Difference between revisions of "Theme Park Life"
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{{Infobox book | {{Infobox book | ||
| − | | italic title = | + | | italic title = Theme Park Life<!--(Article title goes here and in the 'name' field below.)--> |
| − | | name = | + | | name = Theme Park Life |
| image = Screen Shot 2020-07-12 at 1.04.57 AM.png<!--(If no good single image is suitable, use a screenshot of the first page of the article)--> | | image = Screen Shot 2020-07-12 at 1.04.57 AM.png<!--(If no good single image is suitable, use a screenshot of the first page of the article)--> | ||
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| − | | author = [[ | + | | author = [[Glenn Ferguson]]<!--(use {{unbulleted list|Author One|Author Two|Author Three}} to list multiple authors or subjects)--> |
| illustrator = | | illustrator = | ||
| subject = <!--(who or what is this wiki entry about?)--> | | subject = <!--(who or what is this wiki entry about?)--> | ||
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| notes = | | notes = | ||
| − | | website = {{unbulleted list|[http://wiki.caricature.org/wiki/EF_PDFS/ | + | | website = {{unbulleted list|[http://wiki.caricature.org/wiki/EF_PDFS/EF2009.2.pdf Full Issue PDF],|courtesy of {{URL|caricature.org}}}} |
}} | }} | ||
Article Description. Should include author, brief description, issue number and page number(s). | Article Description. Should include author, brief description, issue number and page number(s). | ||
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any other type of artistic career, and a few unbelievable stories thrown in. | any other type of artistic career, and a few unbelievable stories thrown in. | ||
| + | '''The Basics'''<br> | ||
| + | It seems simple enough... you sit in a | ||
| + | chair at a crowded theme park with | ||
| + | samples of your work in front of you and | ||
| + | you charge different prices for a drawing | ||
| + | that will hopefully bring a smile and/or | ||
| + | laughter to the guest. Generally, that’s | ||
| + | how it is supposed to work in its simplicity. | ||
| + | However, lots of other factors present | ||
| + | themselves after just a short amount | ||
| + | of time in the proverbial chair. Initially, | ||
| + | hopefully, you should be an artist with | ||
| + | solid drawing skills and coloring skills. | ||
| + | Sounds simple enough. But there is more | ||
| + | to it than just that. | ||
| + | '''You must also be a good communicator'''<br> You have to talk | ||
| + | to people all day long. Unlike a studio | ||
| + | artist, you cannot sit in silence and just | ||
| + | be creative and brilliant. You gotta open | ||
| + | your mouth, and since you are in a | ||
| + | family friendly environment, that which | ||
| + | comes out of your mouth should not only | ||
| + | be appropriate, but pleasant, kind and | ||
| + | friendly. Sarcastic is fine, but demeaning, | ||
| + | insulting, or degrading will sooner or l | ||
| + | ater get you escorted out. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''You have to be a salesman'''<br> Like | ||
| + | it or not, this is retail, baby, and you | ||
| + | have to sell each and every drawing | ||
| + | you do to a potential customer that walks | ||
| + | up to your booth and shows interest in | ||
| + | your product. If you know nothing about | ||
| + | marketing or promoting a product, | ||
| + | working in a theme park is an amazing | ||
| + | crash course in learning how to sell | ||
| + | what you have to offer. Sitting around | ||
| + | waiting for the customer to discover | ||
| + | you’re “brilliant” will teach you how to be | ||
| + | a starving artist. Next to you, more often | ||
| + | than not, will be another artist. Maybe | ||
| + | two or three. You don’t have to like them, | ||
| + | but you have to get along with them. In | ||
| + | a sense they are your wingmen. They | ||
| + | support you and you support them, and | ||
| + | if you aren’t considerate of one another, | ||
| + | they will become more than just a | ||
| + | competitor of you, but your enemy… | ||
| + | so get along with your coworkers and | ||
| + | come up with a system that works | ||
| + | for everyone. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''You have to be an entertainer'''<br> As | ||
| + | most gig artists will tell you, your guest | ||
