By: Joey Regalbuto, WWSD Anime Club PR
The WWSD Anime Club was granted an interview with graphic designer Miles McMahon who works for FiGPiN–a company that makes collector pins based on a variety of video games, movies, comics, TV shows, and, of course, anime. During the interview, students got to ask McMahon questions about certain aspects of his job including how FiGPiNs are made, how exactly to get into a successful art career, and what it’s like working for a remote-based company.
McMahon makes the designs for the backdrop of the figures’ containers making sure that each is unique to their respective franchises. Members were given the run down of the process of how to make the backgrounds, what applications are used, and how McMahon comes up with the ideas for said backdrops.
Since many of the students in the WWSD Anime Club are skilled when it comes to art, members were especially interested in careers in the art field. McMahon explained the role of his professional Instagram and Etsy accounts. He also noted the importance of building a professional portfolio and credited Susquehanna University’s graphic design program for his success.
McMahon noted it is a delight working for FiGPiN; he enjoys what he does because he uses his passion and he can get revenue for doing what he loves.
At the end of the interview, three students in the club were randomly selected for a free FiGPiN as a token of the company’s generosity. The FiGPiNs issued were from two very popular franchises: Demon Slayer and Avatar.
Overall, the interview with McMahon was a great experience for the WWSD Anime Club, especially for students looking to pursue art careers stemming from their appreciation for anime.
