We recently asked our Senior Artist, Danny Moll how he got into the business of making video games and what keeps him motivated in this incredibly competitive field.
How did you get your start in the game industry? What led you to this career?
I studied art/game art in college and landed an internship at Disney Interactive in my last year of school, which eventually led to a full-time concept position. The honest answer is, World of Warcraft loading screen artwork – I loved that stuff and wanted to be able to make art like it.
What is your favorite part about working with the Stoic team?
I love working with small team of smart and passionate people!
What has been your proudest contribution or biggest accomplishment with Stoic so far?
I’m proud of all of our cross-discipline work – every time design/art or art/tech work together to create more immersive events in our games or useful tools for our pipeline it feels good!
What kind of games do you play or hobbies do you have during your time off?
Lately I’ve been playing a lot of Switch games – mostly Smash Ultimate, but Breath of the Wild is definitely the best game I’ve played in a long time. Hobbies: Plein-air painting, cooking/baking, gardening, biking, home-improvement and I want to learn sewing from my partner.
What moment or memory from another game do you have that has had the greatest impact for you and always had meaning for you?
Whether it was solving Myst puzzles with my dad, or playing 4v4 LAN Halo or DotA in high school, or just exploring in Morrowind with my best friend during summers in middle school — Games have always been a way to connect with other people.
If you could give some advice to someone who wants to work in this industry / do what you do, what would it be?
Have faith in yourself, a little bit of false optimism can go a long way. Stop worrying about whether or not people are going to like your art and trust your own sense of aesthetics. Don’t be self-conscious about what you like. Get immersed in your subject, once you’ve found it, and communicate your excitement and knowledge of your subject to the audience.
Who’s your favorite person at Stoic? Why?
I’m against favoritism on principle 😉
What’s your favorite thing about Banner Saga fans and members of our community?
I love that fans of the Banner Saga trilogy tend to be deeply interested in history and willing to engage with content that is challenging and sometimes sad. You could call it a kind of stoicism.
What would you be doing, if you couldn’t make video games for a living?
Honest answer: Probably making art for another industry/purpose. Cheeky answer: Running a food truck.
