RESUME
HELLO!
I’m a highly creative visual designer and innovative thinker with 27 years of experience in the fields of character development and social expression products.
I’m a skilled illustrator and an avid trends researcher. I enjoy brainstorming and collaboration as well as big-picture thinking. I have worked to develop innovative product planning with an eye on cost consideration, and manufacturing possibilities.
I enjoy creating things that not only enrich peoples lives but also push product towards success at the marketplace.
I'm also a cartoonist and storyteller. I enjoy "world creation" in both animation and product planning. As animation production designer, I like to ground characters in vivid and unique spaces and places. If I can, I will try to be as cinematic as possible.
WORK EXPERIENCE
MASTER ARTIST @ HALLMARK CARDS, INC.
JAN. 2004 - AUG 2018
As a Master Artist, I worked on several large initiatives:
• Lead Designer and Art Director for Hallmark Properties, character based, licensing out division.
• Lead Designer for the character property “hoops&yoyo” developing both hard and soft goods including cards, books and toys. Style guide designer.
• Production Designer on both Annie Award nominated hoops&yoyo television specials (CBS and Hallmark Channel).
• Creator of character property "Asteroid Andy.” Designed, wrote and animated over 30 shorts and games including 2 televised shorts (Hallmark Channel).
• Created RB POP, a reimagining of the classic Rainbow Brite property.
• Created and led a team to develop “Garden Fair”, Hallmark’s 3D garden fairy offering. (Character design and world creation.)
• Set Designer and pop up store designer for Maxine’s Christmas Carol musical in Branson.
• Illustrated several licensed books for Hallmark books featuring Batman and Superman.
• Designed multiple ornaments for Keepsakes and Hallmark Ornaments.
• Designed several property style guides for Hallmark International.
STUDIO MANAGER @ SHOEBOX GREETINGS
MAR 2000 - DEC 2004
Managed 20 artists, designers and a freelance coordinator for Hallmark’s alternative humor line.
• Ran creative collection building projects in cartooning, character design and illustration innovation.
• Worked with product team to review art and communicate feedback to the artists and freelancers.
• Recruited and hired several artists as well as maintaining constant artistic growth of the studio.
• Worked across departments like the Writing Studio, Photography Studio and the Licensing Studio to create better creative flexibility.
ARTIST @ SHOEBOX GREETINGS
JUN 1991 - MAR 2000
Studio artist:
*Illustrated and designed greeting cards and store singnage.
* Cartoon writer and illustrator.
* Character designer.
EDUCATION
GRAPHIC DESIGN @ SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY
September 1985 - April 1990
Editorial Illustration and Design
REFERENCES
“It has been my great good fortune to work with Peter Martin for some twenty five years. Over that time, I've had a front row seat to countless creative, innovative, original and delightful solutions for a wide array of products, concepts, and media.
Peter Martin has consistently taken my words beyond my imagination, and I'm paid for my imagination.
This includes, but is in no way limited to, greeting cards for all kinds of occasions and emotional range; gift products like mugs, ornaments, and glassware; and humor books for consumers of all ages.
I've also worked with Peter Martin on an animated program for television, and set design for a stage production. He made the show and the musical (which were already pretty good) better with his contributions.
Throughout these endeavors he's been an indefatigable source of ideas, often the challenge has been choosing just one of many great solutions he's found.
He would be an incredible addition to any creative effort. I can't overstate that. Any design project led by him is the better for it, and he's a generous and supportive contributor when working on a team.
If you'd like details, I'll leave my contact information below. But be advised, I can talk about him a long time.”
DAN TAYLOR, MASTER WRITER, HALLMARK CARDS
(913) 271-0042 djayt1529@gmail.com
“Pedro Martin was a great resource for us in Hallmark International in both his design work and art direction for a number of years. My role was as Creative Director for Hallmark International for over 35 years with responsibility for product development for our subsidiaries and licensees for all markets outside of the USA.
Hallmark is in over 100 countries around the world in such categories as cards, books, licensed characters, gifts, apparel, and homewares.
Hallmark's most valuable asset is our creative content and creative talent and I viewed Pedro as a significant member of Hallmark’s creative community and I valued greatly the opportunity to be able to have him work on projects for our international markets.
His contributions for us were notably used in our licensing business, with particular interests in our Asian and European markets.
His artistic stylings and unique creative points of view on our licensed properties such as hoops & yoyo and Rainbow Brite were enormously successful for our overseas markets. I truly viewed him as a creative powerhouse and utilized his talents as often as I could.”
STEVE CARPENTER, HALLMARK INTERNATIONAL CREATIVE DIRECTOR, (retired)
scarpe@kc.rr.com 913-444-0867
Peter Martin is absolutely one of the most talented and creative people I’ve had the pleasure to work with. In the 13+ years I worked directly with him, I was constantly amazed at his quick thinking, inspired ideas and exceptional ability to execute those ideas. His illustration and design skills are unrivaled, and it doesn’t stop there. He can write, too, and you can count on it being clever, witty and downright funny.
In his 27 years at Hallmark, Peter proved to be innovative in both product development and character development. He was highly sought after by many groups in the building when it came to brainstorming new products or solutions. A pop culture expert, he proved invaluable to our licensing groups as well, in both innovation and illustration.
In addition to his many artistic skills, Peter is also a people person. He’s a team player who encourages and supports those he works with. His management skills, both with people and projects, are second to none. The people he leads want to work hard for him because he works hard for them.
In summary, Peter is one of those rare people in the creative business who has it all. He can illustrate, design, write, develop products, manage people and direct projects. And he does it all with humility, which is rare indeed.
BEV CARLSON SENIOR WRITER @ HALLMARK CARDS
Bev.Carlson@Hallmark.com 913.244.2401