| + | will appreciate conversation, a few jokes | ||
| + | or kidding around, but most importantly | ||
| + | smiling. You’d be amazed at what you can | ||
| + | accomplish just by smiling while doing it. | ||
| + | The artist who seems friendlier, happier, | ||
| + | and whose guests seem to be enjoying | ||
| + | themselves more is guaranteed to attract | ||
| + | the most business. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''You have to be good with money'''<br> | ||
| + | Basic accounting and bookkeeping | ||
| + | skills are also important. In the eyes of | ||
| + | the theme park, you are a merchandise | ||
| + | vehicle. They don’t care how talented | ||
| + | you are, but they care about every dollar | ||
| + | that goes through your hands. It seems | ||
| + | like a lot to handle at times, but if you | ||
| + | keep your head screwed on straight, it | ||
| + | can be a lot of fun, while maintaining a | ||
| + | lucrative income. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''The Stuff They Don’t Tell You'''<br> | ||
| + | It’s amazing the stuff you get to | ||
| + | learn and deal with when you work in | ||
| + | public service and a retail environment. | ||
| + | There are things and situations that | ||
| + | any retail artist will tell you that aren’t | ||
| + | necessarily in the job description. Here | ||
| + | are a few…. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The stupid roam free I know in any job | ||
| + | dealing with the public there are ignorant | ||
| + | and moronic people to deal with on a daily | ||
| + | basis. However, they seem to thrive in a | ||
| + | theme park environment and given the | ||
| + | concept of a caricature artist retail stand | ||
| + | in their midst is like parking a NASCAR | ||
| + | in a trailer park with the keys in it. I get | ||
| + | the usual pretty standard, “Do the frame | ||
| + | come widdit?” and, “Can you draw her | ||
| + | even though she ain’t here?” Also, I am | ||
| + | truly convinced, that there can never be a | ||
| + | sign big enough, flashy enough, or lit up | ||
| + | enough to get people not immediately to | ||
| + | ask, “How much?” immediately followed | ||
| + | by “How long?” But once in a blue moon, | ||
| + | I’ll get a gem that’ll just blow me away. | ||
| + | After telling a guest we could hold her | ||
| + | drawing while she enjoys her day and | ||
| + | she could pick it up later she came back | ||
| + | asking for her picture. After I was unable | ||
| + | to find it I asked, “When did you have it | ||
| + | done?” She said, “September”. It was | ||
| + | two weeks before Christmas. Every | ||
| + | retail theme park artist deals with these | ||
| + | situations. There was this very heavy | ||
| + | woman who said she wanted me to draw | ||
| + | her sexy for her husband, I reluctantly | ||
| + | said, “Ookaaayy.” I looked down to get a | ||
| + | piece of paper and test my airbrush and | ||
| + | when I looked up she had taken off her | ||
| + | shirt and bra and was “presenting” herself | ||
| + | to me to draw with nothing but a smile | ||
| + | from waist up. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''We love you, we hate you''' If you do a | ||
| + | good drawing, with great line quality, nice | ||
| + | composition, solid structure, likeness, | ||
| + | and exaggeration, you’re bound to get | ||
| + | people complimenting you...they tell | ||
| + | you everything positive…”You’re really | ||
| + | good, that’s amazing, that’s so cool”. | ||
| + | But when someone has an opinion, | ||
| + | they’re also not shy about spewing the | ||
| + | negative. “That don’t look nuthin’ like | ||
| + | her”, and “I wouldn’t pay for that if I were | ||
| + | you”, seem to be the norm, but eventually | ||
| + | you’ll get REJECTS. The book by fellow | ||
| + | NCN member Joe Bluhm pretty much | ||
| + | covered this subject, but everyone gets | ||
| + | them, they are unavoidable. You simply | ||
| + | cannot please everyone. I do try though, | ||
| + | as I am fairly successful only getting a | ||
| + | reject once a month or so, despite my | ||
| + | reputation at the conventions, on a scale | ||
| + | of 1 to 10 of exaggeration I usually draw | ||
| + | about a 5. Unless I get a good feel of them | ||
| + | or they are British…the British can take | ||
| + | anything funny. Most rejects go civilized, | ||
