Matthew James Downs was born in Michigan where he spent most of his youth drawing cartoons, watching cartoons, reading comics, playing video games and swimming. Reading Jim Davis’ Garfield in the newspapers was one of the first things he could read on his own. By the third grade, Matt had already figured out what he wanted to be for a living: a cartoonist. After seeing Disney’s Aladdin, Matt was inspired to become an animator. After seeing Pixar’s A Bug’s Life, Matt was encouraged to be a storyboard artist. After watching Spongebob Squarepants, Matt was motivated further to be a storyboard artist for animated television shows.
Matt drew cartoons throughout most of his grade school years, coming up with his own characters and story lines. He drew for his high school newspaper and received the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association Award for one of his editorial cartoons.
After high school, Matt got his degree in Graphic Design and promptly got a job doing design work at a screen printing house in Detroit. He didn’t want to give up on his dream to work in the animation industry and decided to go back to school to get his degree in Animation. While attending classes, Matt successfully completed his senior animated short film, Camel Country, a fish-out-of-water story about a camel trying and failing to adapt to a cold environment. The film proved to be an allegory relating to Matt’s own life decisions, struggles and obstacles.
After graduating from college (again), Matt and his fiancé moved to California.
Matt now resides in Burbank with his wife, Rachael.
They have two bearded dragons: Lloyd and Jasper, a leopard gecko named Javier, and a crested gecko named Clyde.
EXPERIENCE
Renegade Animation
2020
Prop Designer
Pocket the Private Eye (Book Series)
2018 to present
Book Illustrator
CW’s iZombie
2015 to 2019
Assistant Digital Illustrator on iZombie
Nickelodeon Animation
2016
Freelance storyboard revisionist for Spongebob Squarepants
Herzog & Company
2014
Illustrator – A Million Ways to Die in the Wild West DVD feature
Herzog & Company
2012
Production Assistant
Office management & film runner
Cosmic Toast Studios
2012
Storyboard Artist/ Animatic Editor/ Character Designer
Thunderbean Animation
2009-2012
Freelance layout, inbetween, and clean up animation
Kurt’s Kustom Promotions
2006-2010
Graphic Designer
STORYBOARD TESTS
Glen Keane Productions
2018
Warner Bros. Animation
2018
Wacky Races
Warner Bros. Animation
2017
Scooby-Doo and Guess Who?
Nickelodeon Animation
2016
Spongebob Squarepants
Warner Bros. Animation
2016
Teen Titans GO!
6 Point Harness
2016
Disney’s Legend of the Three Caballeros
6 Point Harness
2015
Animated series pilot episode
Nickelodeon Animation
2012
Wallykazam
Rough Draft Studios
2011
Napoleon Dynamite