Michael Jupp

Michael (Mike) Jupp (Born April 8th, 1948 in Tonbridge, Kent, United Kingdom) is an English cartoonist,illustrator.designer/visualiser, creature designer, copywriter and author.
Mike Jupp was adopted at the age of 3 months and brought up at his home in BOGNOR REGIS, West Sussex. Educated at Nyewood Lane Junior School and subsequently, Lancastrian Secondary Modern school, Chichester.
He was 'asked to leave' aged 16 (for refusing to get his hair cut!) and moved to Chichester polytechnic (Avenue De Chartres). He acquired the necessary GCE grades, including A- Level GCE's in Art & architecture then required for admission to The West Sussex College of Art and Design (Now Northbrooke College) Worthing, West Sussex. He gainined qualifications in Art and Animation (Jupp was the college's first student of animation) - plus diplomas in Graphic Art and Advertising Design.
Jupp started his professional career in Chichester West Sussex, working as a cartoonist/designer for a regional 'Freepaper' called 'The Promoter'. After 18 months he was hired by E.F. McDonald, an American incentive and marketing company (of DAYTON, OHIO), based in Park Lane London. Made redundant in 1974, Jupp began a Freelance career.

His first commissions were cartoons and feature illustrations for the 'Girly Magazines' of PAUL RAYMOND. He joined the artists and illustrators represented by London's elite, 'ARCHER ART AGENCY'. In 1977 Jupp was flown to New York to work on cartoon illustration for Larry Flint's 'Hustler' Magazine.
After New York, Jupp was hired by Dutch Publisher, FRANK FEHMERS, and moved to Amsterdam Holland, where he created designs for, 'No Man's Valley' and later, The Bluffers', Dutch TV series. Fehmers sent Jupp to Novato, Marin County, Northern California, to Art Direct, 'The Bluffers' at, 'MILL VALLEY ANIMATION STUDIO (Redwood Boulevard) owned by JERRY SMITH.
Mike then worked in Seoul,South Korea,as studio art director, before returning to San Francisco.
In 1985 Smith introduced Jupp to his friend, the film director GEORGE LUCAS, at Sears Point Race Track.In 1969 Jupp had styled the 'NIMROD' 'fun car' ( engineered and built by RAY JAY of Hunston)
Jerry Smith was a leading race car driver, owning several race-cars, one of which was driven, and on the day of their meeting, crashed by film director George Lucas.
After the crash Smith asked Lucas to review Jupp's concept for a potential TV series. Lucas's positive review was influential in helping Jupp to begin work with Jerry Smith on his creation THE DREAMSTONE, the manuscript and designs for which he had taken to America, in Jupp's words, "Just in case he met someone famous".
Collaborating with London theatre producer, MARTIN GATES Jupp then spent the next year directing a 5 minute teaser film of The Dreamstone (Originally with the working title 'The DREAMTHIEF') with British ex-pat PHIL ROBINSON ( WILD BRAIN ANIMATION, ) as Director of Animation.
Jupp returned to England in 1986 with the completed trailer. Martin Gates & Bengt Odner eventually clinched a deal with CENTRAL I.T.V. for the first 13, 22 minute episode series of, THE DREAMSTONE. Jupp plotlined as well as storyboarding several episodes.
The series eventually received commissions for 4 series of 13 x 22 minutes, making THE DREAMSTONE the most ambitious British cartoon series ever made. Animated in London, Novato, Manila and Seoul, it was first broadcast in Britain in 1990. The DREAMSTONE music was written and composed by MIKE BATT. Recently, KATIE MELUA used the DREAMSTONE theme tune, 'Better than a Dream' ( composed by Batt ) to topspot her 2012 comeback album, 'SECRET SYMPHONY'.
1994 saw another collaboration with producer Martin Gates, and Jupp created his second TV series, 'BIMBLE'S BUCKET' for MARTIN GATES PRODUCTIONS (also broadcast by ITV).
The collaboration with Gates ended in the late 1990's.
Over the next 10 years Jupp rebuilt his career by designing/illustrating cartoon jigsaw puzzles. He created the 'I Love..' series of puzzles, firstly for WADDINGTON GAMES, and then for GIBSONS GAMES.
In 1997 he wrote his novel, 'RETRIBUTION ('Orrible 'Obbs and the Goblins') 'A Tale of Supernatural Justice' the first part of an intended trilogy.
In the 1990's he and colleague STEVE GOODHEART featured in the National media with a stunning design for a new pier at Bognor Regis. (Described as 'whimsical' by the Evening Standard's Art critic, BRIAN SEWELL)
With collaboration from; West Sussex County Council, Arun District Council, Bognor Regis Town Council and Chichester Architects, HUNTERS, the Dragonfly/Seatrek Millennium Pier bid was a shortlisted national finalist for a 'Millennium' Lottery Grant.
Jupp's 'Dragonfly Pier' was beaten into second place by the winning bid from Portsmouth, 'The Spinnaker Tower'
He has recently designed a cablecar/ropeway system intended to travel the entire length of Bognor seafront. The concept is called 'The Frontliner' and has been submitted to the local authorities as part of a Bognor Regis regeneration scheme.
Jupp still lives in North Berstead, part of his home town of Bognor Regis, West Sussex, United Kingdom.
He collates and hosts Charity and Pub Quizzes, is the President of The Bognor Regis Arts Society and of the Newtown Sports & Social Club.
Jupp has two teenage daughters..and a giant Doberman Pinscher.
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Jupp worked as an art director for two Dutch cartoon series, The Bluffers in the late 1980s, Sebastian Star Bear in 1991. He also did the storyboard for the first five minutes of the film Howard the Duck.
Jupp created the original concept and design for the British cartoon series The Dreamstone, which was screened on ITV and ran for four series and 52 episodes total during 1990 and 1995. He also created the ITV series Bimble's Bucket that ran for 39 episodes total from 1996-1998.

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