Vinylmation Artist Profiles

We’re just a few hours away from the deadline to enter my giveaway of the exclusive Disney Store Vinylmation Villains Series figures. If you haven’t entered yet, you must do so by 11:59pm eastern time tonight. To get you even more excited, Disney has provided bios for each of the artists involved with the series.

Check them out below the jump:

Jim Valeri- Senior Manager, Design
Though he was born in Akron, Ohio, Jim Valeri considers himself a California native. With a degree in illustration from Cal State Northridge, Jim worked in the aerospace industry for some time before becoming an intern at Disney Consumer products in 1994. Sixteen years later, Jim is still with the company creating Vinylmation like Banzai and Stromboli from the Villains Series. Stromboli, from Disney’s Pinocchio, is Jim’s favorite Villain because while creating the outrageous puppet master, he was reminded of his boisterous Italian father. Art is a compulsion for Jim, so working in the creative environment of the Disney Store and making characters come to life every day is only natural.

Gerald Mendez- Senior Designer
Originally from Mexico City, Mexico, Gerald Mendez studied graphic design at the Instituto del Arte Diseno He and his family came to the US in 1986 where he became an architectural draftsman. Gerald’s expertise lies in illustration and airbrushing, so in 2006 he came to the Disney Store to put his best talents to use. Today Gerald is creating Vinylmation for the Disney Store like the Old Hag from the Villains Series. A fan of fantasy art of all kinds, Gerald has an extensive collection of animated figurines including exclusive Vinylmation airbrushed in unique metallic designs. In his spare time, Gerald airbrushes details on cars, motorcycles and he even airbrushed a snowboard with all the Disney Villains!

Enrique Pita- Senior Designer
For Disney Store Senior Designer, Enrique Pita, it’s always been a dream to work for Disney. Born in Havana, Cuba, Enrique moved to the US in 1980 and studied commercial art design at LA Trade Tech College. Since then, Enrique used his expertise to expand his career throughout a number of industries including print press, typography, illustration and graphic design for companies like Guess, Tiltworks and Jerry Leigh. At the Disney Store Enrique creates artwork for everything from t-shirt graphics, styleguides to Vinylmation. His recent creations include Ursula, Prince John, Ratcliffe and Steam Boat Pete, all from the Vinylmation Villains Series. An avid Disney fan, Enrique calls himself a “collector who creates collectibles”, and is proud to show off his robust collection of Disney figurines both at home and in the office.

Kyle Jensen- Production Art Manager
Born and raised the Golden State, Kyle Jensen is from Riverside, California. Kyle has over 20 years of experience in commercial art production and currently creates sleepwear, tees and now Vinylmation for the Disney Store. Along with Kyle’s creation of Mim, from Disney’s The Sword and the Stone, one of his first Vinylmation renderings made it into the Vinylmation Villains Series as the illusive Chaser. Kyle’s favorite Vinylmation collection is the Have a Laugh Series because he loves the art production and the artists’ interpretation of the characters. When he isn’t at Disney Store creating the next big Vinyl hit, Kyle loves to go fishing and spend time with his family.

Oscar Mendez- Graphic Designer/Illustrator
The son of Senior Character Artist, Gerald Mendez, Oskar Mendez literally followed in his father’s footsteps. Born in Mexico City, Oskar came to the US when he was 4 and graduated from Art Center College in Pasadena, California before stepping into his first job at the Disney Store. Now Oskar’s been at the Disney Store for 4 years and is proud that his very first Vinylmation creation, Kaa from Disney’s The Jungle Book is about to launch in the Vinylmation Villains Series. Oskar gets his inspiration primarily from animation artists old and new, such as Peter de Seve, Claire Wendling, and Heinrich Kley, to name a few. Oskar loves to draw from life and paint when he gets the chance.