Glen Hanson

The Man Behind the Pen:  Glen Hanson

By Alexander Rodriguez

To runways, to animated television, to magazines, to toys, to even perfumes and naughty promotion posters – you know Glen Hanson’s work by his signature swoops, sexy lines and indulgence in the human form.  Successfully crossing over from gay to mainstream media, his illustrations have been included in GQ, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek, Maxim, Variety, D.C. Comics, The Wall St. Journal to many more…the list goes on and on.  He is the mastermind behind the characterizations of TV’s BABAR, BEETLEJUICE and DARIA.  His art reflects the current trends in pop culture as well as pays homage to characters from our past that have shaped where entertainment and pop culture have come from.  The man behind the pen is humble, engaging and intoxicating as he chats about his passion for his projects with excitement and what’s to come. Glen chats about the industry, coming out and what it takes to stay current in this GED Exclusive.

Who were some of your earliest artistic inspirations?  Who are your current inspirations? 

As a child, I was obsessed with Disney and Hanna Barbera Animation and then when I hit adolescence, all I was interested in was Superhero Comics.  Today, I am inspired by a wide range of creative things…from other illustrators, fine artists and animation to music, dance, movies and fashion.

Do you remember the first things you started drawing?

Not from memory but thank goodness my Father saved many of them so I would say probably Disney characters.

Your illustrations have become part of pop culture history, how do you choose who to illustrate?

Wow! Thanks! That’s a huge compliment! Sometimes, the choice is made by a client who hires me for a specific assignment and if I’m drawing for social media, portfolio or merchandise, I try to choose subjects that will resonate with a wide audience but also things that inspire me and I enjoy. Often times, inspiration happens in the moment based on something I’ve seen or something topical.

How has technology played a part in your art?

It has opened up creative possibilities and the ability to not only create, but to alter images so that they may be used in a variety of ways. It’s endless and exciting!

Your art has at times been very sexual, do you feel the sexuality of your illustrations takes the spotlight away from the art itself?

Possibly. I’ve always drawn very sexy women and men and at times, people can’t see past the sexiness of the image to be able to appreciate it. However, if others do respond well, then I guess, on the whole, I’ve been successful.

You have worked with some major studios in the animation world – how was the creative process when dealing with corporate minds?

I’ve had some good experiences where I’ve been trusted to do my thing and others, particularly with kid’s programs, where there are a lot of people giving input and asking for changes. When you’re creating product for a wide market and millions of dollars are involved, that’s pretty much the nature of the beast.

What is your favorite project you’ve worked on?

It’s impossible to name just one. In Animation I loved working on Beetlejuice, Spy Groove and directing the Shiny Toy Guns Video! In illustration I loved working for British Vogue, NY Times, the final Seinfeld issue of TV Guide, Fashion campaigns for Andrew Mackenzie and Fyodor Golan, my G-Man book, Monster High Dolls, Lady Gaga Tour Costumes, the early Goddess Girls books. Co-writing the Chelsea Boys comic strip and a “Wonder Woman” graphic novel for DC were pretty cool too! These are all career highlights but I could probably think of 100 more.

What has been the most challenging project?

Hmm. I guess when I was working on Spy Groove for MTV as Art Director overseeing a whole crew of artists but was also doing the main character design and the initial storyboards for each episode. That was a lot!

What’s in the future for Glen Hanson studios? 

Development Design for some Network Animation projects (which I can’t talk about), more books, more writing, and definitely, more merch!

What was your own coming out story?

Although I always knew I was Gay, it was a long process of self acceptance before I was fully “Out”. I had a very religious upbringing so I couldn’t come out then and it took me years, and some therapy, to shake the narrow and negative thoughts about sex afterwards. Another reason it was so difficult for me was that I never saw examples of Gay Men I felt I could relate to so I didn’t know where I’d fit into the Community. It wasn’t really until I was living on my own in the city and had begun my career that I became comfortable enough to be totally “Out”. I learned that people were people, all looking for love, and I could just be myself and not worry about trying to fit into some preformed Gay or Straight stereotype.

Head to www.glenhanson.com to find out more.  Want to own a part of the Glen Hanson library?  Head to www.huntees.com to own your own piece of Glen, just in time for the holidays.