| + | but I’ve been cursed out three times and | ||
| + | spit on once, but never hit or assaulted. | ||
| + | Sometimes it goes the other way and they | ||
| + | either love the drawing emphatically, or | ||
| + | laugh at the drawing so hard it startles | ||
| + | me. I have had a couple of occasions | ||
| + | where people have peed themselves | ||
| + | laughing, admitted it, and even bragged | ||
| + | about it. One lady laughed so hard she | ||
| + | fell on the ground and was “screaming” | ||
| + | laughing that security came because | ||
| + | they thought she was having a seizure or | ||
| + | heart attack. One instance I know a guy | ||
| + | got his drawing tattooed on him…a park | ||
| + | drawing, not a studio piece. A number of | ||
| + | people turned my drawings into business | ||
| + | cards and promotional materials without | ||
| + | my knowledge until one day they give me | ||
| + | a card showing me “how good my artwork | ||
| + | is”. It’s because of this you should never | ||
| + | draw a house with a “Sold” sign on it in | ||
| + | a park. The instance I wish I could forget | ||
| + | but I am unable to…This nice mentally | ||
| + | handicapped boy watched me as I drew | ||
| + | and as I began to color the drawing he | ||
| + | couldn’t contain his excitement and threw | ||
| + | up... all over me. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Our park, our rules'''<br> Something that | ||
| + | non-park people don’t always consider | ||
| + | is that you must obey the park. They | ||
| + | make the rules by which they wish you | ||
| + | to conduct yourself and your business. | ||
| + | First off, that means uniforms. Very | ||
| + | fortunately Fasen Arts has been blessed | ||
| + | by being able to avoid any uniform or | ||
| + | “costume” that is completely embarrassing | ||
| + | or uncomfortable, but I’ve seen some | ||
| + | that range from ugly colors to a rainbow | ||
| + | wig shy of a clown suit. There are also | ||
| + | little weird “rules” they like to set all the | ||
| + | time, like you have to point with two | ||
| + | fingers because it’s offensive to some | ||
| + | nationalities, or that anyone you see with | ||
| + | an open map you’re required to ask them | ||
| + | if you can help them find something. You | ||
| + | can’t walk in certain areas, eat in most | ||
| + | areas, or chew gum anywhere near a | ||
| + | guest. I know it sounds ridiculous at times, | ||
| + | but you get pretty used to it, and as long as you don’t upset the park, the | ||
| + | park leaves you alone. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''The Cool Stuff''' | ||
| + | Like any job it has its ups and downs, | ||
| + | but park life offers some things you | ||
| + | can’t find anywhere else. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Practice'''<br> First off, you draw every | ||
| + | single day you work. Not just two days | ||
| + | a week, or for two hours a day, but most | ||
| + | every day you work, you’ll draw most of | ||
| + | the time you’re in the chair. When you’re | ||
| + | not drawing, you’re practicing drawing | ||
| + | each other, drawing samples, etc. But | ||
| + | you will get better at drawing simply | ||
| + | because you draw every day. Discipline | ||
| + | is hard for some artists, but the very | ||
| + | nature of working in a park takes care of | ||
| + | that. Imagine it as an artistic boot camp. | ||
| + | Sooner or later, you’ll find yourself drawing | ||
| + | every day, even on your days off. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Camaraderie'''<br> We have roughly twenty | ||
| + | artists working with us in Orlando, and | ||
| + | every day we get to draw next to someone | ||
| + | new. That means every day we have | ||
| + | someone else from which to learn, see a | ||
| + | different perspective, discuss ideas and | ||
| + | drawing strategies, and from which to | ||
| + | grow artistically. We also get help from | ||
| + | other artists and learn our weaknesses | ||
| + | and how to overcome them as well. We | ||
| + | have situations where people wait for | ||
| + | certain artists….but it is a pure example | ||
| + | of seeing what appeals to guests about a | ||
| + | certain artist or their work and it forces us | ||
| + | to grow and learn. It’s hard to get better | ||
| + | or grow when we’re the only artist in the | ||
| + | room. Imagine playing basketball by | ||
