Born in New York, Vinny is an artist and animator who has been recognized by the Florida, Orlando Museum of Art for his fine art achievements, including sculpture, painting ,and wooden puzzle making. Vinny worked and taught for Walt Disney Feature Animation Studios, in both California and Florida, for over twelve years. His contributions can be seen in ten feature films and several short films, including twice leading artistic teams responsible for Donald Duck. First in the short segment “Pomp and Circumstance” for “Fantasia 2000”, then again in a Goofy short made for television, “How to Haunt a House”.
His feature film credits include, “Aladdin”, “Lion King”, “Pocahontas”, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, “Hercules”, “Fantasia 2000”, “Mulan”, “Tarzan”, “Lilo and Stitch”, and “Brother Bear”.
Also, to his Disney credit, he led the clean up animation department for the artistic short film, “The Little Match Girl”, which was released as a bonus feature on the “Little Mermaid” dvd. He also helped create animated kiosks for Disney’s Theme Parks, particularly involving the character ‘Cogsworth’ from “Beauty and the Beast”. Prior to work at Disney, Vincent was hired by renowned animator Ralph Bakshi in California, to work on his film for Paramount Studios, entitled “Cool World”. You can see more on his IMDb page.
Building on his animation background from feature films, Vincent pursued his love for illustration, sculpting and storytelling by combining those skills into unique biblical murals, many of which grace the halls of churches around the country. Some can be seen here. He creates theatrical sets, and teaches art to students of all ages. He is an art teacher and art therapist working in Florida with certifications as an ACSI certified teacher (Association of Christian Schools International), FIE certified (Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichment), and a First Lego League (FLL) registered coach. He currelntly teaches at “Kablooie Studios” and Illuminations Academy.
Vincent studied animation at Sheridan College in Toronto, Canada, and holds a Bachelor degree in Biblical Studies.
FAVORITES:
- Movie: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
- Director: Wes Anderson
- Christmas Movie: Klaus
- Book: Charlie and the Chocloate Factory
- Author: Roald Dahl
- Fictional Character: Baron Munchausen
- Animated Character: Popeye
- Philosopher: Plato
- Dinosaur: Spinosaurus
- Cryptid: Bigfoot
- Song: What’s New in Baltimore?
- Musician: Frank Zappa
- Muppet: Gonzo
- Food: Chicken Scallopini
- Board Game: Chess
- Outdoor Activity: Kayaking
- Sports Team: NY Islanders
- Hobby: Juggling
Why I am the right person to write my books?
I’ve always been a person to ask questions that no one else would. I don’t always agree with political correctness in that it chokes the ability to laugh at ourselves. My colleagues say I have a contagious laugh, and I think that what many people do is funny, and I like to point it out. Part of being an artist, for me, is to show others what they don’t see. That’s what I do. I’ve always been attracted to nonsense and how it can reveal hypocrisy. As an artist and teacher, I lead my assistants and students in exploring visual imagery with humor and energetic enthusiasm, that never insults others, but rather produces amazing scenarios, whether with pictures or words, in an environment of sheer fun. My interests lie in a diverse amount subjects, but for The Heterodoxeum, I am well versed in mythology, cryptozoology, strange phenomena, paleontology, archaeology, conspiracy theory, history, Ed Lear, Lewis Carrol, and Tex Avery, to name a few.
As for Bernie, I believe that everything ends in “good”. If things in someone’s life are “bad” then they’re still fighting something, and the fight hasn’t ended yet. Bernie looks at an imagined scenario where the main character has a choice of fighting for “good” or remaining depressed. He ultimately gets back to doing what he loved to do and emerges with the power to shape his own future. It’s all a matter of believing in success. That’s the real message of Bernie for children everywhere.
vinny.siracusano@gmail.com
The Artwork of Vincent Siracusano 