CHUCK TODD
(925) 691-8541 1846 Sandalwood Drive, Concord, CA 94519
EDUCATION
MFA Illustration, 1999, Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA.
Studied illustration, drawing, painting, teaching theory, aesthetics and sequential art. Teachers included Barbara Bradley, Carol Nunnelly, Kazuhiko Sano, Chuck Pyle and independent study with Gary Amaro and Bill Koeb.
BFA Design/Image Production, 1989, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO.
Graphic Design program with emphasis in illustration. Studied painting, drawing, intaglio printmaking, photography, art history, typography, design theory and systems, color theory and illustration. Teachers included Dennis Rexroad, Jim Escalante, Jerry Hatch and Rodney Frew.
ILLUSTRATED BOOKS
“The Raccoon Next Door: Getting Along with Urban Wildlife” by Gary Bogue, illustrations by Chuck Todd (2003, HeyDay Books)
“There’s an Opossum in my Backyard” by Gary Bogue, illustrations by Chuck Todd (2007, HeyDay Books)
“There’s a Hummingbird in my Backyard” by Gary Bogue, illustrations by Chuck Todd (forthcoming 2010, HeyDay Books)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Presentation Editor (Design and Graphics)
The Contra Costa Times and Bay Area News Group - East Bay, Walnut Creek, CA, 2005 to present.
As presentation editor, my goal is to be a teacher and mentor to help the staff become better artists, designers and visual journalists. I was promoted in 2008 to Presentation Editor of Bay Area News Group - East Bay, which includes the Contra Costa Times and Oakland Tribune newspapers. As the editor in charge of Design and Infographics at BANG-EB, I work with editors, photographers, reporters, designers and news artists on advance and daily design packages for our newspapers and websites. I art direct, collaborate, mentor and train the News Art and Design staffs. My responsibilities include assigning, art directing, planning and creating daily and advance informational graphics, illustrations and page designs. I have taken the lead on establishing design styles and redesigning the section fronts of our publications. I’m also a direct supervisor of the news art staff and the design chiefs. In the past year I have been instrumental in setting up and rolling out our new design and paginating system Jazbox. As a Jazbox Superuser and Design and Style specialist I have created InDesign templates and design styles in the new system for the BANG-EB newspaper group. I also provided training and support with the Jazbox system rollout at the San Jose Mercury News. As a superuser I train other users, troubleshoot and give user support.
Graphics Chief
The Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, CA, 2003 to 2005.
Editor of graphics. Attended story planning meetings, worked with editors, reporters, design chiefs and news artists to create and assign informational graphics and illustrations to enhance the content of the newspaper and website.
News Artist
The Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, CA, 1999 to 2003.
Created daily and advanced graphics and illustrations. As a visual journalist I routinely, researched, wrote and created informational graphics on a wide range of topics. Daily collaborations with the presentation editor, designers, reporters, editors on creating visual solutions for news and features content.
Undergraduate and Graduate Instructor
Academy of Art University, San Francisco, CA, 1999-2003.
Instructor in the animation and graduate illustration departments teaching storyboarding and drawing classes. Duties included lecturing, planning lessons and assignments, critiquing, grading, setting up poses with models, demonstrating techniques and approaches to drawing, illustration and sequential art.
Graduate Teaching Assistant
Academy of Art San Francisco, CA, Fall 1998.
Teaching assistant, graduate level drawing class “Figure and Expression” with instructor Carol Nunnelly. Duties included planning lessons, lecturing, critiquing, working with models and demonstrating drawing techniques.
Graphic Artist/Illustrator
The News-Leader, Springfield, MO, 1991-1996.
Created feature and editorial illustrations on a wide range of subjects utilizing traditional and digital techniques. Created daily maps, charts and graphics including full-page informational graphics. Design duties included magazine covers, feature pages, news layouts and special projects and a redesign of news and feature sections. Attended American Press Institute Graphics and Design Seminar in Reston, VA, 1995.
Graphic Artist, advertising and marketing.
The News-Leader, Springfield, MO, 1989-1991.
Created and designed daily ad layouts, spec ads, line art illustrations, promotional fliers and rack cards.