| + | ourself, then suddenly we get a partner to | ||
| + | play ball with. Our game will grow tenfold | ||
| + | simply by working with others. To me, | ||
| + | that’s a school we can’t buy. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''The Famous People'''<br> I know this sounds | ||
| + | a little corny, but working in a major theme | ||
| + | park, you see all kinds of famous people. | ||
| + | On New Year’s Day I said “Hi” to President | ||
| + | Carter as he walked past me about four | ||
| + | feet away. I have drawn Diana Ross and | ||
| + | Kid Rock sitting in front of me. I have also | ||
| + | seen Michael Jackson, Tom Cruise, The | ||
| + | “Rock”, Wesley Snipes, David Beckham, | ||
| + | Stephen Tyler, Mariah Carey, Shaquille | ||
| + | O’Neele, along with other live bands that | ||
| + | perform in the park like Blink 182, Styx, | ||
| + | and Jimmy Page. I know it sounds like a | ||
| + | commercial, but I often think that I’d never | ||
| + | be able to see this many famous people | ||
| + | on a regular basis if I did something else. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Multicultural''' <br>I work in Orlando, the | ||
| + | largest tourist destination in the entire | ||
| + | world. I see people from every civilized | ||
| + | country on a daily basis. Over the years, | ||
| + | I have gradually learned how to speak | ||
| + | Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, and | ||
| + | French. Oh, not fluently, not well, not even | ||
| + | enough to get by in a foreign country, | ||
| + | but “How much? How long? Where are | ||
| + | the bathrooms?” and a handful of other | ||
| + | questions directly related to the job I have | ||
| + | down like I was a native. Also, you get | ||
| + | to learn the cultures of so many different | ||
| + | people from all over the planet. You | ||
| + | get to learn what groups of people love | ||
| + | caricatures, and what groups of people | ||
| + | you have a 90% chance of offending or | ||
| + | disappointing no matter what you draw. | ||
| + | Do you know how people in Russia react | ||
| + | to caricatures? How about Filipinos? I | ||
| + | do…you will too if you ever decide to work | ||
| + | in a park. | ||
| + | |||
| + | '''Seasonal Lifestyle''' <br>Most major theme | ||
| + | parks are seasonal to some degree. You | ||
| + | are incredibly slow some times and make | ||
| + | little money, and then there are times | ||
| + | you’re drawing CONSTANTLY for 14 | ||
| + | hours a day and a crowd of people are | ||
| + | disappointed when you eventually have to | ||
| + | stop. It’s a lifestyle you get used to after a | ||
| + | while because by the end of the year it all | ||
| + | evens out. It does mean you sit out in the | ||
| + | cold, (yes, even Florida gets cold! Sitting | ||
| + | out in it for 8 hours at a time isn’t any | ||
| + | picnic either), and amidst the sweltering | ||
| + | heat in the summer, but its times like in | ||
| + | the Spring and Autumn when the weather | ||
| + | is picture perfect and there’s waves and | ||
| + | waves of Brazilian girls and tourists in | ||
| + | spandex and bikinis that really make you | ||
| + | realize that working in a park is one of the | ||
| + | best places to do what we do. Besides, | ||
| + | I couldn’t possibly work in some cubicle | ||
| + | trapped behind a computer screen, the | ||
| + | left-brained people can have that life. | ||
| + | |||
| + | The Grand Finale | ||
| + | At the risk of sounding cheesy, one of the | ||
| + | best things about working in a park is how | ||
| + | well it goes hand in hand with the NCN | ||
| + | and the convention. It’s a great feeling | ||
| + | to draw all day and go home to be reinspired | ||
| + | to everything going on the Forum, | ||
| + | getting ready for the convention, and the | ||
| + | convention is like the Super Bowl after | ||
| + | training all year. It’s an unconventional | ||
| + | and different lifestyle, but it’s a good | ||
| + | one that I’d be hard pressed to trade | ||
| + | for anything else. | ||
Latest revision as of 01:21, 12 July 2020
| Author | Glenn Ferguson |
|---|---|
| Genre | |
| Published | EF Issue 2009.2 |
Publication date | Spring 2009 |
| Media type |
|
| Pages | 8-10 |
| Website |
|
Article Description. Should include author, brief description, issue number and page number(s).
