Michael Wilcox - ART DIRECTOR
Hi! Thanks for visiting my online portfolio. Here you will find an assortment of artwork, experience and creative projects I've contributed to throughout my career.
I've worked on dozens of products as a Director, Artist and Manager over nearly two decades. Please take a look around and feel free to contact me.
Michael Wilcox
Art Director | Creative Director | Game Development Leader
Contact info
Professional Summary
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Art Director and Creative Leader with 25+ years of experience leading visual development, production pipelines, and multidisciplinary art teams across mobile, console, handheld, and live-service games. Shipped 60+ titles and directed teams of 40+ artists while contributing hands-on across concept development, character art, environment art, marketing art, and 3D production.
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Experience includes Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Sims, Assassin's Creed, Lord of the Rings, Marvel, Disney, LEGO, and numerous original IPs.
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Core Competencies
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Art Direction • Creative Direction • Team Leadership • Visual Development • Studio Leadership • Production Planning • Outsourcing • Talent Development • Character Art • Environment Art • Live Service Games • Mobile Games • Cross-Functional Collaboration • Pipeline Development • Marketing Art
Software
Photoshop • Maya • ZBrush • Blender • Unity • Unreal • Jira • Perforce • Adobe Creative Suite
PERFECT DAY GAMES
Co-Founder & Art Director | 2019–Present
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Lead visual direction and creative strategy across multiple original IPs.
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Built production pipelines, quality standards, and art workflows.
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Manage artists, contractors, publishing relationships, and external partners.
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Contribute directly to character, environment, marketing, animation, VFX, and 3D asset production.
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Led development of Herobot Quest, Eighth Era, and Temple Run Adventures.
KING
Project Art Director | 2014–2019
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Directed visual exploration, style development, and market positioning for new game initiatives.
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Created style guides, visual development documentation, and executive presentations.
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Mentored artists and fostered collaborative, high-performing teams.
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Produced character, environment, prop, and marketing artwork.
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Contributed to Paradise Bay, a live-service title generating approximately $200M in lifetime revenue.
AURIC GAMES
Art Director | 2013–2014
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Directed visual development and content production for Dragonstorm.
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Led prototype development and exploration of new IP opportunities.
GLU MOBILE
Art Manager / Senior Art Lead | 2012–2013
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Led art development for Glu's first MMO strategy title.
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Supported multiple concurrent projects across diverse genres.
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Partnered with studio leadership on staffing, planning, and team development.
GRIPTONITE GAMES / AMAZE ENTERTAINMENT
Studio Art Director / Lead Artist | 2002–2012
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Directed a studio of 40+ artists across handheld and console projects.
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Shipped more than 60 titles while overseeing staffing, outsourcing, planning, and art direction.
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Developed products for major publishers including Activision, Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm, EA, THQ, and DreamWorks.
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Created visual development materials, style guides, pitch assets, and production artwork.
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Mentored artists and established studio-wide visual standards.
Selected Franchises: Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Sims, Assassin's Creed, Lord of the Rings, Spider-Man, LEGO, X-Men, Spyro, The Simpsons, Disney, Marvel.
EDUCATION: Art Institute of Seattle AAS, Computer Animation