Milton Knight facts for kids

Milton Knight Jr. (born May 12, 1962) is a talented American artist. He is known for many things, like drawing cartoons, making animated shows, and creating comic books. He has also worked as a writer, painter, and artist who plans out scenes for animation.

Milton Knight helped direct many popular cartoon series. These include Cool World, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, and The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat. His drawing style often reminds people of the "Golden Age" of cartoons from the 1930s.

About Milton Knight

Early Life and Art Beginnings

Milton Knight Jr. was born on May 12, 1962, in Mineola, New York. He started drawing, painting, and even making his own comic books and animations when he was only two years old!

As a child, Milton collected many things that inspired him. These included Chinese watercolors, poster art, and Charlie Brown comics. He also loved cartoons from Terrytoons. When he visited museums in New York, he was fascinated by how pop artists used comic strips in their fine art.

Milton's goal in art is not to copy real life. Instead, he loves to create new shapes and ideas. He wants to give them their own special life and unique look.

Working as an Illustrator

Starting in 1979, Milton Knight began illustrating for many national magazines and newspapers. Some of these included The Village Voice, Family Weekly, Nickelodeon Magazine, and The Electric Company Magazine.

He also designed many other things. He created comic books, covers for music records, posters, candy wrappers, and T-shirts.

Creating Comic Books

Around 1982, Milton Knight met Kim Thompson and Gary Groth from Fantagraphics, a company that publishes graphic novels. They had heard about Milton's comic called Hugo.

In 1982, Fantagraphics published Hugo. It was described as "fairy tales for adults." The story was quite unique and interesting. Later, Fantagraphics brought Hugo back as a three-issue series in 1984–85. They then collected all the issues into one book.

Milton Knight also wrote and drew a ten-issue comic series for Marvel Comics. This series was called Mighty Mouse. It was based on the cartoon project The New Adventures.

Career in Animation

In 1991, Milton Knight moved to California. There, he started working as an animator for TV cartoons. His first big job was as a director for The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat.

He helped create the art, characters, props, backgrounds, and colors for many animated shows. He worked for big companies like Disney TV, MGM TV, Saban, Rhythm & Hues, Warner Bros. Animation, and HBO. Some of his well-known animation projects include Ralph Bakshi's Cool World, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, and The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat.

Milton Knight also shares his knowledge by teaching art. He teaches at The Colonnade Art Gallery and Studio in Pasadena, California. He also volunteers to help preserve animation history for the International Animated Film Association.

In 2021, it was announced that Milton Knight would provide commentary for the Blu-Ray release of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog. This release included all 65 episodes of the show. The compilation came out in February 2022 and featured Milton Knight's commentary.