Article Transcript
As most of you know, I call Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure my home. I’ve been there for around thirteen years and in theme parks in general for fifteen years working under Fasen Arts. I remember thinking to myself once fellow NCN member Chris Galvin, the manager at Six Flags over Texas, gave me the job, “This will be a fun job for maybe a couple of months or so, but that’s all.” Boy was I wrong. Not only did I choose to make caricatures my career, but doing theme park caricatures is an even more specialized field. I never remember that one being a choice in my high school guidance counselor’s office. To say I’ve learned a lot over the years is like saying Tom Richmond is strong or that Roger Hurtado thinks he’s great. Theme park life and doing caricatures in a theme park is a lifestyle all its own, and presents unthinkable challenges, rewards, and human interaction you can’t find anywhere else. Come along with me as I attempt to explain some of the highs and lows of park life, how it differs from any other type of artistic career, and a few unbelievable stories thrown in.
The Basics
It seems simple enough... you sit in a
chair at a crowded theme park with
samples of your work in front of you and
you charge different prices for a drawing
that will hopefully bring a smile and/or
laughter to the guest. Generally, that’s
how it is supposed to work in its simplicity.
However, lots of other factors present
themselves after just a short amount
of time in the proverbial chair. Initially,
hopefully, you should be an artist with
solid drawing skills and coloring skills.
Sounds simple enough. But there is more
to it than just that.
You must also be a good communicator
You have to talk
to people all day long. Unlike a studio
artist, you cannot sit in silence and just
be creative and brilliant. You gotta open
your mouth, and since you are in a
family friendly environment, that which
comes out of your mouth should not only
be appropriate, but pleasant, kind and
friendly. Sarcastic is fine, but demeaning,
insulting, or degrading will sooner or l
ater get you escorted out.
You have to be a salesman
Like
it or not, this is retail, baby, and you
have to sell each and every drawing
you do to a potential customer that walks
up to your booth and shows interest in
your product. If you know nothing about
marketing or promoting a product,
working in a theme park is an amazing
crash course in learning how to sell
what you have to offer. Sitting around
waiting for the customer to discover
you’re “brilliant” will teach you how to be
a starving artist. Next to you, more often
than not, will be another artist. Maybe
two or three. You don’t have to like them,
but you have to get along with them. In
a sense they are your wingmen. They
support you and you support them, and
if you aren’t considerate of one another,
they will become more than just a
competitor of you, but your enemy…
so get along with your coworkers and
come up with a system that works
for everyone.
You have to be an entertainer
As
most gig artists will tell you, your guest
will appreciate conversation, a few jokes
or kidding around, but most importantly
smiling. You’d be amazed at what you can
accomplish just by smiling while doing it.
The artist who seems friendlier, happier,
and whose guests seem to be enjoying
themselves more is guaranteed to attract
the most business.
