Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to 80% Studios. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
80%, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
Since 2010, 80% Studios has worked on numerous projects, but none more personal or rewarding than CHICKALOONIES. Released in 2021, this all ages, Alaskan tribal adventure is inspired by the traditional Ahtna-Athabascan, “Ya Ne Da Ah” stories handed down to co-founder DIMI MACHERAS by his Grandmother, Clan Elder Katherine Wade. The story follows two best friends, Sasquatch E. Moji and Mister Yelly, on their quest to become the greatest storytellers the world has ever seen!
It took us a little while to notice, but Mister Yelly and Sasquatch E. Moji are exaggerated cartoon versions of Dimi and Casey. Both characters’ names describe ways of communicating: Yelly is vocal and loud, relying on his voice to convey his ideas, and Moji is quiet, using imagery, symbols, and emojis to contribute to the story. In the Chickaloonies books, Yelly uses language to narrate the stories while Moji interprets them with images. This duality reflects the unique nature by which we collaborate and serves as the foundation for everything that is 80% Studios.
Chickaloonies is our way of continuing the vitally important tradition of inter-generational knowledge sharing by taking the themes, values and ideals of these “Ancient Teachings” and delivering them in a new way, for a new generation. We have been fortunate to reach a wide variety of children and adults across the country through our “Words and Pictures” workshops, wherein we show that everyone, absolutely everyone, is a storyteller. Using live storytelling performances of new Chickaloonies tales we’ve crafted that feature costumes, animation and sound, we are able to break through race/creed/age barriers and show how we are all connected to each other through the stories of our people–no matter the culture.
80%, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Since 2010, storytellers Dimi Macheras and Casey Silver, collectively known as 80% Studios, have been crafting narratives across a variety of visual mediums. While both of us have our strengths, it is in our collaboration-of pictures and words together-that truly defines the 80% style.
Together we have published eight books, including the smash hit “Chickaloonies”. This all ages, Alaskan Tribal adventure follows the adventures of two best friends and their Grandma who live in a world without a sun! This project has become so much more than just a graphic novel and now serves as the foundation for everything 80% Studios has done since 2021. We co-founded a full color, ‘Heavy Metal’ style comix anthology featuring Seattle based artists called NEMESIS ENFORCER. In 2016, we organized “Hometown Heroes” a one night, community focused, local art comics festival; developed storytelling and graphic art curriculum in partnership with the Smithsonain Arctic Studies Center and regularly tour around Alaska, sharing new stories from Chickaloonies through live storytelling performances and our “Words and Pictures” workshops.
You might ask yourself at this point, why not 100% Studios? Well, what started as a joke has become a mantra. It is our way of staying humble during this journey of learning, trying, failing and never giving up. Because at the end of the day, It’s not about the destination, just as it’s not about perfection.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
As a very uncool kid growing up in the early 90s in a small New England town, I would never have survived were it not for comic books. I literally grew up at my local comic book store, “The Annex,” and almost everything I am (besides what my parents instilled in me) somehow originated from that small little store. This strange place that welcomed weirdos young and old, to share a passion that at the time was a one way ticket to getting your head put in the toilet.
The world is a bit different now, but because of the tireless dedication, creativity and insanity of the people behind these stupid 4 color funny books, I was able to discover the real ME–and it saved my life. In turn, I must give that energy back to the medium by creating something that myabe—just maybe, will help some uncool kid from some small town not feel so out of place, even if for just 24 pages.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Dimi Macheras here– Creating our own stories and having the creative freedom to expand the world these characters exist in keeps me passionate about making comics. It took me a long time to get comfortable drawing sequential art, and I owe a lot of that to my collaboration with Casey. While we have different skill sets and talents, we focus on every creative aspect of Chickaloonies as though we are one mind. It really elevates the work and makes so much possible in terms of our method of production. We level up with each book we do, and just like I tell aspiring artists who attend our ‘Words & Pictures Storytelling Workshops’, “the more you practice, the better you get, and the more fun you have doing it.” 80% Studios got its name as a bit of a joke, after a failed attempt at a job for Nickelodeon. Our peers and fellow comic artists would always say we were “80% there, but not quite”. When it came time to brand ourselves, we leaned into it and took on the name as a badge of honor. But over the years the meaning has come more into focus. It’s less about being 80% good enough, but more about our journey as storytellers. Like they say – it’s not about the destination. 80% represents this point in our story where we are confident in our work, but are always looking to refine our skills and continue learning to become better at what we do. We have a long story planned out for Chickaloonies, and every time a piece of that story becomes real in the pages of the book, THAT’s what’s most rewarding to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eightypercentstudios.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/80percentstudios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/80percentstudios/
- Twitter: @80percentstudio
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@80studios16
Image Credits
80% Studios