We were lucky to catch up with Angela Entzminger recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Angela , thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I loved DuckTales as a kid and used to read the credits at the end of the show. That’s when I discovered that adults worked on the show and since one day I would be an adult, that television was a career I could pursue.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Angela Entzminger and I am a television writer, actor, and storyboard/comic book artist. I’ve worked on a number of animated shows including My Adventures with Superman, Santiago of the Seas, Polly Pocket, HexVet, and an unannounced show for LEGO.

I’ve always loved to tell stories. I grew up watching every animated show and action-adventure film I could like Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Robin Hood, and DuckTales.

I would run around outside re-enacting scenes from my favorite shows with my friends, then go home and draw and write my own stories. As an entertainment professional, I do the same things I did as a kid, except now I get paid to create stories.

Originally I wanted a career in the publishing industry. I moved to New York City from Sugar Land, Texas, and worked for several years at a magazine publishing company and then at an educational publishing company. I did not enjoy the experience and longed to find a more creative outlet for my energy. Enter the world of animation and comics. As an adult I found myself staying up until 1:00 a.m. watching InuYasha, Cowboy Bebop, and Neon Genesis Evangelion on Cartoon Network. I soon realized, “You know, I don’t know that many adults who enjoy watching cartoons. I should find those people.”

I started volunteering at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art, joined ASIFA-East and Women in Animation, and learned about animation as a viable career path. I also took life drawing classes through ASIFA-East and at Pratt. My training and conversations with professionals encouraged me to leave New York and eventually move to San Francisco to attend art school and earn an MFA in 2D animation and storyboarding.

Unfortunately, upon graduation, my work was still terrible! I was horrified to realize that after three years of intense training, my work was not at a professional level. This is actually very common for most students. It’s not like you can spend a few years and BAM! be a master at the craft. It takes time to gain artistic and storytelling skills in order to become a working professional in the entertainment industry.

I took jobs as a production assistant on various reality TV shows, got an internship at Pixar as a development intern, worked as an office temp, and worked in retail. Two years out of school, I landed my first full-time job as a production assistant at Nickelodeon. Once I began to work full-time in a stable environment, I was able to take more art classes, as well as attend conventions, and listen to podcasts on animation and screenwriting. Over the span of five years, I advanced from PA to storyboard artist to TV writer.

While my journey from publishing to animation may not be typical, the level of work required to advance is common among artists, writers, and actors. I spent years taking classes, meeting professionals, updating portfolios, and applying for writing fellowships and contests. There’s no way to determine how long it will take to get into the entertainment industry, which is why I recommend people not set a time limit for themselves. Some people I know were able to land a job in a year, other people landed their dream job in ten. And many people I know are still on the hunt for that elusive golden job. As long as you continue to practice, create, and meet people along the way, you’re making good headway to get into the industry.

Today I am thankful to have remained in the industry amidst layoffs, strikes, and studio closures. Sadly this industry is not stable, which is why I value relationships and creating stories I love above all else. There is a place for everyone to be a part of the industry, even if you have to create that place for yourself.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

My goal is to create exciting, enjoyable stories that kids, teens, and adults want to read and watch. I love crafting new characters and worlds and I want to share my imagination with the public. Watching what I’ve written and drawn on television is a fantastic experience. I love seeing my work come to life. It’s a great feeling knowing that my work will outlast me.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I believe in taking a two-pronged approach to growing a social media presence. The first is to be a creative person IRL. A large audience on social media is often built outside of social media. Many of the artists and writers with the largest followings spend a great deal of their time off of social media working on their craft, creating something that people want to watch, read, or display in their homes. Then they exhibit at conventions, attend and create events like gallery shows, teach classes, host seminars, or are guests on the platforms of others.

The second part of my approach is to post on a regular schedule and to offer posts that are interesting and enjoyable for others to read and that reflect the type of work that I do. For example, my posts typically reflect talks on writing that I am giving at conventions and events, information on shows that I am working on, drawings for different projects, or books that I enjoy reading. I like asking my audience questions about their favorite books and types of art so that we can have fun interactions with one another. I enjoy following other interesting artists, writers, and performers as well as chatting with them about their projects.

The majority of my followers on Instagram came from years of podcasting, attending conventions, volunteering through organizations like Rise Up Animation, and being a guest speaker at colleges. There are artists and writers with many more followers than myself, and that’s fine by me. While I enjoy posting on social media, it’s not how I have gotten the majority of my jobs, which is the reason why I have social media accounts. My employment has come from meeting people at each place where I work, attending conventions, mixers, and classes, and organizing events where artists and writers can meet one another.
For me, as long as you’re having fun with social media, meeting interesting people, and showcasing your work, then you are succeeding, even if you don’t have millions of followers.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.angelaentzminger.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelaentzminger
• Other: https://angelaentzminger.carrd.co

Image Credits
Headshot photo by Vanie Poyey