Jake Parker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jake Parker
Parker in 2016
Known for	Inktober
Notable work	Horton Hears a Who

Jake Parker is an American artist who creates comics, illustrations, and animated films. He is also known for starting Inktober, a fun challenge where people draw with ink every day in October.

Jake Parker worked as a designer for Blue Sky Studios, a company that makes animated movies. He helped create films like Horton Hears a Who, Rio, and Epic. He also illustrates children's books, including The Little Snowplow, which was a bestseller in 2015. In 2016, he wrote and illustrated his own children's book called Little Bot and Sparrow.

About Jake Parker

Jake Parker grew up in Mesa, Arizona. He loved drawing from a young age. Artists like Bill Watterson, Jim Lee, and Mike Mignola inspired him.

After college, Parker worked as an assistant for animators at Fox Animation Studios. He helped with the movie Titan A.E.. When that studio closed, he worked in graphic design and even video game design.

Working in Animation

Later, Parker moved to Connecticut to work at Blue Sky Studios. There, he was a set designer for animated movies. He helped bring to life films such as Horton Hears a Who, Rio, and Epic.

After his time at Blue Sky Studios, Parker moved to Provo, Utah, with his wife and five children. He taught illustration at Brigham Young University (BYU).

Other Creative Work

Jake Parker also helped start the Society of Visual Storytelling. This website offers online classes for artists who want to learn more about illustration. He has contributed stories to several comic books in the Flight series.

Parker has illustrated many children's books. These include The Little Snowplow, The Tooth Fairy Wars, and The 12 Sleighs of Christmas. His book Little Bot and Sparrow was inspired by his own comic called "Robot and the Sparrow."

Jake Parker and his family now live in Arizona. One of his sons, Tate Parker, also enjoys drawing comics.

Inktober Challenge

In 2009, Jake Parker started Inktober. This is a popular yearly event where artists create ink drawings throughout October. He announced the idea on his blog.

How Inktober Works

The Inktober challenge asks artists to create one ink drawing every day in October. They then share their drawings on social media. Parker originally started it to help himself get better at drawing with ink.

Since about 2016, Parker has shared a list of "prompts" for each day. These prompts give artists ideas for what to draw. Many artists use Inktober to practice their skills and share their art with others. They use different art styles and materials. In October 2015, over a million Inktober drawings were posted on Instagram.

Parker also created "Art Drop Day." This happens on the first Tuesday of September. It encourages artists to leave their artwork in public places for others to find.

Inktober and Trademarks

In 2019, Parker registered "Inktober" as a trademark. This meant he owned the name. Some artists who sold their Inktober-inspired work later received notices about using the name. Parker later explained that using "Inktober" in a subtitle was allowed, but using the official logo was not.

Before his explanation, some people on social media felt that smaller artists were being treated unfairly. They believed Inktober became popular because of these artists' work.

Discussions About Art Inspiration

In 2020, before Parker's book Inktober All Year Round was released, another artist named Alphonso Dunn shared a video. He compared his own work to parts of Parker's new book. This led to discussions about how artists get ideas and how they should give credit.

Jake Parker's Published Books

• Out of Picture 2: Art from the Outside Looking In (2008)
• Missile Mouse: Rescue on Tankium3 (2011)
• Missile Mouse: The Star Crusher (2010)
• The Astonishing Secret of Awesome Man (2011)
• The Antler Boy and Other Stories (2012)
• Apples A to Z (2012)
• Nuthin' But Mech (2012)
• The Girl Who Wouldn't Brush Her Hair (2013)
• Explorer: The Lost Islands (2013)
• Nuthin' but Mech, Volume Two (2014)
• The Tooth Fairy Wars (2014)
• Rocket Raccoon (Issues 5-6 and 9–11, 2014-2015)
• The Little Snowplow (2015)
• Who's the Grossest of Them All? (2016)
• Little Bot and Sparrow (2016)
• The 12 Sleighs of Christmas (2017)
• SkyHeart Book One: The Search for the Star Seed (2018)
• Goldilocks for Dinner: A Funny Book About Manners (2019)
• The Little Snowplow Wishes for Snow (2019)
• Inktober All Year Round: Your Indispensable Guide to Drawing With Ink

Stories in Flight Comics

• "The Robot and the Sparrow." Flight, Volume Two (2007)
• "Hugo Earhart." Flight, Volume One (2007)
• "Missile Mouse: The Guardian Prophecy." Flight Explorer (2008)
• Flight, Volume Eight (2011)

Movies Jake Parker Worked On

• Titan A.E. (2000)
• Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
• Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009)
• Rio (2011)
• Epic (2013)