Mike, the guy behind Faimba fame and Mazgwembe crew

 

By Thorn Mulli

Mike Muthiga, 26, of Faimba fame, and more recently Mazgwembe crew, was unknown few years back. Today; however, he is one of the world’s most sought after animators.

Q: Walk us through your background.

M: The second born of four siblings, I attended Nairobi Pentecostal Academy and Alliance High School before pursuing a Civil Engineering degree course in Malaysia.

Q: Civil Engineering? How then did you land in animation?

M: For starters, animation has always been my first love. Societal pressure, however, led to my pursuing engineering. Animation, like all other art-based careers, has unfairly received a wide shun in developing countries with many assuming it is a waste of time. As a result, many talented individuals have been forced to settle for ‘better paying’ traditional careers. One of my uncles was a well-to-do civil engineer and in an effort to mimic his success, I was drawn to his career path even though my heart was not in it.

Q: You still haven’t explained how you made it to be one of the world’s most sought after animators.

M: I am self-taught. At alliance, one of my choice subjects was Art and Design. With the encouragement of the subject teacher, my passion for animation was kindled. I would enter art and design competitions and outdo the opposition with ease. In time, I began flirting with related software applications and was able to create an animated character that stood up and walked.

The fire had been lit. While in Form Three, I asked my mother, whom I credit for my success, to buy me animation books I had chanced on in a city mall. She did, and soon enough, the computer we had at home was not good enough. Good old mother was again gracious enough to purchase one. I had grown my knowledge on animation immensely by my third year of high school, but had to quit to concentrate on studies.

Q: So you are back from Malaysia with a Civil Engineering degree, did you practise?

M: No, I did not. I slid back to animation where I began perfecting the art. In my self-training, I became acquainted with three dimension (3D) animation. Luckily, I got a chance to try out my knowledge as junior animator and later lead animator for one and a half years with the popular Tinga Tinga tales children series.   

Q: Was this stint with Tinga Tinga series your big break?

M: Partly. Here I got to learn what the production process entail while working with some of the best animators Kenya has to offer. Sadly, however, the programme wound up and I went back to intensive nine months long self-teaching this time incorporating online tutorials. I would then work with a South African animator called Neil dealing mainly with post-production. Unknown even to me, I had now become a master of sorts in animation.

Q: Tell us how your final sprint to the top with your company Fatboy Animations came about.

M: On the side while working with Neil, I created animated characters that I uploaded to social media networks. One such character named Huratete dancing to a song with the same title, became an instant hit. A food company approached me for animation work but failed to agree to my Sh200,000 fee. I was squashed because I felt I was giving them a good deal considering the work involved.

Q: Did you give up?

M: If I did, we probably would not be having this interview. Every dog has its day, and mine came when I visited a friend who worked at Jamii Telecom. The director there recognised me from my time with Tinga Tinga and offered me the chance to create an animation character for advertisement purposes. This is how Faimba was born.

Ogilvy then approached me on behalf of their client Orange for animation creations on a five episode long contract worth Sh3.5 million. In about six months, Fatboy Animations, my animation company, has turned over the animation industry, signing lucrative deals with leading brands.

Q: How do you keep hold of the competition?

M : I work closely with animators and animation schools worldwide to ensure that I keep abreast with matters animation; including latest software. In all modesty, the fact that I am versatile in both 2D and3D animation technology means that the competition has a long way to go before they catch up. I am also in close contact with the world’s front-runner in animation Sheridan College based in Canada to sharpen my skills.

Q: What are some of the challenges you face running Fatboy Animation?

M: Fatboy has impressive creatives who come up with mind-blowing concepts, but is under-staffed on the animation side. Few animators are well versed with 3D animation technology, especially for commercial purposes.

Q:  What next for Fatboy Animations?

M: Look out for Kenya’s first fully animated 3D feature. I intend to start my own animation school but considering most projects require my personal attention, that will have to wait. I can only afford to take up passionate self-driven apprentices. Sadly, no one has impressed thus far.

Q: Advice to generation next?

M: Nurture your passion early with unwavering focus. I made good with animation because I began early when I had the least distractions and responsibility. I dread to imagine how far I would be if I had not taken a four-year break to pursue engineering.