You have to be good with money
Basic accounting and bookkeeping
skills are also important. In the eyes of
the theme park, you are a merchandise
vehicle. They don’t care how talented
you are, but they care about every dollar
that goes through your hands. It seems
like a lot to handle at times, but if you
keep your head screwed on straight, it
can be a lot of fun, while maintaining a
lucrative income.
The Stuff They Don’t Tell You
It’s amazing the stuff you get to
learn and deal with when you work in
public service and a retail environment.
There are things and situations that
any retail artist will tell you that aren’t
necessarily in the job description. Here
are a few….
The stupid roam free I know in any job dealing with the public there are ignorant and moronic people to deal with on a daily basis. However, they seem to thrive in a theme park environment and given the concept of a caricature artist retail stand in their midst is like parking a NASCAR in a trailer park with the keys in it. I get the usual pretty standard, “Do the frame come widdit?” and, “Can you draw her even though she ain’t here?” Also, I am truly convinced, that there can never be a sign big enough, flashy enough, or lit up enough to get people not immediately to ask, “How much?” immediately followed by “How long?” But once in a blue moon, I’ll get a gem that’ll just blow me away. After telling a guest we could hold her drawing while she enjoys her day and she could pick it up later she came back asking for her picture. After I was unable to find it I asked, “When did you have it done?” She said, “September”. It was two weeks before Christmas. Every retail theme park artist deals with these situations. There was this very heavy woman who said she wanted me to draw her sexy for her husband, I reluctantly said, “Ookaaayy.” I looked down to get a piece of paper and test my airbrush and when I looked up she had taken off her shirt and bra and was “presenting” herself to me to draw with nothing but a smile from waist up.
We love you, we hate you If you do a good drawing, with great line quality, nice composition, solid structure, likeness, and exaggeration, you’re bound to get people complimenting you...they tell you everything positive…”You’re really good, that’s amazing, that’s so cool”. But when someone has an opinion, they’re also not shy about spewing the negative. “That don’t look nuthin’ like her”, and “I wouldn’t pay for that if I were you”, seem to be the norm, but eventually you’ll get REJECTS. The book by fellow NCN member Joe Bluhm pretty much covered this subject, but everyone gets them, they are unavoidable. You simply cannot please everyone. I do try though, as I am fairly successful only getting a reject once a month or so, despite my reputation at the conventions, on a scale of 1 to 10 of exaggeration I usually draw about a 5. Unless I get a good feel of them or they are British…the British can take anything funny. Most rejects go civilized, but I’ve been cursed out three times and spit on once, but never hit or assaulted. Sometimes it goes the other way and they either love the drawing emphatically, or laugh at the drawing so hard it startles me. I have had a couple of occasions where people have peed themselves laughing, admitted it, and even bragged about it. One lady laughed so hard she fell on the ground and was “screaming” laughing that security came because they thought she was having a seizure or heart attack. One instance I know a guy got his drawing tattooed on him…a park drawing, not a studio piece. A number of people turned my drawings into business cards and promotional materials without my knowledge until one day they give me a card showing me “how good my artwork is”. It’s because of this you should never draw a house with a “Sold” sign on it in a park. The instance I wish I could forget but I am unable to…This nice mentally handicapped boy watched me as I drew and as I began to color the drawing he couldn’t contain his excitement and threw up... all over me.
Our park, our rules
Something that
non-park people don’t always consider
is that you must obey the park. They
make the rules by which they wish you
to conduct yourself and your business.
First off, that means uniforms. Very
fortunately Fasen Arts has been blessed
by being able to avoid any uniform or
“costume” that is completely embarrassing
or uncomfortable, but I’ve seen some
that range from ugly colors to a rainbow
wig shy of a clown suit. There are also
little weird “rules” they like to set all the
time, like you have to point with two
fingers because it’s offensive to some
nationalities, or that anyone you see with
an open map you’re required to ask them
if you can help them find something. You
can’t walk in certain areas, eat in most
areas, or chew gum anywhere near a
guest. I know it sounds ridiculous at times,
but you get pretty used to it, and as long as you don’t upset the park, the
park leaves you alone.