Designer/Illustrator
SMSU Publications, Springfield, MO, 1989.
Designed and produced brochures, catalogs, advertisements and illustrations.
Computer skills: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign Freehand and Quark. Trained as a Jazbox superuser to create templates and design styles in new computer system for Bay Area News Group - East Bay. As superuser I am a point person to train, troubleshoot and give user support.
Art skills, techniques: Well-versed in various techniques and mediums: Acrylic, watercolor, mixed-media, digital, oil, oil stick, charcoal, collage, pen and ink, etching, photography and design.
Client list includes: HeyDay Books, MediaNews, Leap Frog, ESPN/ABC/NHL, Knight Ridder, The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, The Missouri Review, Gannett, Verdict, The Lindsay Wildlife Museum.
EXHIBITS
2008 “Windows to Wildlife: Nature Paintings and Illustrations of Chuck Todd” Solo exhibit, Lindsay Wildlife Museum, Walnut Creek, CA
2007 “Missouri State Student Exhibition Center: 20th Anniversary Exhibit” Alumni exhibit, Missouri State University, Springfield, MO
1999 “A Fratricide: The Heart of Stone” MFA thesis project exhibit, Academy of Art College, San Francisco, CA
“Spring Show” Academy of Art College, San Francisco, CA
1998 “Spring Show” Academy of Art College, San Francisco, CA
“San Francisco Open Studios” 79 New Montgomery Studio, San Francisco, CA
1997 “Spring Show” Academy of Art College, San Francisco, CA
“San Francisco Society of Illustrators” Annual exhibit, Sutter St., San Francisco, CA
1990 “Private Apparitions” Exhibit of works by M.S. Franklin, Todd Lowery, and Chuck Todd, Springfield, MO
1989 “Springfield Area Artists Exhibition” Springfield Art Museum, Springfield, MO
“Salon de Refuses” Alternative Senior Student Exhibit, Springfield, MO
PROFESSIONAL LECTURES AND PRESENTATIONS
2008 El Cerrito Branch, Contra Costa County Library, El Cerrito, CA: Contra Costa Library Reading Festival, presentation on There’s an Opossum in My Backyard with author Gary Bogue.
2007 National Association of Hispanic Journalists, San Jose, CA: Panelist, slide presentation on graphics and visual journalism.
Clayton Arts Academy, Clayton Valley High School, Concord, CA: Career day presentation on visual journalism and illustration.
Clayton Branch, Contra Costa County Library, Clayton, CA: Booth and book presentation during fundraiser for Clayton Arts Academy with author Gary Bogue.
2006 Society of News Design Conference, Boston, MA: Prepared video interview for session presentation by Chris Courtney and Steve Dorsey on alternative story forms.
2005 Graphic Artists Guild, San Francisco, CA: Luncheon slide presentation on illustration for newspapers.
2004 San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco, CA: Slide presentation with Gary Bogue on The Raccoon Next Door: Getting Along with Urban Wildlife.
Lindsay Wildlife Museum, Walnut Creek, CA: Book presentation and Q&A for docents and donors with author Gary Bogue.
2003-2008 Various bookstores, museums, libraries and schools throughout Northern California: Book signings, presentations, and Q&A sessions with author Gary Bogue.
PROFESSIONAL AWARDS
2006 Society of News Design Award of excellence, features page design (art director)
East Bay Press Club First place, design.
2005 Associated Press News Executive Council First place, graphics.
California Newspaper Publishers Association First place, layout and design, staff award.
2004 California Newspaper Publishers Association Letter of achievement, informational graphics/illustration.
2003 California Newspaper Publishers Association First place, informational graphics/illustration.
2002 Society of News Design Award of excellence, illustration.
California Newspaper Publishers Association Second place, informational graphics/illustration.
2001 California Newspaper Publishers Association First place, informational graphics/illustration.
East Bay Press Club First place, infographics; second place, illustration.
1999 Best of the West Second place, illustration.
1996 Kansas and Missouri Associated Press Graphics Contest First place, informational graphics
1994 Kansas and Missouri Associated Press Graphics Contest Third place and two honorable mentions, informational graphics.
1993 Missouri Press Association First place, informational graphics
References available upon request.
