SIZER DESIGN + ILLUSTRATION was started in 1992 by President, CEO and sole employee PAUL SIZER as a one-person studio for creating “industrial strength art and design”.
Striving to find the common ground between the typographic training he received from his graphic design education at Western Michigan University and his lifelong love of the comic art form and illustration, Paul sought to combine these two disciplines into a unique problem solving communication tool. The graphic design influences the illustration, and the illustration influences the design. Sizer believes that the two should strengthen each other, rather than detract. With a foot planed firmly in both the analog and digital camps, it has been Sizer’s mission to find the balance between the two disciplines for the past two decades. In the first 25 years of business, Sizer has expanded his client base to include local businesses, individuals, and international individuals/companies. His work includes book cover design, website design, magazine illustration, logo and identity design, mascot and character designs, caricatures, music and CD packaging and design, game and video game design, plus numerous lectures on the design industry and practice for universities, colleges and schools across the country.
In the past few years, Sizer has been combining his interest in music and design by collaborating with noted electronic music pioneer/producer Thomas Dolby (“She Blinded Me With Science”, “Hyperactive”), doing all of the design work and concepting on his latest release “A Map of the Floating City” and the accompanying trans-media diesel punk social media game “The Floating City”. From this work, Sizer is now working with noted English musician/producer Bruce Woolley (co-writer, “Video Killed The Radio Star”) on the Post War Orchestra, a collaboration with English conceptual artist Hilary Champion.
In addition to graphic design and illustration, Sizer has also made his mark in the world of comic art. Starting with his award winning 4-year run in the Western Herald during college, Sizer’s strip “BILL THE RABBIT” garnered a total of four national college cartooning awards, two of them national first place awards. After college, Sizer joined with other local cartoonists in Kalamazoo, Michigan to contribute to BULK COMICS, an early 90’s comic anthology. Sizer teamed up with fellow artist Mark Paulik to create Q-LOC, a science fiction comic which began to attract attention within the comic fan community and from comic professionals.
1n 1997, Sizer began his own solo comic book entitled LITTLE WHITE MOUSE, which was picked up for publishing by Caliber Comics. After seven issues, the book moved to Blue Line Pro Comics, where Sizer completed two more 4 issue series of LITTLE WHITE MOUSE, along with two graphic novel collections of the first two series of the book.In June of 2006, CAFE DIGITAL STUDIOS released the entire LITTLE WHITE MOUSE series in a 448 page “OMNIBUS EDITION”. It has also been included in COMIC INTERNATIONAL’s “Notable Comics of the 90’s”, along with many reviewer’s and critics “Top Ten” lists.In January 2005, Sizer launched his own publishing company, CAFÉ DIGITAL STUDIOS to release all of his comic work under one imprint. Sizer released the self-published 144 page graphic novel MOPED ARMY in September 2005. The book has gained much critical acclaim and is selling internationally. MOPED ARMY was also nominated by the American Library Association to it’s annual “Best Books For Young Adults” competition and in 2007 won a place on the “Great Graphic novels For Teens” list.His most recent graphic novel BPM was released in November of 2008 to glowing reviews and brisk sales, as well as accolades from ICv2, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Sequential Tart, VOYA and DJs from around the world.
Sizer also maintains a busy schedule conducting comic art and creativity workshops for kids and adults across the country, focusing on the power of the versatile comic artform for creative expression and storytelling. Paul lives and works in Kalamazoo, Michigan with his wife and fellow comic creator JANE IRWIN.
SIZER BIO (Short Version):
PAUL SIZER is a freelance graphic designer and comic artist living and working in Kalamazoo Michigan with his wife and fellow comic artist Jane Irwin. Paul works with clients all over the world on design and illustration projects, including book cover designs, CD/album designs, websites, game graphics and logo/branding/identity systems. He also self-publishes his own graphic novels, including the all-ages LITTLE WHITE MOUSE series, the American Library Association award-winning graphic novel MOPED ARMY, and his latest, the multi-media music based B.P.M.
SIZER DESIGN + ILLUSTRATION PARTIAL CLIENT LIST
Random House Publishing International
Del Rey Publishing International
Flatiron Publishing NYC
Tor Books International
Kaspersky International
Leo Burnett/Chicago
Thomas Dolby (musician, producer, songwriter)
Bruce Woolley (musician, producer, songwriter)
Dorit Chrysler (musician, theremin player, instructor)
Post War Orchestra (musical group/art collective)
Greenleaf Hospitalities
Kalamazoo Wings Hockey
Warren Ellis (writer)
Defence Mechanism (band)
826Michigan
Buffalo Laboratory Theatre
Dark Horse Comics
LastWear Clothing Company
Blackball Games
S2 Games
Gonzo’s Bigg Dogg Brewing
Alex Woolfson (publisher, writer)
SC Johnson and Company
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo College
Portage Central High School
Stryker, Inc.
Highsmith, Inc.
American Library Association
Michigan Library Association
Kalamazoo Public Library
Gilmore International Keyboard Festival
ComicSpace.com
Richland Park Horse Park
PAUL SIZER PROMOTIONAL PHOTOS
These photos are provided for use in press releases, online articles and promotional materials. Click on the thumbnails below to get print quality images (RGB or greyscale) in a new browser window. (Photography by Douglas Neal)
