While some artists are struggling to find work, Will finds himself struggling to turn down freelance opportunities. His extraordinary design talent is obvious as to why editors are tapping him on both shoulders, and his road to success has also collected a long string of significant industry contacts. Both of Will’s parents are designers and own a successful design firm in Racine, Wisconsin. The firm has been in operation for twenty-six years and is where Will worked during his youthful summers. This jumpstarted his design training, pushing him to learn Photoshop at age ten.
After graduating from Minneapolis College of Art and Design in 2002, Will found himself the victim of a design market draught in Minneapolis. A forgotten submission to the Adobe Achievement Awards earned Will two, second place awards in both design and illustration. As part of the winner's package, Will’s work was exhibited at the prestigious Guggenheim Museum in New York City. As Will concedes, he is not “socially aggressive,” but “something clicked” inside of him the night of his exhibit and he thought, “This is my chance.” And it was. Post shaking hands and mingling with his idols, Will was offered two jobs that night. One offer began with an unforgettable impulsive quote: “We have good news and bad news. We either have to kill you, or we have to hire you.”
His first job was Senior Designer at HarperCollins for the paperback books division, and his first project was to design a Michael Crichton book cover that his boss was struggling to nail. Although this design is not Will’s favorite, 1.4 million copies of the book were printed.
After five years of promotions at HarperCollins, Will had climbed his way up to the Art Director of his division. A “house style” for his cover designs had been established which created slight boredom. Luckily Evan Spiridellis, Co-Founder and Creative Director at JibJab Media, came across Will’s article in Print Magazine and instigated contact. Will took the leap across the country to Los Angeles to work as the Senior Designer at JibJab. Yet his knack for book cover design is a recognition that “follows you” and is a large source of his freelance work.
Why does he pile so many portions on his plate? When asked he simply replied, “I need variety in my life.” Will constantly has several freelance projects on his plate, usually five to seven simultaneously. He is often offered jobs that are too big for him, and he admits, “I do it anyways, and then I hate myself.” He does them all because he likes them all. He also likes sleep but does not have the luxury of enjoying this necessity as much as he would like.
Will’s personal work can be found on six different websites. Lonewolfblacksheep is Will’s commercial company, which includes stylized toys, logos, business cards, characters and posters. This collection was created while Will lived in New York because, of course, he needed to be doing more than just working full-time. Silhouette Masterpiece Theater showcases Will’s “horribly disfigured” counterpart, Wilhelm Staehle’s, Victorian-themed framed prints, light boxes, t-shirts and pillowcases. Another site that prides much success is dollardreadful.com, which is home to The Dollar Dreadful Family Library. These small, Victorian-style booklets are designed by Will and written by his wife, Tania Del Rio. Other writers are welcome, but the submission process is in development. For just two dollars the reader can embark on short story adventures with quirky characters enduring bizarre circumstances. The booklets sell well at conventions where six are bundled for only ten dollars. Both Silhouette Masterpiece Theater and The Dollar Dreadful Family Library can be found for sale at The Bazzarium: Your Victorian Emporium. One can purchase other turn-of-the-century-inspired works there as well. Let’s not forgot Will’s main website where all of his fascinating worlds and wondrous products are housed.
What’s next for Will? After a bustling four days of showing and selling at Comic-Con 2009, he's sure to return next year. There is future possibility for him to take over the family business in Wisconsin, but Will’s fear remains that one day he would tell people, “I’m the son who killed his father’s company.” In the meantime, he will continue to refine his current creations and undoubtedly bring more to life for us impatient bystanders to devour. He is still under thirty and has already conquered feats that some do not experience in a lifetime. Keep your eyes and ears open for the latest and greatest from this unique designer who “likes simple design but wants to make it [his] own” by adding flourishes and other embellishments. Keep on inventing, Will Staehle. The American art scene needs you.
After five years of promotions at HarperCollins, Will had climbed his way up to the Art Director of his division. A “house style” for his cover designs had been established which created slight boredom. Luckily Evan Spiridellis, Co-Founder and Creative Director at JibJab Media, came across Will’s article in Print Magazine and instigated contact. Will took the leap across the country to Los Angeles to work as the Senior Designer at JibJab. Yet his knack for book cover design is a recognition that “follows you” and is a large source of his freelance work.
Why does he pile so many portions on his plate? When asked he simply replied, “I need variety in my life.” Will constantly has several freelance projects on his plate, usually five to seven simultaneously. He is often offered jobs that are too big for him, and he admits, “I do it anyways, and then I hate myself.” He does them all because he likes them all. He also likes sleep but does not have the luxury of enjoying this necessity as much as he would like.
Will’s personal work can be found on six different websites. Lonewolfblacksheep is Will’s commercial company, which includes stylized toys, logos, business cards, characters and posters. This collection was created while Will lived in New York because, of course, he needed to be doing more than just working full-time. Silhouette Masterpiece Theater showcases Will’s “horribly disfigured” counterpart, Wilhelm Staehle’s, Victorian-themed framed prints, light boxes, t-shirts and pillowcases. Another site that prides much success is dollardreadful.com, which is home to The Dollar Dreadful Family Library. These small, Victorian-style booklets are designed by Will and written by his wife, Tania Del Rio. Other writers are welcome, but the submission process is in development. For just two dollars the reader can embark on short story adventures with quirky characters enduring bizarre circumstances. The booklets sell well at conventions where six are bundled for only ten dollars. Both Silhouette Masterpiece Theater and The Dollar Dreadful Family Library can be found for sale at The Bazzarium: Your Victorian Emporium. One can purchase other turn-of-the-century-inspired works there as well. Let’s not forgot Will’s main website where all of his fascinating worlds and wondrous products are housed.
What’s next for Will? After a bustling four days of showing and selling at Comic-Con 2009, he's sure to return next year. There is future possibility for him to take over the family business in Wisconsin, but Will’s fear remains that one day he would tell people, “I’m the son who killed his father’s company.” In the meantime, he will continue to refine his current creations and undoubtedly bring more to life for us impatient bystanders to devour. He is still under thirty and has already conquered feats that some do not experience in a lifetime. Keep your eyes and ears open for the latest and greatest from this unique designer who “likes simple design but wants to make it [his] own” by adding flourishes and other embellishments. Keep on inventing, Will Staehle. The American art scene needs you.
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