where your weaknesses are.

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?

I’ve been fortunate to receive a ton of great advice and help from other artists and business owners. The person who stands out the most is Brendan Burch, owner of Six Point Harness. I met Brendan when Six Point was animating a pilot for a show that we had sold to MTV called “Clock Suckers”. I was still figuring out how to run a studio as well as the business side of things and Brendan always made time for me. He would critique our studio demo reel, show me to how properly breakdown a budget or schedule for a larger series, or even send work our way when we were slow.
He’s been really instrumental in helping me grow professionally and it’s something I try to do whenever a younger artist reaches out for advice

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dorkly.com
• Instagram: @dorkly
• Facebook: @dorkly
• Linkedin: @mikeparker
• Twitter: @dorkly
• Youtube: Dorkly

Image Credits

Personal photo by Hollie Bertram