Sam Hale Interview Part 1
Sam Koji Hale is an illustrator, sculptor, puppet designer and builder. He has a master of fine arts in illustration from Academy of Art University in San Francisco and has designed and built puppets for a variety of film, video and theatre productions. His credits include Elf and Playhouse Disney's “Clay,” as well as Ahoy Captain Sid, which earned him two regional Emmy nominations. He received The Kennedy Center Award for his puppet design and construction on The Inland Emperor's New Clothes. Hale recently designed and built puppets for a Triumvirate Pi Theatre presentation of The Fox's Lantern (Kitsune No Chochin), a project he co-created and will puppeteer in.
Hale is Adjunct Professor of Theatre Arts at California State University San Bernardino. I asked him to share his thoughts on puppet design.
PJ: You were on a very different professional path before you chose to go to art school. How did you make the decision to pursue a career as a professional artist and illustrator?
SH: It was no easy decision. I think any creative person wrestles with the question of whether he or she can make a living as an artist and still eat three square meals a day! I was a traveling businessman handling 15 customer accounts worth $2 million-3 million per year. I was sleeping in nice hotels and flying all over the country making decent money in a somewhat glamorous job, but in the end it wasn’t for me. Deep down, I longed for something creatively satisfying. I quit my job and looked into graduate schools. It actually came down to enrolling in a Ph.D. program in Japanese history or going to art school and getting myself knee-deep in debt. I took a chance, flipped a coin, and chose art school! I haven’t regretted it.
Hale is Adjunct Professor of Theatre Arts at California State University San Bernardino. I asked him to share his thoughts on puppet design.
PJ: You were on a very different professional path before you chose to go to art school. How did you make the decision to pursue a career as a professional artist and illustrator?
SH: It was no easy decision. I think any creative person wrestles with the question of whether he or she can make a living as an artist and still eat three square meals a day! I was a traveling businessman handling 15 customer accounts worth $2 million-3 million per year. I was sleeping in nice hotels and flying all over the country making decent money in a somewhat glamorous job, but in the end it wasn’t for me. Deep down, I longed for something creatively satisfying. I quit my job and looked into graduate schools. It actually came down to enrolling in a Ph.D. program in Japanese history or going to art school and getting myself knee-deep in debt. I took a chance, flipped a coin, and chose art school! I haven’t regretted it.
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