The Cool Stuff Like any job it has its ups and downs, but park life offers some things you can’t find anywhere else.
Practice
First off, you draw every
single day you work. Not just two days
a week, or for two hours a day, but most
every day you work, you’ll draw most of
the time you’re in the chair. When you’re
not drawing, you’re practicing drawing
each other, drawing samples, etc. But
you will get better at drawing simply
because you draw every day. Discipline
is hard for some artists, but the very
nature of working in a park takes care of
that. Imagine it as an artistic boot camp.
Sooner or later, you’ll find yourself drawing
every day, even on your days off.
Camaraderie
We have roughly twenty
artists working with us in Orlando, and
every day we get to draw next to someone
new. That means every day we have
someone else from which to learn, see a
different perspective, discuss ideas and
drawing strategies, and from which to
grow artistically. We also get help from
other artists and learn our weaknesses
and how to overcome them as well. We
have situations where people wait for
certain artists….but it is a pure example
of seeing what appeals to guests about a
certain artist or their work and it forces us
to grow and learn. It’s hard to get better
or grow when we’re the only artist in the
room. Imagine playing basketball by
ourself, then suddenly we get a partner to
play ball with. Our game will grow tenfold
simply by working with others. To me,
that’s a school we can’t buy.
The Famous People
I know this sounds
a little corny, but working in a major theme
park, you see all kinds of famous people.
On New Year’s Day I said “Hi” to President
Carter as he walked past me about four
feet away. I have drawn Diana Ross and
Kid Rock sitting in front of me. I have also
seen Michael Jackson, Tom Cruise, The
“Rock”, Wesley Snipes, David Beckham,
Stephen Tyler, Mariah Carey, Shaquille
O’Neele, along with other live bands that
perform in the park like Blink 182, Styx,
and Jimmy Page. I know it sounds like a
commercial, but I often think that I’d never
be able to see this many famous people
on a regular basis if I did something else.
Multicultural
I work in Orlando, the
largest tourist destination in the entire
world. I see people from every civilized
country on a daily basis. Over the years,
I have gradually learned how to speak
Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, and
French. Oh, not fluently, not well, not even
enough to get by in a foreign country,
but “How much? How long? Where are
the bathrooms?” and a handful of other
questions directly related to the job I have
down like I was a native. Also, you get
to learn the cultures of so many different
people from all over the planet. You
get to learn what groups of people love
caricatures, and what groups of people
you have a 90% chance of offending or
disappointing no matter what you draw.
Do you know how people in Russia react
to caricatures? How about Filipinos? I
do…you will too if you ever decide to work
in a park.
Seasonal Lifestyle
Most major theme
parks are seasonal to some degree. You
are incredibly slow some times and make
little money, and then there are times
you’re drawing CONSTANTLY for 14
hours a day and a crowd of people are
disappointed when you eventually have to
stop. It’s a lifestyle you get used to after a
while because by the end of the year it all
evens out. It does mean you sit out in the
cold, (yes, even Florida gets cold! Sitting
out in it for 8 hours at a time isn’t any
picnic either), and amidst the sweltering
heat in the summer, but its times like in
the Spring and Autumn when the weather
is picture perfect and there’s waves and
waves of Brazilian girls and tourists in
spandex and bikinis that really make you
realize that working in a park is one of the
best places to do what we do. Besides,
I couldn’t possibly work in some cubicle
trapped behind a computer screen, the
left-brained people can have that life.
The Grand Finale At the risk of sounding cheesy, one of the best things about working in a park is how well it goes hand in hand with the NCN and the convention. It’s a great feeling to draw all day and go home to be reinspired to everything going on the Forum, getting ready for the convention, and the convention is like the Super Bowl after training all year. It’s an unconventional and different lifestyle, but it’s a good one that I’d be hard pressed to trade for anything else.
See Also
External Links
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