Medford resident Dave Bullock was living a life many superhero fans would envy.
For 18 years, Bullock was living in sunny California, working as a storyboard artist for TV series such as “Spider-Man,” “Superman,” “Teen Titans” and “Justice League.” He also provided artwork for comics such as “Teen Titans Go!” “Iron Man” and “The Ultimates.”
Four years ago, Bullock moved back to his childhood home of Medford, in hopes of sharing his art with others around him.
“That art is nothing without sharing it with others,” he said.
In January, Bullock taught a comic book drawing class at Pinelands Branch Library, showing kids ages 5 to 12 how to draw their favorite superheroes. In April, he will be teaching a similar class at the Medford Arts Center.
Bullock believes children should have the freedom to explore different hobbies and choose their own path in life like he once did. As a child, he was encouraged to explore his creative side. He recalls constantly drawing with his brother Sam, who also pursued a career in animation.
“We were exposed to art at an early age,” Bullock said. “My entire family is very creative.”
Bullock feels many children don’t get to experience enough of a variety of hobbies today. He is looking forward to teaching kids who might have creative or artistic talent, but don’t quite realize it.
“You can completely introduce a child to a whole new career path,” Bullock said.
One of the biggest things pushing Bullock to working with children is his faith. Bullock attends Pine Grove Baptist Church in Marlton and said he has found inspiration in the Bible.
Working from home has given Bullock the time and freedom to work on his own projects. After reading a variety of stories in the Bible, he got the idea to put together children’s book composed of different Bible stories. Right now, Bullock is working on art for depicting the story of Samson.
“I’ve been going through the Samson story in Judges and pulling out the key moments,” Bullock said.
Bullock’s goal is to pull three stories from the Bible and combine the words with colorful drawings to make the stories easier to understand for kids.
The battle between good and evil in the Bible is what attracted Bullock to comic books and superheroes as a child. After graduating from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Bullock moved to California and was mentored by animator Dan Kuenster. During this time, he worked on story pitches, made connections and built a portfolio. He was frequently found at San Diego Comic Con, meeting with professionals who would critique his work.
It took a few years before Bullock got his big break as a storyboard artist on the FOX animated series “Spider-Man” in the mid-1990s.
“I was really excited to work with the heroic characters,” Bullock said.
Bullock’s resume includes working with many of the DC Comic characters such as Batman, Superman and the Justice League in both television shows and comic books. Throughout his career, Bullock has learned a lot from mentors and colleagues in the business. Even before he began teaching classes, he was always willing to help others who asked for advice.
“I would always try to invest some time into the younger guys,” he said.
Today, Bullock still works on projects for a number of companies, including Disney and DC Comics. However, he has high hopes for his Bible children’s stories. His dream is to open a Christian art studio and eventually turn his Bible stories into a series of children’s books.
For now, nothing excited Bullock more than seeing the faces of exuberant children who dream of drawing their favorite superheroes. Bullock is hoping to inspire those children to pursue their passion.
